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Wednesday, August 8, 2012

File Drawers - Unexpected Beauty

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Don't you just love it when you walk into a barn, in the middle of nowhere, that you happen upon by accident, and you find FABULOUS file drawers?


The kind that are dark and have that time-worn patina that comes from age and softly rounded corners that come from years of use.




The type of file drawers with label holders that are made of actual brass with finger pulls that aren't quite square. The ones that have ledger paper tags still in them.


I love them too. I've always wanted to own a set, but the prices were always just a little out of my reach.  So, you can imagine my excitement when I wandered into a barn, with my friend Ann, back in May.

There they were, up against a wall, no one seemed to have seen them.. I stood there for a moment, considering my luck.

I quickly asked the man sitting in the chair, "How much?" He said ,"Ten Bucks."

My heart was pounding. I grabbed them and handed him the money before someone else spotted them.

I was so excited! I took them home. I knew immediately what I was going to do with them:  they were destined for my studio!


Yep, this is them, my FABULOUS "vintage" file drawers! They were shrink wrapped in bad plastic and had an IKEA label. The hardware, however, actually is vintage, purchased from my friend Bob, at Boberosa Barnworks.


Sometimes it's good to have a vivid imagination.


Because you really can "Find Unexpected Beauty In Ordinary Places".  


Like a barn.

Wrapped in plastic.

Originally from Ikea.


xo,


Kimberly

I'm linking  this post to:
A Diamond in the Stuff
Coastal Charm
Debbiedoos
DIY Showoff
French Country Cottage
House of Hepworths
I Gotta Create
Knick of Time Interiors
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
One Creative Mommy
Primitive and Proper
Tatertots and Jello
Uncommonly Yours

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60 comments:

  1. Oh I love these!! Love finding treasures! :) Have a great day! xx HOlly

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    1. Good morning Holly! Sometimes it's amazing what some sandpaper and a little walnut stain will do! Usually, I'm making old stuff look new, but I like to change it up sometimes! xo, Kimberly ;)

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  3. arnt-chu-glad we turned around and went back to the sale!

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    1. Why yes, yes I am! And in case you missed me saying it 73 times: "Hey...there's a BARN sale!" xo

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  4. Fantastic!!! Does Ikea still sell these???

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    1. Hi Anne, I'm afraid that I don't know. I was at Ikea a month ago but they were undergoing renovation and everything was in such chaos that I left without really looking around. I'll let you know the next time that I go... which reminds me, I don't even have a recent catalog. Grrr. xo

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  5. Great find!Amazing transformation! I have not been to bobs in awhile.I am hoping to get out there soon!
    xx
    Anne

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  6. I love them, you did a great job! I think it's time for another trip to Ikea. ☺ I'm visiting from the link party at I Gotta Create. I'm glad I stopped by, I'm your new follower.
    Terrie - HearthandWhimsy.com

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    1. Hi Terrie! Thanks and welcome! I'm headed over to your "house" now!

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  7. Awesome! they look like they are truly vintage!

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    1. Hi Jill, Thanks! Some day I'll find "real ones" and these will either be sold or given to my son for his "stuff" but they're fun "for now" and certainly worth the $10 that they cost! xo

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  8. Hello Kimberly: These are so pretty, and so much storage space inside--very useful, and beautiful, objects--I like them!

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    1. Hi Athena! Thank you! I'm still trying to decide what to put into them. I could use about 40 of them! :)

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  9. OH you crack me up! Good job! Love your imagination and how reality turned out! :o)

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  10. Your fabulous transformation makes your file drawers look amazingly vintage! Your wonderful vision of what could be counts for something.
    Mary Alice

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  11. The last time I walked into a barn in the middle of nowhere I found manure.

    ~Bliss~

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    1. I'm sure that was in this barn too. I didn't venture much beyond the long, narrow, row of stuff that they had piled along the wall and on tables. Old barns can be wonderful places...after several years of standing vacant....with no animals.... xo

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  12. I found you on French Country Cottage. Love what you did to the Ikea file boxes!! They aren't available anymore, but my daughter has some she is going to sell me. Can't wait to "re-do" them. I'm a new subscriber.

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    1. Hi Beth and welcome! Rats! I had hoped to get 4 more! I'm glad that you found some and I can't wait to see what you do with them! xo, Kimberly

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    2. They do have similar boxes, one is lidded, two would work for pens etc. at Ikea. They sell for 14.99 and are from the Forhoja collection http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70225685/#/70225685

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    3. Ikea sells a set of boxes very close, one is a box and two are open on top. Could be incorporated into this look as well!
      http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70225685/#/70225685
      Worth a look.

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  13. Oh, you are too funny. I was completely saying to myself, "Why can't I ever find something as awesome as that.." Haha.. love the makeover, looks fabulous!

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    1. LOL Jessica! I NEVER find the "cool stuff". Between work, spending time with my family,and doing the things that I need to around our home....you know...like cooking and laundry... I don't find time for much else. I manage to squeeze in a flea market or two in a month but that's about it. I've only been to three all summer! Ah well, there's always more "stuff" and spending the summer with my sons was more important! :)

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  14. Wow! I thought these were real antiques. Great job. I hope you’ll link this up today (or anytime this weekend) at One Creative Weekend on OneCreativeMommy.com.

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    1. Hi Heidi! Consider it done and thanks for finding me!

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  15. Yes, indeed I do love treasure hunting in barns! Several months ago, I was wandering around an old barn that I had been given permission to "clean out" and keep whatever I wanted. I found a vintage oak file cabinet, an antique oak office chair and numerous other treasures. It was A LOT of work cleaning out that old barn...but so worth the finds I scored for doing so! ;)

    Your faux vintage file box turned out fabulous, Kimberly! And I love the vignette you've styled around it.

    Blessings,
    Liz @ The Brambleberry Cottage

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    1. Oh my gosh! I'd love to have that kind of opportunity! I'll bet that your treasures are amazing! Wow...that must have been incredible!

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  17. These are fabulous! The faux vintage paint treatment looks amazing and I love the drawer pulls. Pinned for future inspiration!

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  18. They look fabulous! Great job.
    Thanks so much for linking up at I Gotta Create! <3 Christina

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    1. Hi Christina! My pleasure! Thanks to YOU for hosting such a cool party! xo

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  20. I love this!!! I would love for you to drop by My Dream Canvas. I am also hosting a giveaway to win a 50 dollar gift card to HomeGoods. Do please enter the giveaway if you like :)

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  22. These turned out great!
    Sometimes we have to improvise:)Right?
    Great find and great job!
    Francine

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    1. Yep! I think that I've finally found a place where my somewhat "vivid imagination" is actually an asset! :)

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  23. That is pretty awesome. Looks totally vintage now. Thanks for sharing with the party. So nice to see you:)

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  24. They look great! I need to find something like that to store our index cards that we use for studying in. Maybe I will head over to IKEA's website and see if they still sell them...

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    1. Hi! Someone commented above that they DO still carry something similar. They are deeper than a file card but you could probably put a 4x6 card in sideways (more deep than wide) and it should work!

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    2. I love what you did with these. I am a new follower from the uncommon link up.

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  25. Wow! I can't believe how they looked before... They truly look vintage now..great job!

    Hugs,

    Angie

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  27. Great job, the setting is just perfect. They look antique and so useful. Thanks for sharing. I am coming over from Knick of Time drop by for a visit. Kathy

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  28. I’m so glad you linked this up at One Creative Weekend! I love it! I’d love for you to join the party again tomorrow.

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  30. Love this! We featured it this week at our Uncommonly Yours Link Party!

    Take care,

    Trish

    http://www.uncommondesignsonline.com/2012/08/uncommonly-yours-link-party-features-41.html#comment-form

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    1. Thanks Trish! Needless to say, I'm thrilled! I'm headed over there now!

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