Remember the art cabinet I bought and fixed up last year? I really loved that cabinet, but I decided to part with it when it came time for us to move. I was going to consolidate all of the pieces in my home as well as in my studio and we didn’t know what house we would be moving into, so it made sense to let go of as many of the large pieces as we were willing to sell.
Now that I’m settled in my new (much, much smaller) studio, I am learning how I use the space and where I need to make some changes. One of the main things I needed to change was where my easel was located in relation to my palette. My palette has been on my left, which is a little inconvenient, given that I’m a righty.
I was also finding I needed some mobile storage that can move with me as I chase the right light around the studio. I have a couple of large storage pieces – the hardware cabinet and a hutch, but I have to walk over to retrieve things from them and, believe it or not, some of the drawers are pretty full and I could use more room to spread out.
I started looking at new tool cabinets, machinist cabinets. I admired their practicality, mobility, and narrow drawers. When I told Jeff I considered buying one, though, he knew me all to well. “You would’ve hated that!” I would not have liked how modern it looked, admittedly. So, when my mom and I were out shopping, we looked at some options. I found some amazing map/blueprint cabinets, but they were way too deep and too expensive. Then, I came across a homemade green-painted cabinet that was very similar in size and shape to my last art cabinet.
It actually provided more “bang for the buck”, as far as the storage-to-footprint ratio, than the machinist cabinets I was looking at and it fits better with my aesthetic. I paid $220 for it.
The first thing I did, before I even unloaded it from the van, was install some 2″ rubber wheels on the bottom. These aren’t cute casters, but they will roll easily and won’t tear up my painted floor. I installed them back far enough that you hardly notice them.
The piece needed a very good scrubbing, so my mom and I unloaded it in the garage (where there is a drain) and scrubbed it with warm, soapy water after a quick vacuum job to get up loose dirt and debris. We scrubbed each drawer inside and out, dried them with a rag, and then wiped them down with Mrs. Meyer’s cleaner to make it smell nice. It cleaned up pretty well and, while it’s still a little musty inside the drawers, it doesn’t stink up the room!
I know the mis-matched hardware has a kind of charm to it, but I have ordered replacements. I stuck with the same type of hardware (called a sash lift), but they will be in an unfinished brass that will age over time. I also ordered some small label holders. With all of those drawers, I can’t rely on my memory to know what’s inside each of them!
The one thing that made me hesitant about purchasing this piece was the height. It was really too high to comfortably hold my palette while I was painting. After my mom and I played around with it, we had a piece of MDF cut to fit on top of one of the drawers and I can rest my palette there when in use. It really is perfect.
I’m still working on the drawers, because some of them are sticky and need to be sanded and waxed. I also purchased shelf liner and some wooden dividers to keep small things contained in the drawers. This cabinet will exclusively house paint supplies that I use regularly.
I can’t wait to get the new hardware and get to reorganizing!
Another bit of form and function that my mom and I worked on while she was here was linen tie-up blinds for the studio. I desperately needed something to filter the light. It was so bright and hot in there (even when it was well below 0 outside), that I didn’t like working in there during the day. Now, I can untie the linen and I get beautiful, filtered light.
I ran out of fabric, so I still have three more to make. When I do, I will show how to make them. I wanted to make sure they looked good, first!!
The studio is getting prettier and more practical every day…
I think everything looks fabulous…and I bet it was fun to spend time “decorating” and sewing with your Mom…..I love doing some of that with my girls too ??
I love the pop of added color from your green cabinet and especially how it looks with your meadows and that beautiful cow painting. Can you share more about it? Is it vintage? Oil?
It’s an original oil painting by Cindy Austen. She painted it for me a few years ago and prints are available in her online shop.
Can’t wait for the tutorial on the shades. They look beautiful! I have always loved your bird print that is in the picture of your previous white art cabinet. any chance of ever recreating that? or do you know of somewhere that has very similar art? There is something about it that is just so peaceful. Thank you
If you want to get rid of the musty odor, get some Fresh Wave. Hands down it is the BEST natural stuff that absorbs odors (not sprays that just add more gunk and chemicals into the air that you breathe). It comes in several forms but I find the jars the best to use. Really loving how the studio is coming along. And it sounds like that between the new heating system and sunlight, the room is cozy warm even in the MN cold…
Beautiful! We have a wonderful old cabinet from Consolidated Water and Power (before it was Consolidated Paper) that we picked up. It has amazing little drawers. I keep wondering if I should redo it.
Try white vinegar to freshen up the drawers. Either sprayed or wiped. Then leave dryer sheets in each drawer.
Love the colour of the cabinet and the handles.
The curtains are so pretty and soft. I know you’ve added new colors to your house….do you think you will paint the cabinet?
I’ve been looking for you fabric line and wondered when it will hit stores? I can’t wait!
Thank you for a future posting on the tie up blinds. We just added a breakfast room onto our house and I have 6 windows that need sun filtering. By the way, I purchased an old bureau to use for my daughter and it too had the musty smell. Someone told me to do a liberal sprinkling of baking soda in the drawers and let it sit for a few days. All you do is vacuum it out. It actually worked!
I have studio envy….I love it, and how it is developing.
That room!! I love everything in it! What an inspiring place to be creative. You always seem to find the most uniquely perfect pieces of furniture. The curtains are icing on the cake and add a lovely softness to the space. The best part: sharing that time with your mom. I lost my mom several years ago. We used to do home projects together all the time. Because she was an artist, we shared a love of art supplies and all the possibilities they represented. I miss her so much. I treasured my time with her and am happy for you that you and your mom are so close.
Same, Susan, just lost my mom at Christmas time and thankful for all the years of crafting and fun with beautiful decor projects that we had. Enjoy seeing how Marion and her mom work together.
Another way to rid drawers of musty smells is to add a few drops of lemongrass essential oil (or any other you prefer) to some cotton balls and place them in the drawers.
Thanks for sharing your life with us! 🙂
The cabinet is great but the simplicity and function of the drop curtains? Perfection!
I LOVE that green cabinet. Mind shipping it to me in Sweden? 😉
It’s just the perfect green color!! Fabulous I love it.
What a lovely room this has become! I love following it’s evolution into your studio, and the green cabinet is the perfect addition.
i really enjoy the encouragement i get from the blog. your experiences and ideas and the challenges you are working with help me to frame up and my own challenges in a new location. I love that you have so much support from your family. we are pretty much solo. but can get it done on a lighter time table.
Ahhh, Martha’s Green, as we affectionaly call that green in our house! I swoon anytime I come across it! Beautimous room.
I love your cabinet and what you have done so far … it is exciting
you and your mom are quite a team!! your studio is lovely………
Are you interested in selling the old pulls? Love them…>3
Sure thing! You can just have them and just pay for shipping. Just send me an e-mail marian@missmustardseed.com
Your solution to the height of your new storage furniture is as functional as it is elegant. So is the idea to attach label holders. When you’re done, it’ll be a beautifully customized piece of retro furniture.
Now that you’ve added to Your Studio a major piece of antique furniture that you and your Mom hunted down in the new hometown, I feel like you have put your stamp on your workspace in a major way.
Oh, Marian, don’t you just love it when you pass a good piece of furniture forward, and then find the perfect replacement piece? It’s like a cycle of love among us! What fun to have your mama there from start to finish. Do you think they might move to MN?
I’m happily awaiting the tutorial on your window treatments. XoXo
What a great piece of furniture, and just what you needed. It’s a pretty piece and looks as if some of the wood inside is quite nice too. God provides, sometimes He makes me smile when they’re small but, necessary to me.
Love this cabinet! It fits so well with everything else in the studio.
I think the cows (hiding in the corner) should settle right above it!
The pulls being mis-matched is the most charming part!
The studio is great! Do you leave the door open to the kitchen or is it always closed?
How is the heat system working for you?
Glad to hear about the things you and your Mom did while she was iin town.
Thanks, always for sharing.
PS Waiting to learn how to make these roll shades.
Like you, the sun is too warm through the glass to enjoy the space.
I want a chest with smaller drawers and/or an apothecary chest and you have both. You are
so -o-0-O-O lucky to find the things you do. Congrats on pulling the room together.
Can I just say that I love that you are often candid about the prices you acquire items for? I know vintage and antique prices vary by location but it is nice for comparison. Love the cabinet. Enjoy it!
Oh, I love your studio!! Everything is coming together & it’s beautiful!! You did a great job on the window treatments that makes the room look so pretty!!
Marian, that cabinet is wonderful, almost looks like you used your MMSMP in Luckett’s Green to paint it! I love the quirkiness of the mix-and-match handles, really gives it a lot of character, but I can also see the preference to replace them with something uniform, as well as the label holders. The modifications you made — the casters, and that panel to hold your palette in one of the drawers — are genius.
If you want to get rid of the musty smell in the cabinet, there are several ways to do that. You can start by sanding down the inside of the drawers and cabinet just a skosh to knock down a thin layer of wood. Then, if you have space in your freezer, wrap each drawer lightly in plastic (to protect the contents of the freezer, not the drawers themselves) and put each drawer in the freezer for at least 24 hours. Sometimes bad smells are caused by mold or mildew, freezing can kill it. You can also put the drawers outside on the grass (if you’re not covered in snow! if you have snow, you can leave the drawers outside instead of in the freezer) on a sunny day.
Putting down a layer of the Jonny Cat clay-type litter in the drawers is excellent for pulling bad smells out, as is loosely wadding up plain newsprint (the stuff you can get at the moving supply place) and leaving the newsprint balls inside the drawers for several days. Lastly, vacuum out the drawers and put down a layer of paint and/or wax. I used almost ALL of these methods on an old armoire I bought — I used the sanding/freezing/cat litter and newsprint/wax method on the drawers, and the sanding/cat litter and newsprint/paint method on the inside of the cabinet. Made all the difference in the world!
If you are experiencing heat issues in your sunroom, there is a window film product you can put on your window glass that will lessen the UV rays and heat issues without sacrificing light. There are also window films that make the windows shatterproof, so are good for burglary-deterrent measures for the home. Gila and Shatterguard are two brands I can think of. You might want to look into something like that. My old apartment had the shatterproof film on the windows because we’re in earthquake country and the film was used as a natural disaster measure to (hopefully) lessen injury from flying glass in the event of an EQ big enough to blow out the windows!
Your studio is really coming together.the storage pieces are definitely functional and aesthetically pleasing. Not to mention the linen Shades! Out of curiosity, is that your garage we see through the window? I’ve been trying to figure out the layout of your house, because I’m weird about things like that. I walked my dog most every night for 18 years and would try and figure out some of my favorite houses while trying not to look like a peeping tom.
Very cool find! I love the mannequin too
I love how your studio is evolving! Love the softening the curtains offer. And that apron! So sweet! Did you make it? If not where did you source it?
I look forward to reading your blog every day, certainly my top fav?
Do you have an tips on dealing with sticky drawers? I have some too that’s need help.
I’m new to your posts Your room is lovely but I’m mad about the blue apron displayed on the mannequin. Is it something you made or could you share the source?
Love your “meadow green” cabinet! Lovely and functional and a great price. Your Mom is a real gem too. Makes me smile when you quote her because it reminds me of conversations I have with my daughter who is about the same age as you. Thanks for sharing your home with all of us ?