The 3 R's

What are the 3 R's you ask?  Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse... this is something I really enjoy doing because it challenges me to think outside the box.  I have to think about how I will reuse an item so it does not end up in a landfill somewhere and let's face it, the past made pretty much everything better than now.  

When we purchased our home, the original kitchen cabinets were in the basement.  They were just leaning up against the wall not being utilized, but someone could not throw them away.  Thankfully for me... I have been able to use them again.  

I do not have pictures of the exact cabinet we used, but here is a picture of some of the cabinets that were in the basement.  And as you can see, I have not done anything with these yet.  They are still in their "as found" state.  

Not exactly stellar looking... but that does not mean I was not able to do something with one of the cabinets.  I knew when I started this project, I did not want the piece to be perfect.  They are 71 years old!  When I am 71, I know I will not be in perfect shape either... heck, what am I talking about, I am not now, LOL!

So I painted the entire cabinet white and we actually reused some cedar planks we had to add a back to the cabinet.  They were built on site when the home was built, so there was no need for backs to cabinets.  I added new pulls to the cabinet.  

  

Ever see a kitchen cabinet with legs?  Now you have...  I added these legs I found at Hobby Lobby.  My "Fancy Pants" ideas to the rescue again!  We were unsure if the legs would hold the cabinet since they are thin and this cabinet is heavy, it is solid pine.  It has so far, and fingers crossed, it will continue to hold this gal up.    

Here are some of the items I have on top of the cabinet.  I LOVE seeing vintage flair everywhere!

 Oops... looks like I need to straighten up my towels, but like I said real life and all... I did not catch it when I took the pic, so here you are... I have 2 large bath towels in the back to fill in the basket and then flowers behind these flower sprays.  I am a short gal, so I can never see up high and I guess you cannot see the full effect of this display because of that.

Are you on the edge of your seat yet?  Here is the cabinet.  It suits our needs, it cost only paint and new pulls which is the best part, and it is original to our home!  If you look really closely, you can see the nails they put in the side of the cabinet where the shelves are.  I do not mind in the slightest because like I said, I did not want it to be perfect.  I just wanted it to be itself and feel pretty again.  

Our bath is kind of narrow so I was not able to get right in front of the cabinet and get a better picture.  I promise there are no runs in the paint.  The lighting is not on this side of the bath so things look kind of dark over here.