A French Estanier cabinet is the latest addition to our home!
Several months ago, while visiting my favorite monthly estate sale, I discovered a beautiful rare piece that’s been on my “bucket list” for quite some time. It was a French estanier cabinet.
I really didn’t believe that I would ever find one that fit within my budget, and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I spied it sitting on the other side of the room at the estate sale.
As I hurried over to it, I saw that it was in pretty bad shape,in pieces really, with broken and missing finials, and the top piece was completely separated.
Someone in the past had glued old fabric onto the back, which wasn’t a great look.
Standing over it and guarding it so no one else would grab it, I motioned for hubby to come take a look at it.
I don’t think he was quite as enamored with it, as I was, but as I explained the history of the cabinet, and the fact that I rarely see them, and when I do, they are much, much higher in price, he told me that he would work on it and try to get it put back together if I wanted it.
That’s what I wanted to hear!
I wish I had taken some “before” pictures, but unfortunately I didn’t.
The cabinet sat in the garage for months while hubby worked on it in between renovations in the house, so I only have the “after” photos.
The 19th century Louis XV estanier cabinet is made of carved walnut, and was probably crafted in Southern France during the late 1800’s.
An estanier was originally used as a hanging shelf to display an “etains”, or a pewter plates and cups collection.
Designed to sit on top of a cabinet or hang on the wall, I have chosen to sit it on top of the Louis XV commode that sits in our breakfast room.
I filled it with my French and English ironstone collection.
I love the old ironstone advertising pieces, and though I don’t have very many, they look wonderful displayed in this beautiful french estanier cabinet.
It took several months, but hubby was able to piece it all back together, and he did a beautiful job.
The old fabric that had been glued on the back wouldn’t come off, so he had to completely replace the back, and the wood was so dry that it soaked up the hemp oil we used on it.
It desperately needs another coat of hemp oil, and I’ll be doing that this week.
I love it’s hand carved French motifs and curvy legs with iconic Louis XV snail feet!
The curved top had five turned finials, but unfortunately two were missing and one was broken into two pieces.
We were able to get the broken one repaired. We’ll have to keep an eye out for two more to replace the those that are missing. But for now, it looks fine with just three.
After I removed the antique mirror that was displayed on this wall, now the unsightly air vent is showing, so I’m looking for a large french sign to hang over it. There are several air vents in this room so closing one won’t be an issue.
Each time I find a special piece like this, I’m reminded of why I love antiquing!
Every once in awhile, I will find that one of a kind piece at an amazing price.
It may need some repair or updating, but it’s well worth it!
Are you an antique lover?
Antiques bring instant history to a home. Even just a few special pieces can tell a story and reflect your personality. But a word of warning….antiquing can be quite addictive! And if you would like to read more about the amazing estate sale that I attend every month, just click HERE!
Cheers, Cindy
Your estanier is lovely, congratulations on finding such a pretty one and to your husband for restoring it! Several years ago I found a beautiful one in a secondhand store for $150.00 and it was completely intact.
I, too, collect ironstone items and noticed that some of yours are German: grieß is semolina, pfeffer is pepper, and ingwer is ginger. I’d love to find any of those but have not.
Thanks for showing your home on your blog, it is gorgeous!
What a good eye you have. Great find. Thanks for sharing and educating us.
Hello! I love your talent. Your interiors, projects, and shopping finds are all amazing!
I was curious as to approximately what you paid for the estanier. They indeed are hard to find. Those I’ve seen on the Internet are in the thousands. I would love to come across one at a bargain but what amount is that, especially if it needs some work?
Thank you so much,
Your Fan, Laurel
Hi Laurel! I don’t remember exactly what I paid, but I think it was around $200.00.
Hello,
I have seen this beautiful cabinet many times on your blog. If you decide you could part with it, please let me know!
Thank you,
Lisa Smith
What a find!! And it found the right owner. You did it proud, Cindy.
The cabinet is exquisite! Well done is putting it back together!
Thank you, certainly not in Southwest Missouri, but sounds like a great road trip!
Never say never! I found mine in Maine!
Where is the monthly estate sale you attend? I believe I live in your area and am an antique/decorator at heart too!
Cherie, the monthly estate sale is in Mobile, AL! Here’s a link to their website: http://www.oldemobile.com
What a great find even if you had to put it back together! I love it! I found an Estanier years ago at a junky store when traveling, my heart was pounding when I glimpsed it……Estaniers are rare to find! The price was a steal because the guy didn’t know what he had. I love it when you find treasures like this but then shopping becomes an addiction. LOL
On your move I pray for your decision.
What a great story, Nancy! And thank you so much for your prayers!
Cindy – I read your blog regularly, but have never commented. Just want to say…your husband is soooo talented!! That cabinet is fabulous and looks beautiful with your white ironstone. He did a wonderful job…just like the rest of your house..it’s all gorgeous!! My father was a furniture maker (Chippendale style), so I can appreciate the talent and hard work that goes in to each piece. Hope you enjoy it for many years.
Barbara, thank you so much! The cabinet turned out beautifully, and based on the condition it was in when we found it (literally in pieces!), I wasn’t sure we could restore it. I’m in love with it holding some of my special ironstone pieces! Thank you for following along and commenting! I love to hear from you!
Hi Cindy,
What a beautiful cabinet and an amazing find! You are so lucky to have a handy husband that can help you restore your treasures. I’m lucky that I have a husband who is a classically trained french chef and restaurateur and supports my love of brocante. He especially loves it when I find vintage french kitchen treasures. I’ve shown him photos of your kitchen and he loves it as much as I do! Speaking of treasures, can you please refresh my memory on your favourite monthly estate sale and would you mind sharing that information again? You have mentioned it in previous posts, however, I cannot seem to find the information. I want to plan a visit there this year and hope that I’m as lucky as you and find many wonderful things!
Merci,
Maria
Maria, you are a lucky girl, yourself to have a chef for a husband! I can only imagine the fabulous cuisine he creates! My hubby loves to cook, and he’s pretty good at it, thankfully because cooking is not something I enjoy! The estate sale is in Mobile, AL. It’s held the first weekend of every month. For more info, check out their website at http://www.oldemobile.com and follow their Facebook page for sneak peek photos of each sale!
~Cindy~
What a lovely cabinet , It is beautiful!! I had my eyes on a 7ft tall cabinet/desk at a shop, and waited and waited, I went to check on it and it was gone !! I said to the clerk “Where is the cabinet ” , she said “Finally sold after sitting here 2 years “. I knew in March, my gut was saying go make an offer and i didn’t . !! Hope another will be available one day !?!
My daughter only lives 2 hours away, so i try to see her at least once a month but that doesn’t always happen. My husband would not move to the end of the driveway , hehee. I often wonder if there would come a time I would move to be closer, but then I think families live in the same town and see each other about once a month like we do now. Isn’t is sad that it seems everyone is to busy these days. I know family is everything, and its a blessing to have a close family !! I truly put all my concerns into Our Lord’s hands, after all he knows what is best for us!
Happy Mother’s Day on Sunday !
Hugs,
Paula
IN
Thank you so much, sweet Paula! I appreciate your words so much! Happy Mother’s Day to you dear friend!
Cindy,
I love the cabinet! Your husband did an amazing job based on your description of the piece when you found it. I love a good find. I have lived in California for most of my life. I have five children and currently 13 grandchildren. They reside in Utah, Idaho, North Carolina, and soon Virginia. My children were so blessed to grow-up around their grandparents. I saw the huge blessing this was for all of us. It is so difficult to live far away from our children and grandchildren. My husband owns his own business and we won’t be retiring for a few years. The challenge will be where to go. I’m not sure that our children will all stay where they currently live. Our youngest will be moving to Virginia temporarily for more education. Who knows after that. He is the only one who doesn’t have children yet. I feel your pain. When I am faced with a challenge, I also seek to know God’s will. When you follow Him, things will always work out for the best. Good luck with your future plans.
Cheryl
Cheryl, thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement. It’s hard when the children are starting careers and you’re not sure where they will “land”. We went through that for awhile, but I think they are all very settled now, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, they have all told us that they are certain that they are staying in the areas that they now live. Now that they are all settled, I’m not! There are so many things that would have to fall into place, and it can be daunting when I start thinking about it. I’m putting it in God’s hands, and know that He will lay the foundation for this move if it’s meant to be.
Wow, Cindy! You certainly have a great eye for beautiful treasures! You are so fortunate your hubby is so handy and is willing and able to take on so many projects. And I totally understand about wanting to be closer to your children. We hope ours will move closer to us one day. Fear not, if you move, your house will sell in a New York minute. It’s gorgeous! xo Dell
Thank you so much, Dell! Your mouth to God’s ears!
Cindy, your cabinet is just beautiful and of course, you have it filled to perfection. You and your husband do beautiful work! As for family, I can tell you that we moved 5 years ago from Seattle (built our dream home) to Nashville, TN to be near our two daughters & their families who were settled here. It has been the best decision! After a lot of prayer, we made the decision to move without even finding a home first. Sold our home, hired moving company, drove both cars here…found a home, closed in two weeks and moved in. The joy we have had with our family is far above the fun we felt living in our “dream” home. It was nice, but we have a lovely home here filled with grandchildren and granddogs and we enjoy the area too. You are so right to put this in God’s hands.
Cheryl Ann, thank you so much! It helps me to hear everyone’s perspective. I’m hoping and praying that if this is the right course for us, God will lay out the path beautifully and easily. In the meantime, I have to have the patience to let God work out the details!
Dear Cindy
Look forward to your wonderful blog. It is fantastic! Before loading everything to move, actually think with your head and not your emotions, and of course prayer. We moved with my heart to be with my daughter and family. My son in law has said some mean things, while I stay quiet. Hard to do! I had in my mind the fun my daughter and I would have. We text only, most of the time to say I am dropping off the kids. Everyone is too busy to chat and catch up. Of course we moved to a desert region, the heat is awful lol If I had it to do over, I would plan to visit often, and stay in touch by face time. Your situation may be different, just giving you another prospective.
Oh, sweet Brenda, I am so sorry you are having this experience. It can be so hurtful, especially when there are grandchildren involved. I will say a prayer for you, dear friend! Thank you for sharing your perspective on this! I appreciate it so much!
It is stunning!!! Before pics would have been nice, but having seen the before and afters of your home remodeling I can just imagine!
I love finding something that I have wanted for a long time!!
Once again, good job!!
Thank you, Margaret!
This looks fantastic! Beautiful piece.
Thank you, my number one monster!
Hi Cindy, I so admire your keen eye for beautiful finds!! I completely feel your stress with your decision to move. My husband and I had never lived anywhere else other than our home town near Chicago. My oldest daughter moved to Virginia for a couple of years after she married and then moved 3 hours from us. She was pregnant and even though 3 hours seems close, driving it every weekend to see our new grandchild was very tiring. We would leave every Friday directly after work and stay as late as we could on Sunday evening to make it home in time to be back to work on Monday morning. 3 years and 2 grandchildren later we finally made the decision to move. Our youngest daughter had also moved to the same area as her sister so that helped make our decision easier but leaving the only place we had lived our entire lives, friends, family and our home of 30 years that we built was Very Difficult. 12 years and 6 grandchildren later we are very happy with our decision!! We have been able to enjoy all the milestones of our grandchildren!! Our oldest was 3 1/2 when we moved here and now is almost 16!!!! Time does go so quickly and we need to embrace every moment. I will pray things fall into place for you with no stress or regrets. Fondly, Mary Ellen
Mary Ellen, thank you so much! I appreciate the prayers more than you know!
Wow…I had never heard of an estanier cabinet before. Thank you so much for the lesson! Re: moving…we live in the very high tax state of NJ. This past winter was also a little much for someone who hates the cold. One daughter is 20 min. away and the other is in NYC. Neither are yet married with children. I am toying with the idea of heading to South Carolina and the beach where I can wake up and have coffee overlooking the dunes. There always seems to be a nagging issue in my head…what about my daughters??? How will I feel when the babies arrive? Your story just makes my own doubts that much stronger…. These decisions are never easy, and I too do not want to wake up one day with regrets. oxoxo
Susan, the dunes of SC sound heavenly! When our boys were early in their careers and still “finding their place”, it didn’t bother me as much because I felt like they hadn’t yet settled as they were moving around and growing their careers. But now, they are all settled where I feel like they will be staying, which is in the South. It is indeed a difficult decision, and I definitely understand your dilemma. I will keep you in my prayers for divine guidance. {{Hugs}}
Such a beautiful wood piece! You seem to be fortunate in your husband. He is handy and, it would seem, quite a talented wood worker.
As a side point, every time I look at pictures of your beautiful home I shudder at how long it must take you to dust.
Dust? Who dusts?!? Lol!
Such a beautiful piece! Bravo John!
I know a move south is sure to be in your future, and I don’t blame you. Family is everything. I’ll agree in prayer for God’s wisdom and guidance, but gosh we’re going to miss you guys! Hoping to see you soon! Xoxo
Thank you sweet Debbie! You know my heart is missing our boys! Your mouth to God’s ears!
I love your ending notes. It is true – that time passes quickly and if you have the “nudge” to be with them – I hope & pray it happens. My sincere Blessings.
Thank you, Terry! We’re definitely feeling the pull to be closer to our children. I know all too well, how precious time is, and what’s truly important. I am praying for guidance and hope that God shows us the way. Thank you so much for your comment and prayers! Blessings to you!
Oh wow Cindy, it is absolutely gorgeous! I am so happy for you that you managed to knock off another desired item off your bucket list. Isn’t it just serendipitous when we luckily “stumble’ upon unexpected treasures? It’s the best feeling! And what your hubby accomplished with it being in such bad shape is a great testimony to his awesome talents! Kudos to him, I bow to the master!
As for your moving struggles, I understand it well. Last year, we struggled with the same thing. My only son lived a couple of hours away from us, not a huge distance granted but then my daughter in law got pregnant with my first grand-baby and we just didn’t see ourselves going back and forth a couple of times a week to visit them and the new baby (we didn’t want to miss any milestones, as they change and grow up so fast). On the other hand, we loved our little house, we had poured so much love, sweat, time and money into it to make it our own, not to mention we would be leaving a neighborhood we loved, sweet neighbors that had become good friends over time and then having to face the hassles of selling our house, finding another one, packing, etc. etc. … everything was so daunting. After what seemed like an agonizing month, we decided to make the move. Well wouldn’t you know it, 4 days after putting our house on the market we got an above asking price offer and the week after, we found a cute little house in the country with it’s own private lake … a very sweet little spot to retire to and only 20 minutes from my son’s house. Serendipity! And by the grace of God of course, who saw fit in his infinite kindness to bless us with such a wonderful opportunity. We are truly blessed and haven’t regretted it since.
I am sure that you struggle with some of the very same daunting hassles, especially considering the labor of love renovating your gorgeous house has been, but that just means that it will sell in the blink of an eye, making things much easier on you and your hubby. You are so right when you say that time passes way too fast and that nothing is more important than spending it with your children. Tomorrow is not a given for anybody, all we have is today and so it’s up to us to make the most of it and to choose what’s important to us and what makes us happy. I strongly urge you to make the move, although nobody can decide in your place, I know you will not regret it and that you will be very happy that you did in the end.
In closing, I will say as usual everything you do or touch turns out breathtakingly beautiful dear Cindy and I consider it an absolute privilege and blessing to have stumbled upon your Etsy shop all those years ago and to have come to know you through my purchases, our emails and our exchanges on your blog and your Facebook page. I have come to consider you a true friend for now and always. Blessings dear one and may God guide you to what is best for you and your family. xxx
My sweet friend, Linda, your message has given me goosebumps! Thank you so much for your special words. You expressed exactly how I’m feeling beautifully. I’ve struggled with this since the passing of my sister a year ago. John’s two boys and my son live so far away…the closest is 9 hours, the farthest (mine) is 21 hours! We also have three grandchildren that I feel like we have to get to know all over again every time we see them. It’s hard. And the older I get, the more I just want to spend time and make wonderful memories with my children. It’s a tough decision and so many details would have to fall into place. And you’re right, it all seems so daunting. I’ve given it up to God, and I’m praying that he opens up a path for us to make it happen. I’m not a very patient person, and have to remind myself daily to “let go, and let God”! Your sweet message means so much to me and I’m so glad that we “met” so many years ago! Thank you for your prayers and words of wisdom!
What a lovely piece! It looks like it was made to house your collection. I love antiquing and finding special treasures. I enjoy your blog and thank you for sharing your lovely home and talents. Many blessings.
Thank you so much, Deborah!
Once you put things in God’s hands, life sure becomes less stressful. Hopefully, you will find the answers you seek. Your restored piece is absolutely exquisite. Your hubby did a beautiful restoration job!
Thank you, Roxanne! You are so right about putting things in God’s hands.
That piece is beautiful and your white dishes pop in it! The detail on it its incredible! Enjoy.
Thank you, Monique!
Relocating is always difficult, but selling your house? Who wouldn’t want that gorgeous home you’ve updated so beautifully and lovingly???
Thank you, Ginger! You are too sweet! The house isn’t finished yet, only about 85%….
I couldn’t imagine life without my children near either. I would have to make the hard decision to move closer as well. And I truly believe there will be signs, as long as you are patient and wait for them. (prayers)
And what a wonderful find. Your husband did a beautiful job starting to bring it back to its glory.
Thank you, Cindy! Patience is indeed a virtue, and one that I have always struggled with. I am trying to “be still” and let God lay the groundwork for this move if it’s where we’re supposed to be…and I feel that it is. There are so many things that would have to fall into place. I’m praying that God figures out all the details for me! Thank you so much for your prayers, they mean so much to me!
God bless your every move. I will miss this house you and hubby have made so beautiful and can only imagine the joy a family will have in finding it so perfectly ready for them.
Aw, thank you Alice!
What a stunning piece and great find! I’ve been looking for an open bonnitiere to fit into my kitchen eat-in area. I missed one that needed some work at a local antique shop, and like you, I’ve found that others are dramatically more expensive. Your story inspires me to keep looking and waiting for “the one” to come along (again!).
I’ve learned that if I’m patient enough, the perfect piece that I’m looking for will come along, at a good price. Good luck on your search….the perfect bonnitiere will find you! Thanks for commenting, Kathy!
what a lovely piece
Thank you so much!
Loving and coveting your estanier cabinet – and all that is in it! Is it not wonderful to find just what you want at a heavenly price?! Mine was an armoire for $40 a number of years ago.
Wow, $40.00 for an armoire is an amazing price! Thank you so much for commenting!
Cindy, that Estanier is stunning!….What a labor of love!…your collection looks amazing in it…I loved the sneak peek on IG…I am happy that you found it or did it find you?!!…..As far as being near your sons, my hubby and I made the very hard decision to move from Florida to NC away from so many family members and friends to be near our son. It was difficult at first not knowing anyone here other than our son and family, but it has truly been the best decision ever! …. We are blessed to have made such wonderful friends that feel like our second family….As you said, time passes way to quickly….Have fun with your granddog…we had two, but sadly they have passed on…hopefully there will be another one in the future!
The cabinet may have found me, Shirley! I really couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it sitting there, and I’m so glad that hubby was able to fix it! Thank you for telling me about your move to be near your son….we have been struggling with this. We moved here seven years ago, mainly to be nearer my sister. Now that she is gone, my heart is aching to be back closer to our children. As you know, it’s not easy to sell a house and relocate. I’ve put it in God’s hands.