We’ve been playing “musical chests” around here lately!

Friends, if you aren’t shopping for vintage and antiques at your local estate sales, you are missing out! I just bought a beautiful chest at an estate sale! It was such a good price and I love the way it looks in our living room, giving us some much needed extra storage.

We are fortunate enough to have an amazing monthly estate sale that happens the first weekend of every month in Mobile, AL. I’ve posted about this incredible estate sale before. I always find some really beautiful things there, especially furniture.

Estate sales often feature unique and antique furniture pieces that you may not find in regular furniture stores. You can find one-of-a-kind pieces that add character and charm to your home.

Often, estate sales will feature high-quality furniture pieces that have stood the test of time. These pieces are typically well-made and durable, which means you can enjoy them for years to come. Not to mention that decorating with antique and vintage furniture will give your home character and a one of a kind look.

When I first saw this large chest, I was immediately drawn to the hand painted detail on the front. Here’s what it looked like when I saw it at the sale:

Not being completely sure about the age, style, and wood, I asked one of the owners of the estate sale company, and Charles tells me that this is made of mahogany, American made, and dates to probably the 1920’s.

Now, I’m usually drawn to these curvy features of French and Italian furniture, but there was something about this piece that I loved. 

The chest has a very slight bowed front, with pretty carved details, and fluted legs. And of course, the hand painted flowers on each side.

After bringing it home, I placed it against this wall in the living room and really loved the warmth that the wood brought to this space, so I decided to leave it there. Which resulted in playing a bit of “musical chests” by moving the cabinet that was previously there to the dining room

The chest does have some imperfections (don’t we all?!) but if you know me, you know that I embrace those imperfect areas because they tell a story and the history of the piece.

As you can see in the above photo, there’s a small section missing in the carved detail and there were a few places where the veneer was chipped.

I simply used my homemade glaze and went over them so that they weren’t as noticeable.

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I gave the chest a good waxing to bring out the beauty of the wood, and then I decided to highlight those beautiful details with Rub N Buff gilding wax.

I also gilded the classic hardware.

I love the way my “white” collection looks displayed on top of the cabinet, and it adds a richness as well as tying in the gold accents from the Louis XVI chairs and wall decor.

The cabinet has great storage, which is wonderful, because I don’t think you can ever have enough. 

I’ve had several people ask me if I’m going to paint it, and the answer is no….at least I don’t have plans to do so. I never say never, because who know what I may want to do in the future.

And, while I do think it would be beautiful painted, I’m in love with how it looks now with just the gilded touches. 

I know that will make my “furniture purist” followers happy!

So, friends, if you aren’t shopping those estate sales, you don’t know what you may be missing! You never know what you’re going to find!

Estate sales often have furniture at much lower prices than you would find in retail stores. This is because the goal of an estate sale is to liquidate the estate’s assets quickly, which means sellers are often willing to negotiate on price.

Also, buying furniture from estate sales is a sustainable choice because you are giving new life to old pieces instead of it possibly ending up in a landfill. 

If you’ve never been to an estate sale, check out my post on the etiquette of estate sales.

So, tell me friends, what do you think of my latest find?

Cheers, Cindy