Sunday, February 23, 2014

The" Pie Safe"

 I went on a furniture moving tangent right before Thanksgiving.
The desk went here.
The sewing machine table went here. 
The final piece in the move was the pie safe.  



32 years ago I saw an antique pie safe out at First Monday Trade Days in Canton, Tx. Here.
The pie safe was only $100.00 but considering my budget at time, it might as well have been a fortune. 
 I've kicked myself over and over and over again for not getting it. 



When Bill and I saw this piece it had similar lines and presence as the pie safe and it was only $35.00.
 It was irresistible to a young couple just starting out.  
We put it in our breakfast room for dishes and linens.


  
It was depression era furniture and not of the best quality.
There were bubbling bits of veneer here and there. We've never really had success repairing veneer so if you've got tips, I'd love the hear them.



My painted furniture kick continues around here and
this piece was a perfect candidate for a coat of paint. 
I hit it with a coat of CeCe Caldwell Chalkpaint in Vintage White. A final coat of clear Varathane left golden streaks on it. Argh! The whole thing ended up getting repainted in White Duck enamel by Sherwin Williams. 
From now on I will just stick with what works! 


  
We've used it as a linen press, a wardrobe for baby clothes and finally as a "pie safe", not that I ever put pies in it. 
It used to be out in the garden room and at some point I cut out the inside of the panels and replaced them with the chicken wire so my collection of milk glass could be on display. (The milk glass has been moved.)  



I drilled some holes in the panels and started cracking away at them to remove them from the inside the frame of the doors. It wasn't difficult. The chicken wire slipped into the same grooves as the panels. 


When we moved into the house, this space was taken up with a built in desk. It got kicked to the curb about a decade or so after we moved in.
It was oak with a white laminate countertop and it was cheesy. Removing it made a huge difference in the look of our kitchen. This spot is where I sat and talked on the phone back in the days of land lines. 
I always had a desk there but I was happy to discover that the pie safe would fit under the stairs. 
We don't need to be tied to this little nook to talk on the phone anymore.



We've come completely full circle. 
The pie safe is back in a breakfast room right where it started out in our first house.  

Katie    
Linking with,
Coastal Charm    
Cedar Hill Farmhouse

9 comments :

  1. What a wonderful little piece that you have had all these years. I love that it is now back in your kitchen area (which is lovely, by the way). The best I have done with cracked veneer is to pry off all I could and then fill the "bare" areas with spackling (or wood filler). When sanded/smoothed down you can't tell there was ever lifted veneer there. Of course that only works if you are painting the piece. xo Diana

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  2. I loved hearing the story of your charming pie safe.

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  3. I love your pie safe! And it looks great where you've placed it! :)
    Susan

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  4. Such a pretty little nook you have there. Love the pie safe. It is perfect for the spot. Your home is breath-takingly beautiful.

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  5. Your pie safe is so full of charm! Love the idea of chicken wire in the doors. You have the perfect little nook for it too.
    Mary Alice

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  6. Love the story of your pie safe! It's such a charming piece and looks wonderful in your kitchen.

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  7. I love your pie safe! I love the addition of the chicken wire doors. I need to save that idea, it looks great!

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  8. Your pie safe has so much character! It looks quite comfy under the stairs. I bet it's happy to be back in the kitchen.

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  9. It was meant to be! It's the perfect fit under your stairs and displays your dishes so nicely now that you've cut out the door panels.

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