A couple of weeks ago we picked up the fifth set of French doors we'd been hunting for from a second hand place in Wombat, NSW. To sweeten the deal the owner offered to throw in a small blue cupboard. It looked like what we had in mind for over our bathroom basin - so it found a new home along with the doors.
The cupboard has turned out to be quite interesting. Firstly, it has a s
mall plaque on the door, "Childs and Co, Makers, 117 Regent St, Sydney". When I pulled the cupboard door apart I found that the mirror was dated, 1904 - so that dates it pretty accurately. The top of the cupboard is made from a lovely single piece of Australian cedar, while the rest is cheaper, clear pine. Perhaps because the sides and bottom wouldn't have been visible from the customer's viewpoint?
mall plaque on the door, "Childs and Co, Makers, 117 Regent St, Sydney". When I pulled the cupboard door apart I found that the mirror was dated, 1904 - so that dates it pretty accurately. The top of the cupboard is made from a lovely single piece of Australian cedar, while the rest is cheaper, clear pine. Perhaps because the sides and bottom wouldn't have been visible from the customer's viewpoint?
The cupboard lacked a knob, so I had a dig in our useful box and found an Edwardian brass number - it's a fist holding a small bar. I remember we bought it at an antique fair about 15 years ago. It has been waiting for the perfect home ever since.
We also added the piano sconce, again from the useful box. It just jumped out and begged to be used. I've no idea where we picked it up.
So, 10 hours of stripping, refinishing and rehanging later we have a "new" cupboard. Hope it fits!
