A Bedside Cabinet, a Little Girl and a Storytime Chair

Sometimes, when I’m looking at a piece of furniture, I don’t see what it is. I see what it could become.

This particular bedside cabinet was well past its best. It was falling apart and, to most people, probably destined for the tip. But I had other ideas!

I could picture it as something completely different – a little storytime chair for a toddler who adored her books. A little girl who loved nothing better than sitting with a story, and who, rather wonderfully, would put her books away when she’d finished reading them.

That little girl was our granddaughter, Rosie.

So, instead of simply repairing an old bedside cabinet, I set about giving it a new purpose. A little imagination, some hard work and a change of direction turned it into a special little reading chair, with somewhere for all those much-loved books.

Fast forward, and Rosie is now four years old. The storytime chair, however, is still very much part of her bedroom. And that’s where Bobbi has found his own little place too.

I love that!

It’s easy to get caught up in the business of painting, transforming and selling furniture, but every now and again a project comes along that reminds me why I love doing what I do.

Not everything has to be about making something to sell. Sometimes the best transformations are the ones that create memories, become part of family life and are loved long after the paint has dried.

And this little bedside cabinet? Well, it certainly had a much happier ending than anyone might have expected!

That’s the beauty of reimagining furniture – one person’s falling-apart cabinet can become another little person’s favourite place for storytime.

Love from Flipping ‘Eck Nana x