Another Unusual Wooden Table

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Antique cash registers often sat on top of a wooden base that held the cash register drawer. The wooden bases make fabulous tables!

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example of cash register with wooden base

I recently made a cash register base table but I was able to acquire another one and wanted to try something different with this one! 

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before

The top of my first one had a hole in the top for which I cut out a wood shape to fit. This second one has an interesting “well” in the top, and a hole, both which needed to be filled. (the hole is where the mechanical arm went from the cash register down through the hole to operate opening the drawer inside the wooden base)

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Building a Live Edge Wood Table with Resin Pools

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[browse my current vintage furniture available now in my shop!]

I have always wanted to try and build a live edge wood table. I wanted the kind with little cracks and wells in them so I could fill it with colored resin. Through a lot of trial and error, I did it! And I learned a lot in the process for the next live edge resin table. (Yes, next!)

The one I chose was a teak “starfish” imported from Indonesia. It was 3″ thick and 36″ wide at its widest point and weighed 50lbs.

Here’s a video talking about what I planned to do for this project:

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A Rescued Card Catalog

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I recently found this beautiful card catalog chest, most likely from the 1940s and came from a dentist office. It may look perfect on the outside, but it looks like besides its time  in the dentist office, it spent a little time getting wet as the drawers were pretty rusty. A little rusty metal can be fixed, but the wood was in fabulous condition!

card catalog

I cleaned the drawers with soap and water first and then used a Rust Dissolver to get rid of the excess rust. You should spray it on and let it sit for 15-30 minutes before washing off. Continue reading →

A Factory Cart Coffee Table

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I’ve always wanted to transform an old industrial cart into a coffee table. I finally found one recently. This one actually has 2 levels and gorgeous original hardware. It did have 2 vertical “push handles” that I sawed off. (see nubs on left picture. I later sawed those down to be level with the top)

I found out this factory cart came out of a cigar factory in Dallastown, PA. Research seems to point to the William H. Raab Cigar Factory, which first opened for business in 1871. The last news I see of it is that Raab continued his business with his sons in 1927. That’s the best I could date it! Continue reading →

My Favorite Places to Shop!

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Many of you “DC locals” have asked where I like to find my junkin treasures! So besides eBay, thrift stores, barn sales, estate sales, flea markets, individuals and the side of the road, here’s where I like to go to hunt for rusty gold and also to hunt treasure for my personal collection!


MD:
Chartreuse and Co. – Frederick, MD – This store is a collection of old barns full of vintage treasure open on the weekends! About 4x a year, the grounds are also full of vintage guest vendors.
Community Forklift –  Edmonston, MD – This place is HUGE and full of amazing architectural salvage and antiques!
Antique Depot – Ellicott City, MD – Although this beautiful, historic town has been devastated by 2 recent floods, it continues to rebuild! Manor Hill Tavern and Phoenix Emporium are great places to eat.
Coinop Warehouse – Hagerstown, MD – a fabulous warehouse full of amazing advertising signs, coke machines, vintage juke boxes, video games and more!
Junkworks Antiques – Hagerstown, MD – a great store in the downtown area, full of rusty gold and unique finds.
Antiques on the Go – Pasadena, MD (near Annapolis)
Antiques at Annapolis – Annapolis, MD
Annapolis Maritime Antiques – Annapolis, MD – Great minds think alike, as this store specializes in customized furniture made out of ship doors and hatch covers!

VA:
Ruckersville – There’s an intersection on Rt 29 FULL of amazing stores. There’s even Jack’s Shop Kitchen  right in the building for when you get tired, lol. Whenever I go I am “stuck” there for hours!.
The Country Store Antique Mall
Gateway Antique Center
The Greene House Shops Antique Mall is also above the Gateway Antique Center

Historic Winchester
Blue Peacock Antiques
Old Town Winchester is a great place to visit! Be prepared to walk as the historic area is all on foot, no cars allowed. Be sure to stop by Hideaway Cafe for a great cup of coffee!

Millwood:
Red Schoolhouse Antiques – this fabulous store imports all their antiques from Scotland/Europe and has the most amazing selection of furniture (and some smalls). Also fun to visit is while you’re there is the Old Millwood Mill. Also, the wineries!

Verona (southern VA)
The Factory Antique Mall – seriously the biggest antique store I’ve ever been in! You will be “stuck” there for hours and find lots of treasures!

McGaheysville (Harrisonburg)
Stumps Old Town Antiques – Great store off the beaten path!

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Hawksbill Trading Company – this store has a mix of antiques, handmade jewelry, gifts and vintage-inspired home decor.

Historic Fredericksburg
Historic downtown Fredericksburg is a great place to visit, there are many antique stores on Caroline St. Be sure and stop by Hyperion Espresso and get some great coffee!
My 2 favorites are:
Blue Shark Antiques and R & R Antiques, both on Caroline St.

Also in Fredericksburg is The Fredericksburg Workshop which has a huge selection of live edge wood for all your furniture projects.

Mechanicsville (Richmond)
Governor’s Architectural Antiques – HUGE selection of amazing architectural salvage!

Williamsburg
Lucky Junque – great little antique shop with a large building behind it full of architectural salvage and project pieces!
American Vintage – Fabulous antiques and amazing selection of wood slabs for your furniture projects!

PA:
Strasburg: The little historic town of Strasburg (near Lancaster) is a great place to visit! Lots of little shops and great places to eat! The 2 stores below are next door to each other and have fabulous finds in fabulous antique buildings!
Strasburg Antique Market
Old Mill Antique Store

Gettysburg:
Sensenig’s Furniture Barn – lots of amazing furniture finds – some project pieces and some already ready for your home! Plus lots of architectural salvage.
Rebel’s Roost Antique Emporium
And while you’re in the beautiful historic downtown (the ones above are not in the downtown) get a cup of coffee and a treat at The Ragged Edge Coffee House or Gettysburg Baking Co!

Carlisle:
The Carlisle Antique Mall – 4 huge floors of fabulous and unique antiques!

Columbia: 
Tollbooth Antiques – HUGE store with live edge wood, architectural salvage and antiques in a fabulously old building that used to be a garment factory.

WV:
Buckhannon: The historic town of Buckhannon is great for a stroll and a great meal. We ate at CJ Maggie’s, Stone Tower Brews, Fish Hawk Acres and The Social.
Main St. Antiques (right in the old town)
Olde Rustic Antiques (just down the road from the main town)

Ranson: Two Crows Antique Mall – right past the VA border, large antique mall with great prices!

Bunker Hill: Bunker Hill Antiques Associates – Big building with lots of great finds.

OH:
North Ridgeville (near Lake Erie/off Rt 80) – The Hatchery Antique Mall – I found this treasure in OH on my way out to Chicago. Having antique stores to stop at along the way makes the drive much less boring! Like its name says, their building used to house chickens! I am coming up with a reason to drive up through OH so I can stop again!

Chicago:
Randolph St Market – I had the privilege of being a vendor at this market in 2018. In addition to antiques, there are 100s of artisans creating jewelry, pottery, clothing and more! A must see if you’re visiting Chicago!

An Unusual Wooden Table

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[Buy similar vintage furniture pieces now, available in my shop!]

Early 1900s cash registers are beautiful and ornate. Sometimes they are fully restored and look beautiful in your home.

Sometimes they fall into disrepair over the years, but so much can be salvaged from them and given new life. Often the cash register would sit on top of a wooden base with the cash drawer inside. That was just how I found this orphan cash register base and I decided it would make an amazing table!

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How to Salvage a Broken Sewing Machine

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I absolutely love the architecture of antique sewing machines. Unfortunately, when I find them, they are not always in the best of shape to continue their life as a sewing machine. So I lovingly re-purpose as many pieces as I can. I found this New Home sewing machine that most likely dates back to the early 1900s at Community Forklift in MD. (One of my favorite places to shop!) Always a bonus when you find the users manual still in the drawer!

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The Unexpected Lessons

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We recently acquired this beat up antique cash register. The ones we’d collected in the past were already restored, so this one was a project. The excitement is in figuring out how to restore it!

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We recently befriended an older gentleman from whom we’d gotten the restored cash registers. He’s been collecting and restoring antique cash registers for 50+ years. The 10 cent flag was missing so he graciously allowed us to come over and taught us how to install a new one.

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Make the Ordinary Extraordinary

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Making ordinary things extraordinary things. In high school I was very interested in fine arts and my high school art teacher used to talk about “making the ordinary extraordinary”. The assignment was to find an ordinary item and create a piece of artwork from it. I remember I chose this old, bent metal measuring spoon we had in our kitchen. (looking back it was the perfect piece of vintage decor and I wish I still had it!) I drew it on a giant piece of paper, noting all its beautiful curves and shadows. By doing that exercise, I first learned to appreciate the ordinary.

And now I truly appreciate old items from the past. Before plastic and mass manufacturing. Before things fell apart after a small amount of use. When things were handcrafted with care and precision.

Things that others would throw away I’ve given new life to. I see things that not everyone sees. Sometimes this keeps me awake at night, lol. Everyone has a gift of “seeing things” and seeing potential when others might not. And that’s what makes everyone so unique!

These wall hooks were made out of discarded, ordinary items. Drawer fronts, broken chair backs. An old wooden, non-functioning level. A once dusty and dirty drawer front now sits in someones bedroom holding jewelry. Holding hats and keys in a hallway.

Maybe I identify with “throwaway things” because for a long time in my life I wrongly believed that about myself. I let someone else define me as “not enough” or “unworthy”.
Since leaving that relationship it took a number of years to undo that kind of thinking. Making the ordinary into extraordinary really helped me in the healing process and believing in myself again.

Like what you see above? Get your vintage decor now in my shop!