Posted 4 years ago
Financepro…
(1 item)
Picked up this piece at a garage sale & plan to repurpose in my craft/office room. I would like to know its original use. I’ve searched for sewing and Butler cabinets, but am unable to find anything exactly like it. Something is missing from the top folded back piece. Would really appreciate anyone’s insight. Thanks!
Not sure...but that would make a cool cellarette.
I doubt it was for sewing. The compartments are so deep, the sewing items would one atop another and hard to find.
The surface stains look as if the were made by liquids. Some look circular as if made by a wet bowl or container.
The rods or bars on each side must have had a purpose. Maybe they were for hanging towels.
I think dav2no1 would be using it as it was originally used: as a cellerette.
I'm hesitant to dismiss as a sewing (maybe knitting) cabinet completely, as many sewing or knitting boxes were deep for storing materials (cloth, yarn, etc.) or the sewing machine when not in use. A cellarette is certainly possible, but I can't come up for what purpose the top folded back section might have been for if so. Something fit into the grooves and attached to the two little metal pieces (maybe a small sewing machine??). Also, the picture may be deceiving as it is actually not all too deep. A standard wine bottle is too tall and my decanter doesn't fit unless I take the stopper off. Any liquor bottles would need to be small (10" or less), especially the ones needing to fit under the sliding sectioned compartment piece (7" or less). The previous owner used as an end table and may be where the water stains came from. She did not know what it was either - was left behind when she rented her house.
Have you tried positioning your wine bottles horizontally (so corks stay wet)?
It’s heavy construction just doesn’t fit with my sewing/darning/crafting/quilting/embroidery brain....those type activities usually are associated with light-weight containers that can easily be brought to whatever chair happens to be nearby whenever a free moment occurs for you to do that work....and it’s usually ladies’ work.....the cabinet has a masculine look to me.
As for myself, I wouldn’t have a need to hang any kind of sewing project on either side of a cabinet....however, someone pouring liquids would have a need for a cloth or 2.
Regarding the grooves in the lid: I had not noticed them initially but they may have held a rack of stem-ware for the serving of cocktails.
Another speculation: the shelf-like section near the floor may have been a handy spot to place the spirit bottles once they were empty, rather than placing them back in the cabinet.