It started because Home Depot is now selling unfinished butcher block slabs and I was all “I don’t know what I need that for but I want it!!”. I bought one, stained it with Varathane’s “briarsmoke”, and sealed it with a satin finish polyurethane. For a week or so I just had this beautiful finished butcher block hanging around the cottage
Fast forward a week or so and I was poking around my grandmas house, and her garage is FULL of junk. I found this cedar love chest under it all. Unfortunately rats had chewed away at the top part and pooped on and clawed at the fabric. (Gross) She agreed to let me have it!!
I turned it into a coffee/gaming table. It fits all of our board games and cards in it, and we play a big nerdy game called scythe that takes up an entire table, but it fits perfect on this one!
Spooky fact about the cedar love chests:
They used to be like… a right of passage for a married woman. Though that was interesting. Apparently these were recalled because they lock automatically when closed, and a couple kiddos died when they trapped themselves in one. I removed the lock on mine and left the key hole for aesthetics.
That looks GREAT! Ack, how wonderful. Nice paint choice and the top is so fab.
We have given away 2 cedar chests over the years and now I wish we’d kept them because game storage is a terrific idea! Right now they take up an entire cupboard in the kitchen that I’d much rather use for storing canned food.
I’m glad you disabled the lock
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(Linda -2024 Choose Projects that You Want to Do :us:)
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Wonderful transformation! I love it when something is converted from the original and outdated purpose to a more modern and functional purpose!
Love the fresh, bright color but the interior left as is, refreshed! Those knobs are still beautiful, all cleaned up!
You have a quality piece as well…Lane was really big into making those “hope chests” which every woman had to keep linens and things to be used once married…hard to find ones in good shape, so good that your grandmother kept it!
You put a lot of work into it…turned out really wonderful for you and your family!
What a great update! Hope chests were the thing “back in the day.” When I graduated from HS, all of the girls got a mini one from a place near us (we had to go and pick it up). It’s a small cedar chest that makes an excellent jewelry box. But, a game table is an excellent use for a large one! And, I love the color of stain that you used on the butcher block. It’s so pretty! I’m glad that you were able to reuse the knobs, too.
I have one of these that I received as a high school graduation present, 37 years ago. We called it a Hope Chest and stored things in it for after I got married. Still have it in my bedroom but now it’s called a cedar chest since I’ve been married 34 years. I’d love to redo the cushion cover as mine is very outdated.
