before and after: simple redesign

before & after photos courtesy of Julie over at Simple Redesign

As soon as I moved into my new apartment, I began obsessively looking at craigslist furniture listings. While I have lived on my own for many years, it has always been in a fairly tiny space. Now I had two bedrooms and a living room to fill! While I was looking for the essentials, I came across this little cabinet that I just could not live without. I emailed the seller literally two minutes after she had posted it and went to pick it up the next morning.

Now that I'm familiar with Julie's work, it is no surprise to me that this cabinet was even better in person. Describing herself as an "obsessive DIYer," Julie takes old pieces and makes them both modern and beautiful. I'm not sure how she always finds a way to stay true to the pieces' original character, but I envy her eye for design. You can check out all of her past and present projects, along with little DIY tips over at her blog, Simple Redesign.

When I brought this piece home, I had no real plan for what I wanted to use it as, so I ended up using it as my entryway piece. Together with a vintage mirror I got from my grandmother, I have a little place to check my hair on the way out and a place to put my keys when I come in. And what do I store inside of it? Surprise, it's a record cabinet!