More Patchwork Furniture (6 original sources)

 I am going to start at the end and show you our completed project.  This great white cupboard really looks like the real McCoy, doesn't it.   I had several browsers at our first flea.o.logy sale who thought it was an 1800's cupboard.  Of course to knowledgeable antiquers it was obvious that we have mixed periods a bit.  The wonderful leaded glass doors are from the 1930's and their original home was as windows in a cottage.

The cupboard shown here, without its green glass (30's style) knobs, was for sale at flea.o.logy http://fleaology.blogspot.com/ but didn't sell and will soon be available at Treasures Antiques. http://treasuresantiquemall.blogspot.com/ We think that fixing the doors to latch more securely will help it find a new home.
 This picture shows the entire cabinet.  Such a charmer.  Now I am going to tell all in sort of an exposé.

This is the inspiration piece.  It is a mid 1800's pine cupboard as evidenced by the square nail construction.  It had a pair of gloves boxes on top, originally, though by the time it came into my possession it had just one in tact.  I am really baffled as to how it was used, since the glove boxes are usually on dressers, and dressers are usually all drawers.  But alas, whatever its original function it was the perfect base for a cupboard.

With the remaining glove box removed it was ready for a new top.

I had in my possession the pair of leaded windows mentioned above.  They were to form the doors, while the dresser harp above was an unlikely candidate for the crown of the cupboard. 

The harp obviously needed some reconfiguring, but with a jig saw and moving some of the decorative wood trim pieces it suited just fine. 

The next necessity was making the upper shelf unit.  My husband did this with some pine boards, so that the top wood matches the base.  Antique tongue and grove bead board, also pine, completed the back and provides a traditional anchor to the base of the cupboard.  Paint, as always, unites and a set of reproduction green glass knobs adds the 'jewelry' to the piece.

The reinvented cupboard actually ended up costing me a lot more than I had expected.  Let me crunch the numbers and give you some ideas as to where to get your 'building blocks'

1. Cupboard base, bought from a friend, but at her public yard sale                                             $50
2. 30's cottage windows purchased at my flea market 'flea.o.logy' from another vendor                $40
3. Dresser harp was a matter of being in the right place at the right time.  Another dealer at Treasures brought  it to work to give it to a friend of hers, but when the friend did not show, she gave it to me!! :-)
4. Pine lumber and hinges from hardware store                                                                            $30
5. Tongue and groove antique bead board bought at Treasures Antiques                                      $20
6. reproduction glass knobs (4) bought at TreasuresAntiques                                                       $12
7. paint purchased at hardware store                                                                                           $15
Total materials expense                                                                                                        $167.00