Thursday, March 25, 2010

Factory Cart Coffee Table

I found this lovely old gal at a local antique shop.


Time had taken its toll and yet, she weathered the storm.

I saw so many possibilities the moment I saw her. My husband thought that I had finally gone off the deep end.

I saw character and charm and knew that she would make a wonderful statement piece. She would have a new purpose as a coffee table.

The top of the cart was weathered beyond hope, so we had to remove all the old boards. We were able to find some similar old boards to replace them with.

After some love and revamping (wheel adjustments to level the table, sanding, staining, painting and stenciling) - this is how she looks today.

Think how many times these wheels have turned over the years.

The antique dealer told us the cart came from the 'Harry Stoller Company' (one of the old shoe factories in Haverhill, Mass).  I stenciled the name on both sides to add a bit of history.

It just so happens, that my husband had been in that old mill building 5 years prior and probably passed right by her.  It seems she was meant to be ours.

We now have this lovely 'new/old' coffee table and my husband sees what I saw when we first met.

Until next time ~ Suzanne.

Linked to: Funky Junk Interiors

62 comments:

  1. Ohhhh Suzanne your cart is simply stunning! What a wonderful find and you have done a fantstic job on restoring it. Doesn't it look the business?? I totally LOVE it! And what a great idea to use it as a coffee table. That is just my thing! Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful treasure, Have a great weekend, Blessings Karen

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  2. Hello! I just recently started following your blog and I have to say - that cart is an amazing find!!! I especially love the wheels! I know what you mean when your husband thinks you've lost your mind when they see the piece in the begining, before you put your magic touch on it! I get that alot...

    Shannon

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  3. You certainly had vision with that cart. It is something I would love to have in my house. Such character to the finished piece.

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  4. Oh my heavens! I didn't see that coming. Absolutely amazing. What a creative and sharp eye you have there girl. Love it!
    AMY

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  5. Wow! I love that! You did an amazing job on it! Wonderful find!

    Brenda

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  6. Beautiful, you and hubby are so talented!

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  7. This is gorgeous!! I've been wanting one for years but all I find are the ones that have been restored, for $600 and up! I made one several years ago out of an old hand truck.. served the purpose but no space for it now so had to get rid of it. You've renewed my hope of finding one of these treasures! :)

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  8. I just love it. Great job! I have brought things home and been told I am crazy. It's just that some can see the vision of whats to come and other's can't. Good for us. We gain in the end with a beautiful treasure. Keep on creating from the heart.

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  9. Oh I love that....great find....Your husband sounds alittle like mine...he just rolls his eyes when I bring things like this home...
    lol...

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  10. I think this is just one of the best, finest and most unique make overs so far....I LOVE IT.
    The wheels and detail is wonderful.
    Karen

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  11. Oh my goodness, I LOVE that!! How beautiful and unique! Great find :)
    Kim

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  12. Fabulous job! Really outstanding. You have great vision. Keep up the good work.
    Rory
    http://thegreentiquessolution.blogspot.com/

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  13. What an amazing primitive imagination you have Suzanne. I never would have saw in that old cart what you did. I probably would have walked right by too.

    It's gorgeous!

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  14. Great job, Suzanne!

    I just love the finished piece. The stenciling adds just the right touch as do the "cleaned up" wheels.

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  15. It's gorgeous! Did you paint the wheels? How did you deal with the rust. Please do tell....

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  16. What a great find. Just tell your family you saved them bundles of money. I've seen things like this at American Furnishings (http://www.americanfurnishings.com/)and there's usually a hefty price to go with it.

    I just started following your blog, and love your creative style.

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  17. your table is just spectacular!! love it!!

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  18. You did a great job, what a transformation. Wish I could find some of these to fix up.

    Thanks for sharing.
    Margo

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  19. OMG!!! Suzanne that is AWESOME...AWESOME.. AWESOME!! You did a wonderful job on it!! I love it!! You Are sooooooo talented!! Oh by the way... Did I say that it's Awesome... and to lock up your house tight.. because I do'nt live far from you at all...And I might just have to come do some ''Prim picking ''at your house.. problem is you might wake up.. And Hubby and I will have picked everything in your house..and you would be left with an Empty house!!! lol!!! Seriously you have such beautiful prims..and such an eye for redo's!! Wish I had 1/2 your talent!!! ..... Donna

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  20. Suzanne, you have a true knack for seeing a treasure where most people would not.

    I've thoroughly enjoyed visiting and seeing what you've been up to, I'll be back soon.

    ~Diane

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  21. Wow that's the most interesting coffee table I've ever seen. I don't know how you could see that much potential in the old cart - amazing!

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  22. Oh Suzanne, you did an incredible transformation on that cart! Wow! I am so loving it! That's awesome that you were able to get info on it and actually add that to the cart. Love the name stenciled on there!

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  23. Wow, Suzanne, I am afraid I would have been agreeing with your husband but what an eye you have. It is fabulous. Great job.

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  24. Suzanne, I recently found your blog. Love your coffee table. That is so neat. Went back through your older blogs and love the things you've made. You have great ideas. Thanks for sharing.

    Darlis

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  25. I saw this on Better After and had to stop by. This is so cool! What vision! TFS

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  26. Holy mackerel! All that work refinishing it makes a WORLD of difference, doesn't it? WOWZA! I'm lovin' it. Truly, this is wonderful! 'Tis beautiful and you should be proud!

    http://classiclyamber.com/blog/

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  27. You did a grat job with this. So creative. It looks perfect in your space.

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  28. It looks GREAT! I LOVE IT!

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  29. This is unbelievably amazing! Fabulous job! I'm your newest follower! = )

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  30. Your new/old coffee table is gorgeous! I love that you saw potential where others saw junk. Good for you and your hubby for helping you with it. Hugs, Cindy S

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  31. that is so beautiful and unique. you did a great job refinishing it to make it look nice yet still old.

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  32. LOVE this table! I wish I could find something like that. That's my kinda furniture.

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  33. Looks great. Job well done.

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  34. What an awesome idea! You did a great job on refinishing it!

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  35. got here from Roeshell! Great job on the "new" coffee table.
    You did a great job, it looks awesome in the room.
    gail

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  36. Wow - I love that table! I'd like to invite you to plant your "creative seeds" at Plant a Punkin Seed Party at Punkin Seed Productions! It is usually on Fridays but is running all week long because I'm doing a give away. Come on over and enter. Love your old stuff - I have a old Victorian home and love to decorate this way!

    Kristi
    Punkin Seed Productions

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  37. It's beautiful!

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  38. What a great job you did on that cart! I also love the fact you stenciled the factory name on it Well done! I recently foound an old post office cart and after taking of the huge boxes it is now an industrial piece of furniture in my work room I have all my interioer magazines stored on and under them .. Love those finds!
    desiree

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  39. How did you do that? How did you envision the coffee table looking at that old cart? Amazing. And of course love the table!

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  40. Sensational re-do!!! Your idea for transforming into a coffee table was genius!~ You have a wonderful talent with recreating and restoring the old charm. AWESOME COFFEE TABLE* I LOVE IT!!!
    Misi

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  41. Wow! This is just the nicest prim coffee table I have ever seen. It has so much character! You have a wonderful eye for design. I am so excited I found your blog! Joan

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  42. That is just beautiful. You have a way with wood, bringing out the beauty in all these projects.

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  43. I hope you see this comment. I saw this post awhile ago and fell head over heals for this table. It is so different and charming! I saw a replication in Pottery Barn but it wasn't nearly as cute and for $500.00 not including tax and shipping couldn't justify nor afford the expense. Well just yesterday I stopped by a garage sale at my husbands urging because he said they had some cool looking vintage items. Well as I was walking away what do I see but an old "train car" as they have it labeled. I begged my husband to go back and take a peek. He loved it but we wanted to think on it. It was still a little pricey but for a unique coffee table it was really cheap. So this morning he called the couple and is picking it up now! It needs work but I hope to get it looking as great as yours does for just a fraction of the price of PB's knock off! Thanks for the wonderful inspiration!

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  44. Just saw this from Funky Junk's fav link-up. I can see why this would be one of your favorites. It is so clever! I love the weight of it in the room.

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  45. I totally love this coffee table. What super personaltiy and presence. You did great on it!! Also love how you decorated it.

    Partying with you at Donna's. Stop by if you have a chance.

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  46. WOW!! Way to see the diamond in the rough! Looks like it goes great with your decor too!
    I drool when I see these in Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware...

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  47. Oh my gosh... I just fell in LOVE. I've always loved these carts and your redo is a STUNNER. The stenciling with meaning just takes it over the top. Well executed! It's my dream to find one with the hardware attached that yours has!

    Donna

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  48. I am in love with your cart...everything about it...the wheels, the finish on the wood, the stenciling. Oh how I would love to get my hands on one of these!

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  49. this is A.MAZ.ING!! I just love the redo - how you've made something with such potential into a stunner!

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  50. My heart is pounding just looking at that thing! Gorgeous! Gorgeous! Gorgeous!
    Midge

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  51. Stopping by from the Funky Junk link-up. This is certainly an eye-catching piece! And all the detail that you put into it just makes it that more precious!

    You have a lovely blog. I peeked around a little. Saw that you were working on a sampler. I love cross stitching too! Can't wait to see it when you're done!

    ~♥~
    Kristal

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  52. Susan,
    I have come into possession of several of these carts (actually my 81 yr old dad). I've shown him your work and the pictures of others on the web. BTW -Your's turned out fab-u-lous!
    He is going to take this on as a project for this winter...restoring the carts. It will give him a good reason to get up in the morning and something more productive than jigsaw puzzles. I have had to convince him people really do find these beautiful. ;-0 - Must be like your husband. My question: How in the world did you stabilize/level the cart? We have been brain storming for weeks.

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  53. love this. wish i could find one

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  54. INCREDIBLE! You get a standing ovation from the Henthornes!

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  55. I love your cart table! You are very talented.

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  56. Wat too cool! I linked this to my coffee tables project post too, well done!

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  57. Gorgeous!! You have a great eye, and now a beautiful piece of furniture!

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  58. I love this table! Just recently I've seen a new one quite similar in a brochure. It was about 200€. I'd definately favor your's, not only because of its implied history. You did a great job!

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  59. This is amazing! I've lusted after the Restoration Hardware coffee tables like this. Now that I know there's a chance to score one at an antiques shop ... all you gotta have is the vision and the will to do this and you showed us it's possible! Thanks for sharing.

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  60. amazing before and after! love this table!

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I love reading each and every comment and welcome any questions or feedback you may have.