Before & After: A storage solution

Thrifty Decor Chick is having a Before & After Party today.

I am especially excited by this before and after because it solved a problem I was having with a special collection. Collections can be tricky sometimes. Do you live with them all the time? Rotate them? How to store them?

I collect salt and pepper shakers.

It all started with my trip across country with Kate. These two cheap and kitchy souvenirs became my first in. a collection that has grown to over a hundred pairs.

We even had a bride and groom at every table at our wedding...


and a salt and pepper shaker cake topper.

We got married on the 3rd of July and honeymooned on a tall ship thus the nautical/patriotic
pair.


I used to rotate my collection in this framed shadow box. I really enjoyed coming up with new and different themes. Here is an ode to summer.

However, lately I have lost that love'n feeling for the collection.

A lot of this has to do with the way they were stored. Those with boxes were stored in my trunk/bench in the bedroom. Pairs without boxes were stored in Christmas ornament cases under my sewing table. It took a lot of effort to drag out those boxes and dig through the chest to find what I want. Lately, I've only rotated the collection a few times a year.

Frankly, they were no longer earning their real estate. The collection needs to provide enjoyment or it's gotta go. Space is too valuable for deadbeats.

I have tried honestly, earnestly, to weed out the collection. But each pair holds the memory of a trip or the person who gave it to me and I am a sucker for nostalgia.

So, I am trying a new thing. I found this dresser out in the ally behind our building probably four years ago now.


It went with this cabinet that became the pink kitchen. Since I had neglected it for several years the wood top was damaged beyond my interest in refinishing.

Recently, I decided that it too needed to earn it's keep and started putting my tools in the drawers. But then I thought of a better idea! Salt & pepper storage!

I can not remember which blogger posted about painting the sides of dresser drawers a fun color? If it was you, please let me know so I can link to your inspirational post. Anyway, I was inspired by one of the many blogs I read to paint the insides of the drawers a fun color and I am so glad I did. No more dreary drawers for me!

I had lots of the seaside blue from the blue play kitchen project. I had the black left over from the black play kitchen project.

This was the look of this small window /wall before. Just blinds, a valance and nothing else.
This is the same space!

So far I haven't changed my salt and pepper display at all, but I am enjoying the dresser top as display space. I got the mirror at the Big Lots. It says "Where there is great love there are always miracles." Love it! Also, if you enlarge this picture, you will see that my handsome bundle of sticks has it's own little secret. For the time being anyway.

For more great before and after inspiration, head on over to Thrifty Decor Chic!