How to Decorate With Vintage Sewing Cabinets

Ashly's Holiday Home Tour 2019 | 11 Magnolia Lane

Today I wanted to share a few inspiration photos on how to decorate using Martha Washington sewing cabinets. These vintage chests are fairly easy to find at thrift shops, yard sales, and online marketplaces, and their compact size makes them a great choice for smaller spaces.

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I happen to have two in my home, and my friend Ashly, whose home is often featured here, has two as well. They’re the perfect size to place by a door–at my house right now, I have keys, doggie bags, and charging cables stashed in mine. And before you ask, no, I don’t have anything sewing related in there!

This article shares a little more information about these sewing cabinets. I ran a quick online search and found several on eBay and Etsy, and I’ll be honest that I thought they were pretty expensive! I found this one at a yard sale for $20:

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I left it unpainted, but my white one has sported several different colors over the years (I bought it at a thrift shop for $10). It was bright orange when I brought it home:

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I painted it bright pink with gold knobs to begin wish, and to be honest I loved it that color, but it didn’t go with most of my decor.

Now it’s white:

I actually like this one better than my unpainted one, even though it only has two drawers instead of the standard three; probably because the little shelf underneath is so much fun.

Both of Ashly’s cabinets are white (I’ll have to ask where she found them but my best guess is an estate sale since that’s one of her favorite places to find furniture). The one in her living room is tucked into a corner that wouldn’t have been big enough for a larger piece. At her previous home, it was in her front entry.

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She distressed this one a bit after she painted it, and she also replaced the knobs with crystal ones. Her other one is just inside the side entry of her home, and she replaced those knobs as well.

It does make me laugh a bit to look at these pictures…we really do have similar style although she’s a much better decorator than I am! If you missed her bonus room last summer, check it out HERE and HERE.

So, if you see one of these cabinets, don’t pass it by just because you don’t sew. They are perfect as side tables, hall tables, nightstands, and in small spaces (I had one in a powder room once), and they look great painted.

Thanks for stopping by!