How to find the perfect piece of furniture

Gather round, friends. This is the story of a sad, tired little cabinet, a random video from a picking trip, and a customer who was patiently waiting and searching for the perfect piece of furniture. If you're on the hunt for a particular piece of furniture, this story is for you. (And yes, it has a happy ending.)

If you know us, you know we love vintage kitchens - from the dishes and linens and utensils, to old porcelain sinks and "Hoosier" tables and cabinets.  (We use the term "Hoosier" loosely to describe all those "everything-but-the-kitchen-sink" free-standing kitchens contained in a single cabinet - most were made by Coppes-Napanee, but there were other brands, mostly manufactured in or near Indiana. If you're a geek like us, here's a history of the Hoosier cabinet.)

Tiny house fans, your love for littles hits home with us. We've loved these tiny, self-contained kitchens - they're like a child's  play kitchen, but for grown-ups. We've even got an entire Pinterest board dedicated to them.

Recently, we picked up two small cabinets within a day or two of each other. One was what many call a "half Hoosier" or apartment-size Hoosier, with a wood top - most likely a hand-made replacement for its original zinc or enamel top. (The enamel tops rested on brackets that allowed them to slide in and out and create an impromptu table or desk in a kitchen.)

We shot this video showing our fresh picks before we put them in #PickersAlley. Almost immediately a customer snapped up this dark horse and asked us to transform it for her, as she had been on the hunt for her own half-Hoosier. We happily made her wish come true. What a difference a coat of paint makes, huh?

If you're on the hunt for the perfect piece of furniture, this is why it pays to watch our picking trip pics and videos. And sometimes you have to look beyond the surface to see the potential in a piece, if only it was #reinvintaged.