The Twenty Dolla Holla

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We paid about $20 for this credenza (I think it was maybe $23. So spendy!) way back when we first moved in. It's a very solid piece. So solid it was by far the hardest thing to move, including the fridge. I  love its clean lines, ample storage, and flat display space.

The middle section had doors when we brought it home, but the track was completely messed up. So eventually we took the doors off. I don't miss them, it opens up the whole piece. 

The problem with Mr. Credenza is this. His drawers are body are a decent enough wood veneer. The top is straight up wood grain Formica. I'm not always anti-Formica...but I am in this case. The Formica and the veneer aren't even the same tone. The top is quote cool, while the veneer has reddish undertones. (Oh, and I loved the aged brass handles.)

My first instinct was to paint the whole credenza. I even talked about painting it a mustard-y color way back when. I was inspired by Centsational Girl's office credenza, which is similar in shape to ours. 

Photo by Centsational Girl

 However, any time I even bring up the possibility of anything that looks even vaguely woodesque, someone in the house goes into a major meltdown. That someone is a Navy vet who sleeps to my left. The man loves the wood. So in the name of marital harmony I pondered other options. During this time I saw many dressers/credenzas with wood cases and white drawers. Pretty. I liked. J didn't hate. But we needed the opposite, a painted case and wood drawers. I saw an awesome version in the Design Sponge book. Then I saw this high end little number.

Cambium Credenza by John Gavin

The Cambium is amazing. Those reclaimed wood drawers! The simple, awesome shape! Love. Then I remembered a popular little blogosphere dresser with some similarities, the MCM dresser Young House Love rehabbed for their daughter's nursery.

Picture from Young House Love

So I went traipsing around the internet, looking for other white painted/wood toned vintage credenzas. This mid-century beauty is wonderful (also, I've looked for years for leggy MCM dresser with built-in wooden handles. No luck. Yet EVERYONE in bloggy land seems to find them on street corners. I'm filled with furniture jealousy).

Picture from Design Sponge

 As much as I love the white/wood credenza/dresser meme, I'm fearful (not nightmare level, but definitely obsessing about it at red lights or in line) it might look a little harsh in our space. I started pondering using a light to medium gray instead of white. Then, constantly needing reaffirmation, I trawled the internet some more. And promptly fell in love. Even J fell for this picture.

Photo from Sunset Bazaar

Of course, it looks absolutely nothing like our credenza, but this little beauty just made onto the "furniture we dream about owning" list. What, doesn't every couple have one? Granted, our individual lists are very different (J summed up the difference as "[his] list is comfortable, while [mine] only looks nice"), but on some items we more than agree.

Then I actually found a picture fairly close to what I want our credenza to look like.

Photo From Phylum Furniture 

 So, everyone now knows what my weekend will be devoted to. I'm really excited. After all, we've only owned Mr. Credenza for almost two years. It's not past time that I got around to give him a loving reboot (think JJ Abrams/Star Trek). I hope to have an update on Monday, but it all depends on how the weather goes.

You can lust over more amazingly awesome vintage and mid-century modern dressers/credenzas/changing tables over on Pinterest. Have a great weekend!