Several years ago, my uncle asked if I’d like to have my grandfather’s old toolbox. I didn’t hesitate to accept and thought it would be nice to use his toolbox for my own tools in the workshop. As soon as we carried it into the house, I thought the industrial cart with so much character and unique features was just too good to hide away!
My grandfather built this toolbox in the 1960s when he worked at our local DuPont plant. I believe it was part of a kit they had to put together because I have seen a few others just like it. He was required to build this toolbox before completing his training in maintenance. I love the story about this toolbox and I think he would be so happy with how we repurposed it!
It needed a good cleaning because the wood surface and drawers had years of build-up. It took a lot of work to to get it done and was well worth the effort!
I left a few things that came with the cart, such as my grandfather’s name plate and some stickers. Just a few reminders of how he personalized it.
The cleaning was the hardest part because I had to scrub the grease stains and some sticky stuff off of the wood. I sanded the wood just enough to remove the old, worn out finish and bring out the wood’s natural color. Once that was achieved, I finished the wood with a wipe-on polyurethane. Applying the finish was much easier than the cleaning!
The stainless wasn’t too hard to clean. I used a stainless steel cleaner that was an abrasive, which made the handles shine!
Since I was using this as storage for things like our silverware, I thought lining the drawers with a peel-and-stick wallpaper would give it a layer of protection. It is such a pretty pattern that makes it look so nice when I open the drawers. The organizers were already in there, which was nice for the silverware!
The bar cart adds an industrial look to the eclectic mix in our dining room. I decided to leave the paint on the bottom of the cart just like it was. The rustic look of the paint and the old industrial wheels give it so much character.
The small floral print and the gold ice bucket were thrift-store finds I purchased for a few dollars and the Bohemian decanter set belonged to my great grandparents! The decanter set wasn’t really passed down- well, not intentionally, anyway. It was a surprise find inside an old dresser that came from my Grandparent’s house after they passed away. I do remember it in my great grandparent’s house when I was growing up. I love the colors and it’s the perfect addition to the bar cart!
The striped vase usually has a bunch of fresh flowers on display. The pink peonies are cut from two peony plants that were my grandparent’s. They were replanted at our house and I look forward to them blooming every spring, though it never seems long enough. Just one more thing to add to this small corner of the dining room to remember my grandparents.
I’m so glad I found a way to repurpose this old toolbox. It was too pretty to hide away in my workshop and it provides so much storage and has been quite the conversation piece in our home. My favorite way to use it is to serve beverages during gatherings with friends and family!