My Irish bookcase

Recently (or not so recently), I was inspired by the sweet (and patient) members of Havenly, a wonderful online interior design company, to write about a beloved decor piece and how I highlight it to fit into my home decor.

Well, as most of you can guess, it was a very hard decision.

I'm a sentimental fool and it would be easier to pick a favorite of just about anything else.

Walking around my home for days, I tried to think of a piece that I've had to style differently in order to make it work and I finally decided that my 1800s Irish pine hutch would fit the bill.

"Why did you move my toy basket, mom?!"

Sidenote: 

I thought it was English all these years until I went to take a picture of the receipt that I've kept all this time and nope, it's Irish!

Until recently, it was used as a dining room china cabinet, since my mom purchased it for me about 25 years ago, for my second home.

It was found at a place in Santa Barbara called the Pine Trader, where it was sitting there sadly without any glass in the top doors. 

I fell in love.

They told me it was originally a library bookcase, but I wanted it for my dining room at the time, so I had them put dividers in the two drawers for my silver. 

For the missing glass in the top doors, I also asked them to mimic the diamond design that was carved in the corners.

I found pictures of it in a few different homes, but it's been in a total of 7 and traveled with me from California, to Virginia, then Ohio, and now it's with me in Arizona.

Sadly, all I have is a glimpse of it, to the far right, in the first house it resided in, circa 1991:

This is me decorating it for Christmas, two houses after that:

Both of those were taken pre- blogging.

Also, can you believe I had white walls?

In two different homes, no less!

But I digress....

Here it is in the my last home:

Today, in this home, it is used as originally intended...

A book case.

A very messy bookcase that has become a catchall, which reminds me that I need to reorganize it.

With a bit of china underneath...

and silver in the drawers ;)

Also messy.

Tsk... tsk...

Anywho...

How do I fit it in to my home decor?

Simply by only loving the things I have and making it work.

I suppose I could have put it in my office with all the other bookshelves, but I wanted it to be the first thing you see when you walk in my front door.

It deserves that kind of honor after traveling here from Ireland and back and forth across the United States, don't you think?

Toy basket replaced, Bubba.

It's seen a lot over the years and I'm sure it could tell quite a few of my secrets.

Thank goodness, the old girl can't talk.

Well, at least about me ;)

xo

rue

PS 

I was not compensated for this post.