Cool antique find

I spotted this antique chest at Canal St Antiques about two weeks ago.  I liked it because it was black and it had glass knobs.  It looked small but I thought it might be the perfect size for a corner in my kitchen that was badly in need of a little sprucing up.

I had one of those butcher block carts that can double as an island in the kitchen corner.  It was too big and too tall for the area so I was looking for something smaller.  I also wanted drawers so I could store dishtowels and maybe some small dishes in it.

So after measuring the kitchen space and the chest, I took the plunge and bought the chest. After a major struggle transporting it out of the car and up some stairs to the condo, I placed it in the corner of the kitchen. Wow, I am out of shape! Note to self, ask for help next time!

It fit nicely in the corner with room to spare. As you can see, there is a heating grate on the floor so I had to make sure that the chest did not cover it completely.  It is the perfect display spot for my collection of Anthropologie teacups. That's a chalkboard platter from Pottery Barn.  This may not be a permanent display, I am always moving things around.

You can see that I have some wall art over the chest so I had to make sure the chest was not too high.

That's my bedroom door to the left in the photo.  Yes, I put a number on the door. I wanted it to
look like a hotel room door.  The curtain to the right is made of a black and ecru toile fabric.

The chest does have some flaws and scratches.  After all, it is from the 1800's. I don't mind, it just adds to it's character.

 I bought a reproduction of a French dryer rack from Brissonte in North Reading.  I think it suits my Anthro teacup collection.

I love these teacups and the colors are perfect for my kitchen.

Here's the wall art I mentioned earlier.  My little ode to France. The Steinlein print is one of my faves. I actually saw this print at my vet's office and thought it was so me that I googled the artist's name. I then found a print on Ebay and the rest is history.

I often write messages on the chalkboard platter but not today. I'd like to find a nice quote to write on it. Nothing too long, I'm a lefty so I smudge my words.  I usually have to write from right to left on a chalkboard.

This is the adjoining wall with the Harney Tea wire rack and a little clock.

Surprise, the interior of the drawer is red! Again, this is a nice accent color in the kitchen.

I'm still playing with the display on top of the chest. If you look closely you can see that the box is a tea box.  The samovar is Russian and needs to be rewired for American use. I think it is pretty but not sure that all of that looks good on the chest. I will probably stick with just the platter and teacup stand.

I hope you enjoyed your mini tour of my kitchen.  I have tomorrow off so I will post about my weekend activities soon. So far I am planning to attend a craft fair and then have lunch with friends.

And then of course there will be football!  Hope you all have a great weekend. I am linking up with Cindy of My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday.  Check out her post here and then check out other particpant's posts through her blog.