Originally we were thinking of getting something wider and bigger but when we walked into the local Japanese antique shop Genkai, we knew we needed something that would be manageable in size (especially when we move again... sometime in the future) and have many small compartments in order to organize small office supplies like paper clips. So we ended up purchasing two shelves. One medium size "work chest" and another small chest that can sit comfortably on top of the work chest.
These shelves are a work of beauty! They are from Meiji period (1868-1912) so we know that they are at least 100 years old. But don't be fooled by their age. They are exceptionally well kept and both their hardware as well as their cabinetry are still in very good working condition... and let's not forget that they got some secret compartments to discover! (check out the 4th pic below)
We are so excited that we can't stop starring at them.
I think there is something very special about owning a piece of furniture that goes beyond 3 years of IKEA life cycle. It has history before me and will have more to come after me... (maybe we can pass them to our little roo when she grows older...) They also remind me of my grandparents. I vaguely remember seeing something similar in the corner of their house...
We don't buy many things for the house because we get really picky and we don't like having more "stuff" in our life... but I am so glad we waited for these chests to come around!
