Divided Drawer Key Holder

I've had this old drawer on a wall by the mudroom door for about 20 years and it hung just about over my head, I couldn't even see what was inside the top cubbies. 

It's been taken down to paint the walls several times, and without batting an eye, it went back up.

When it came down to paint this time, I saw what was in those top cubbies..... apparently I never dusted it in those 20 years.

Because I never allowed my toddlers to drive, over the years we also accumulated more keys for vehicles and the keys were just laying on top of each other among the dust.

On Mothers Day weekend I got a wild hair to paint the mudroom.

This time when the drawer came down to paint walls, not only did I dust it, I took a better look at the wear, and I realized I could probably do better by it after all these years.

First it needed a new back, so off came the old stained one and a new piece of thin wood was attached.

Then I dusted it.

Yes those are cob webs.  They might even be vintage.

The grid came out easily so in the dark of night on the dining room table, I rubbed it down with a coat of custom mix dark stain and then painted the new back.

I'm noticing how very close that drawer is to my dining room chairs.  Both stain and paint can splatter.

I was lucky this time, but will I ever learn?

The paint color is Ash that I received from Fusion Mineral Paint.

I decided to use a Bingo Stencil I received from Donna at Funky Junk from her Old Sign Stencils line.

I eyeballed the stencil, taped it down, and did a quick fill-in with black craft paint, and that part was done.  Stencils sure save time.

It took me longer to sort through keys.

I don't remember a room 21 but I had a pack of about 21 gold hooks so I hung two of each in most of the cubbies.

I have some favorite old tins that fit nicely inside, and the Bingo stencil adds some interest behind it all.

Every time I walk by the Shinola tin I mumble an old saying under my breath.  You youngsters might not know what that is.

Wait a minute, I wasn't around either when that saying was mumbled, so I'm a youngster too.

Maybe I should keep this Requa's tin in the boys bathroom?  Says it's for gas so I think that is appropriate.

The original contents are still in all of these tins.

Little tiny charcoal pellets to help stomach acid.

I'll try that scratch remover on the next piece of furniture I paint.

No I was never at the Del Capri Hotel in California.  At least not that I'm talking about.

Nor do I recall anyone named Rickey or his hotel.

Trust me, when I lived in California if there was a Rickey in my past or a Del Capri Hotel, my BFF would know and she would remind me about them.

I also never owned a Rolls Royce car, just the key-chain.

I bought three of those stamped brass key chains when I was 16 and I still have two.

I gave Rolls to my dad (he drove a Honda) my mom's said The Boss, and I used the one stamped "Property of Camarillo State Mental Hospital".

The best man at our wedding decided he was going to borrow it and I never saw that one again, but it worked out fine since now I'm the boss and I have a key-chain to prove it. 

I moved the whole drawer away from the mudroom door and hung it lower on a slice of wall where we enter the kitchen.

The new location makes more sense and perhaps if I walk by the dust at eye level several times a day I can prevent cobwebs from forming in the future.

You can order Fusion paint {here} and Old Sign Stencils {here}

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