Linen Chest with a Surprise
Even though it is tiny relative to our other projects, I love this one because it gives me a chuckle. This chest fulfils two purposes.
The left half stores linens while the right half has a surprise function.
Below this former attic floor is a giant chandelier perched above a grand staircase which would be impossible to clean with the use of a ladder. The builder of the house solved the problem by installing a crank to lower the colossus within reach.
Click Image to see video.
When somebody decided to convert the attic to living space we can only assume they were at a loss for what to do with the crank mechanism, so they left it sticking out of a finished floor.
The second I saw it, I knew what to do. There is always a way to solve a problem that looks great. Perhaps folks think too hard, and then think it’s too hard.
It reminds me of a scene in the movie Ever After where Drew Barrymore’s character winds up locked in the cellar. The movie’s characterization of Leonardo finds her friends trying to get her out. In about two seconds he pulls out the door’s hinge pins and sets the door aside. Everybody marvels. Somebody exclaims, "It’s pure genius", and he replies, "Yes, I shall go down in history as the man who opened a door!"
While I make no claims of genius like DaVinci, we all have our bright moments. Which one of your bright moments makes you chuckle?
J.C. Sutherland
