Card Catalog Transformation

Here is what we have to start with. It is a very old card catalog that may be well over 100 years old. My goal is to make it a usable piece for my house. In doing so I will destroy any historic value it may have. This is fine. I believe the maker would be happy that it is still being used everyday, even if slightly altered.. The piece came from a relative cleaning an inherited house. It was going to be sent to the trash. I was in dire need of a place to keep my wallet and keys, and all the other little odds and ends that I can never keep up with but need to find in a hurry. It is very heavy and extremely solid. I think we can breathe another hundred years into this thing. By the way, I am not an expert furniture repair person, and I am not an artist. This is all going to be amature work, so don't say I did not warn you. However it is my hope that the more I do, the better I will become. Lets see what I can get out of this piece.