Transforming a Old Handcrafted Cabinet

 

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Two of my favorite words.

FREE FURNITURE! 

So a few weeks ago when my oldest son was cleaning out his building and ask "Mom, do you want these two cabinets?", I said "Oh yeah"!  The whole time I'm thinking "major score"! Instantly I pictured just where to put them and how to pretty them up!  Thankfully, I was driving the truck that day.  We loaded them up and I crammed them into our "never big enough" building when I got home.

 

I was eager to get started on transforming this one! (You can actually see the second one in the background of this picture.  The transformation of that one will come later!)

 

First, since it was covered in mildew and sat in his building for who knows how long, I wiped it down with some good soapy water with a little bit of bleach added.  You don't want to soak it down in water but a little won't hurt.  I then sat it in the sun to dry out completely.  It was ready for the next step after a few hours. 

 

Since the finish on this one wasn't very glossy, I used a 220 grit sanding block and lightly went over the entire surface. I then wiped off the dust with some handy dandy shop towels.  You know the blue ones you find in the automotive section at Walmart.  They work great for this type of thing. 

 

 I love distressed furniture!   There's just something about that worn, aged appearance as if it has been used and abused for years.  When distressing, as long as you like the color you're painting over and the piece has a pretty porous non shiny surface, there's no need for primer.  Don't get me wrong, there are times that I use primer, but not in this case.  I removed the doors, took off all the hardware, and started with my first coat of paint. 

 

I used Valspar Signature latex paint in Halycon Green (SW paint color #6213) for this one in a satin finish.  When painting furniture, I sometimes use a small 4" roller for smooth surfaces, but since this was really not a big piece, I just used a good paint brush.  My fave is the Purdy brand from Lowe's but other brands will do...just make sure it isn't a cheap o' because that's exactly how your finish will come out.  (Learned this the hard way!)

 

Here are a few pictures after the first coat.

 

This paint covers great.  It's a paint and primer in one and after one coat, it looked pretty good!

I let it dry completely for a few hours before I lightly sanded it again with a 320 grit sanding block this time.  Again, make sure you wipe it down to remove any sanding dust.  I then added a second coat and left it to dry over night. 

This is after the second coat.

  

 

It really didn't need sanding after the second coat, so I skipped this step with this piece. 

 

Now for the fun part!  I used 80 grit sandpaper and quickly sanded back thru the paint to the original finish on the corners, top edges, door trim, and just anywhere that the piece would naturally wear.  Distressing is definitely personal preference and how much distressing/sanding is entirely up to you.  I typically get a little heavy handed when distressing but that's just how I roll!  You'll need to wipe down the piece again after the sanding/distressing step or any leftover sanding residue will become embedded in your finish during the next step.

 

In the next step,  I added a couple of coats of Minwax Polycrylic in a satin finish.  Polyacrylic is so much easier to work with than polyurethane and is the perfect finish over painted furniture.  (You can also use wax but we'll talk about that later!)  Polyurethane yellows over time on painted finishes and is best used on stained pieces.  I find also that with polyacrylic,  I don't have to sand between coats unless there's a run.  (Oh yeah...it happens!)

 

Since I really liked the original hardware and it works well with this piece, I just used it.  The knobs were wooden so I painted them when painting the cabinet.

 

And wholla... here is the finished piece!  It found a home on our screened in porch and it now houses a few things I keep out on the porch for convenience (such as dog treats, cat food, and the all essential wasp/hornet spray). It's also a great place for Gracie to be lazy! 

 

 

 

 

Isn't it beautiful?!?  I love it! And it was FREE!  It's a piece that I can see in many rooms of our home and I will treasure it for a very, very long time! 

I hope that you enjoyed this post and found some inspiration to refinish a treasure yourself! 

 

That's it for now!  I'll share more soon!  Thanks for stopping by!

 

Any comments or questions are always welcome!  And please share this post with any of your friends and family!