Before & After: Shoe Cabinet

A lot of what winds up at the dump is, in fact, junk, but sometimes I come across a piece that I know has potential. About a month back I found this guy at the Swap Shop (where you drop off and take things without any money changing hands) and figured I would give rehabbing it a shot.

The old stain was crackling and extremely dirty, and most of the knobs and some of the wheels were missing, but the piece is solid wood so I decided to refinish it. The original plan was to sand and stain the entire piece and not do any painting, so I removed the broken knobs, took out the drawers, and set to work with my electric sander.

Next I slathered the whole thing with pre-stain (a treatment that helps the actual stain go on more evenly) then tested Minwax Golden Oak stain on a small spot on the side. It was instantly cloudy and murky and did not look great. Bummer. The drawer fronts appeared to be a nicer hardwood than the sides, so I tested the stain on the drawers and found that they took the stain well. I decided to prime then paint the body of the piece Navajo White and stain the drawers.

I usually prefer to restore pieces to their original state rather than turning them into something else, but I am not enough of a pro to get a fantastic wood finish every time, so in this case the painting had to do.

We now have a convenient spot to toss keys, gloves, hats, scarves, and other odds and ends. The open cabinet at the bottom can hold a pair of boots and we've been keeping sneakers and sandals inside the bottom drawers as well. I love finding furniture destined for the trash and turning it into something useful again!