Monday, June 17, 2013

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!


23 comments :

  1. I love the paint and stain combination. Great rescue!

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  2. You did a great job, it's so darling!

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  3. I love the finish you chose and it's absolutely perfect for that spot!

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  4. I love repurposing items and your refinishing /paint job on this little jewel is perfection. Congratulations on a job well done.

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  5. Thanks all for the kind words!

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  6. Wow, that is AMAZING!!!!! Claire, I'm so speechless! I would have never looked at that thing and thought, "Oh I can make it pretty"! :-)

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  7. What colors are your walls? I love the two greys.

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  8. Can you tell me what colors are on the wall?

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  9. what color paint is your wall colors? I'm planning on repainting my kitchen and I love the two tones.

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