The China Cabinet Project.

Here’s the back story of my cabinet.

This small china cabinet sat in my grandparents’ basement for a good 40 years before I got my hands on it. How it got there is another story: my dad found it waiting to be picked up by the garbage truck in front of a neighbor’s house. He used it to display his model collection (so cute!) for a few years before it was relegated to the depths of the basement. There it languished and accumulated old carpeting tools and other bits and pieces. And a ream of old typing paper, which is what I remember it most for.

A few years ago I was living in Cleveland and getting ready to move to Oklahoma City. I asked my grandma about the old cabinet in the basement and if she wanted it any longer. My dad drove it up to my apartment in the back of his pick-up and it was mine. And it sat in a garage for almost three years.

I knew something needed to be done to make it presentable (the years in the basement hadn’t been kind), but didn’t think the wood would stand up to refinishing. So painting it was. And glossy black it became. It now houses the majority of my barware collection. I love how the stainless steel pops against the black!

15 Comments
  • jenni has her head in the clouds

    April 21, 2009 at 3:59 pm Reply

    It turned out great! what kind of paint did you use? How long did it take you?

  • Kelly

    April 21, 2009 at 4:07 pm Reply

    i used Behr glossy black. just regular wall paint in a glossy finish. start to finish it took me about 6 months – BUT that’s only because i drew it out and went hot and cold on the project. probably about a week’s worth of nights went into it really. haha.

    xo
    Kelly

  • Jane Flanagan

    April 21, 2009 at 4:07 pm Reply

    Amazing! I love it.

  • Susan

    April 21, 2009 at 4:54 pm Reply

    I adore the china cabinet! How fabulous to personalize something that was your grandmother’s.

  • amber {daisy chain}

    April 21, 2009 at 5:20 pm Reply

    nice work! love the results, it’s such a unique piece – hard to find these days!

  • GiGi

    April 21, 2009 at 6:33 pm Reply

    aahhh! it looks FAB! I am so jealous as I have about 5 pieces I need to paint! I also have a 4 month old, so he may be 10 by the time they are all complete!
    Great job!!

  • amanda

    April 21, 2009 at 7:26 pm Reply

    This is great, Kelly. I know I’m not the only reader who would love to see more of your not-so-new-anymore house and all the projects you have created!

  • Kelly

    April 21, 2009 at 7:27 pm Reply

    eek! i know, amanda. i’ve really fallen off the wagon with keeping you all up to date. hopefully in the near future i’ll be able to get some more things together to share. 🙂

    xo
    Kelly

  • Amy@OldSweetSong

    April 21, 2009 at 7:33 pm Reply

    Beautiful! I have such a hard time getting started on these things. Maybe you’ll just do it for me?

  • Kelly

    April 21, 2009 at 7:34 pm Reply

    i had the very same prob with this, amy. UGH. i’m so glad it’s finished after all the procrastinating though. 😉

    xo
    Kelly

  • brooke @ claremont road

    April 21, 2009 at 7:54 pm Reply

    I love seeing great rehabs like this! I’m not allowed to buy any fixer-upper furniture items until we have an actual house in which to put them (my husband and I have BOTH decided this)… but I’m dying for the day that I can give some new life to old pieces like this.

  • caroline duke

    April 21, 2009 at 8:55 pm Reply

    this is beyond awesome, kelly. it looks great!

  • Courtney

    April 22, 2009 at 1:48 am Reply

    I love love love it! Great job and I really love that it’s used for something unconventional – like a bar. What a great idea!

  • Tom

    April 22, 2009 at 1:52 pm Reply

    Great job! I love it!

  • Kristin

    April 22, 2009 at 6:12 pm Reply

    It looks wonderful… good job!

Post a Comment