When you move into a new place, furnishing it can be overwhelming. Over the past year of living in my new home, I have found that refinishing furniture is a thrifty way to obtain great furniture pieces for cheap. You can find solid wood furniture pieces at your local thrift stores, yard sales, and sometimes FREE on the side of the road just waiting to be claimed!
The other day I was strolling through the local D.I. (Utah’s version of Goodwill), and I spotted this radio cabinet. I debated…should I buy it….then I decided to keep walking. It took some self control. I was thinking about all the things I would hear when I got home. “The garage is already FULL of your projects that aren’t done yet”…ya know…all that chatter. So, I passed.
To my surprise, a great friend went later that day and bought it! 🙂 If I remember correctly it was $25.00. That is a win/win situation if I’d say so myself. I get to see the furniture transformed, and I don’t have to explain why I have yet another project on my “to do” list!
Here is Leslie and Karl’s transformation for you all to enjoy!
They started by removing the doors, and sanding away the imperfections.
The cabinet was in great shape and didn’t need a lot of sanding. (Just my style…the less work needed the better, in my book!)
They primed and painted it cream.
And then glazed it for added character.
Just like pros, they wiped on the glaze…and wiped it off.
Then came the big decision…what to do with the side doors. Radio cabinets have this special meshy/fabric that allows sound to escape because that is where the speakers should go. After a few phone calls, a few failed attempts of cutting bead board, and a little bit of coercion…they decided to cover the side pieces with paint-able wallpaper. I’m a little partial…I love the look it gives! I just kept imagining my desk redo…I loved how it turned out.
After letting the wallpaper dry completely, they glazed it black.
Then they began reassembling the cabinet!
Doesn’t it look amazing! Great job Leslie and Karl!!!
If you have questions about how to refinish furniture, check out this ebook (click the image below). I have personally read it myself, and I learned a LOT! I love that she explains what brands of products she buys and why. I have gotten lots of questions by you readers out there that are answered in this ebook.
If you purchase the ebook, I will get a portion of the product sale. I would not endorse something that I don’t think is great, but I wanted to keep it real. I get a lot of e-mails about how to paint furniture, and this book is written by professionals who paint furniture everyday.
Looks fab! I love the wall paper after it's glazed! Great idea!!
Telia, NewlyWedWifeLife
we have a give away going on right now for free beadoard. just letting you know..
Nicely done!
Great transformation!! I am curious about her painted decorations on the cabinet. Any clues as to where they came from??
Cute! I have been searching for just that kind of cabinet for our TV.
It looks awesome. I am very impressed with your self control, do you think you could throw some of that my way?
Love, love, love it! It's gorgeous.
It really does look amazing. Great Job~!
They did an amazing job! I love it.
Oh My Goodness!!!! It looks fabulous! I almost bought that piece 3 different times. I couldn't believe it was still in the store by the 3rd time. They made it look fabulous!! Great Job! I'm super jealous!!
I love the look of refurnished furniture. It makes the home feel lived in and vintage in style. I came across your post this afternoon while browsing interior design blogs and your take on interior décor is exquisite. There are many window treatments that would match with this kind of decoration. It is true that you must dress your windows appropriately to bring out their true beauty. Thank you for writing and as a special thanks to you and your readers, I would like to offer a 20% off coupon using this code upon checkout: BLG20.
This is an amazing transformation!! I still haven't used glaze but I want to find something, refinish it, and use glaze on it!!
What kind of paint do you use to refinish? Do you put any finisher on top of it?
It never ceases to amaze me how you can take a totally outdated piece of furniture (that is usually very low in price at your local thrift store or yard sale) and make it a masterpiece of newness and current design. I stand in AWE! Good job!
Nancy
I actually just found your blog and I love it! I have a question about the three vases in this picture. Were they painted by you? If so, would you mind sharing the brand/name of the colors that you used. I love them!!!