Sixteen years ago I fell in love with a cabinet. I found it at a junk/antique shop and knew it was perfect for our little apartment.
It didn’t matter that it was $30 and we had no way to get it home… I knew it was something we could use in any room of our house.
Yes it was old and needed painting. The glass inserts for the doors were long gone, but this cabinet could be used for so many different things I knew it was worth the $30.
I don’t remember how we got it home (probably on the top of our little Saturn) but it was mine. It sat unpainted in our living room for a few months until I saved up enough money to buy a can of oops green paint. I made fabric panels for the doors and it became the “green cabinet.”
Over the years it has been our pantry, home office, craft cabinet, homeschool cabinet, tool cabinet, and much more. It’s lived in almost every room of our house from basement to the kitchen and has been my favorite piece of furniture.
Fifteen moves courtesy of the Navy took its toll on the green cabinet. The bottom doors were warped during a painting fiasco, the sides were chipped and dinged and the fabric panels were eventually replaced with plywood.
My father nicknamed it a piece of junk, but I still loved my green cabinet.
After painting my kitchen red I realized that the green cabinet needed a makeover. Well, it needed a makeover way before I painted the kitchen, but the red walls and green cabinet were too Christmas-y for me so it was time for a change.
I had some leftover black paint from my picture shelf project so I used it to paint the cabinet. I sanded the cabinet and used DryDex to fill in some of the chips along the bottom.
It took about two hours to paint the cabinet, including the inside. The entire time I was painting I kept telling my daughter that I couldn’t believe I waited this long to redo it! The green paint had been in bad shape for so many years but I just didn’t take the time to repaint it.
Silly me.
The paint was only $11 and I used it for the shelves, the cabinet and my daughter painted her desk.
The top part of the cabinet holds spices and canned goods, the small drawers hold coupons, the large drawer holds cloth napkins and the bottom holds my cookbooks.
The cabinet looks like an almost new piece of furniture in my kitchen. Why oh why did I wait so long….
See more of our Household DIY Projects:
Ashley @ Mama of All Trades says
It looks gorgeous! I love the black against the red. We have a hand-me-down china cabinet that is in serious need of repair (handles falling off, and the previous owners let their dogs chew it up). You may have just inspired me!
Trooppetrie says
I agree, that is a huge difference, I love it
Kathy says
I LOVE IT!!! Yes… you are really motivating me to paint some things. Hmm, what first LOL
Brittanie says
Looks great! Sounds like you have gotten your $30 worth out of it too!
Angie says
Great job, it looks awesome!
Mona says
Wow, looks great! I’m inspired, but have to wait to save for paint too:-)
Aunt T says
Cabinet looks fantastic! I was wondering when you were going to do “something” with that green cabinet. Much, much better!
Samantha R says
What a difference! I am always amazed at what a little paint can do!
Lisa @Granola Catholic says
It looks wonderful, and I know that feeling. Like why didn’t I do that before? I have many projects that I am going to get to some day. But when is someday going to come? And really how much time and money do these little projects that make our home a haven really take? Time to tackle another one for me.
Corrie says
It looks awesome. I wonder why I put off most of the projects which I procrastinate!
Damsel says
Looks great!!! I have several pieces of furniture that I plan to refinish here in our new duty station… whenever they get here!! Coffee and two end tables, a huge bookshelf and four dining room chairs, just to name a few. 🙂
Somebody's Mimi says
I agree with you that is a fabulous piece of furniture and I love love love it’s new facelift! And I love the turquoise makeover also! You are a “with it” type woman!!
Kimarie says
Beautiful! I love keeping furniture going as long as possible!
I’d love to see a post on your best tips for painting with a large homeschooling family. 🙂 The last time I painted was over 4 years ago when I was pregnant with #9 and in the middle of entire-house remodeling and adding-on. Since then, I always tell people the first four letters of PAINting describe it for me…but I’m willing to reconsider. So, got any great tips?
danielle says
oh that is awesome looking!!! good for you!!!