Upcycled: Retro Painted Cabinet
This has been one of my longest projects ever. And I’m low-key loving it.
I started last July, switched one cabinet for another, got floored by the intricate woodwork, ditched painting tiny flowers and went off-piste into retro starburst diamond land. But I couldn’t be happier! But let’s quickly rewdind. I had grand plans to repaint this second-hand cabinet I thrifted for only $8 using lots of colour, but when I removed the paint from the intricate detail on the front I was certain it was metal, and I was shocked to discover it was wood.
I still wanted to add lots of colour but also to honour this incredible woodwork. I did some lazy girl sanding to smooth out the painted edges before covering the cabinet in some leftover dusty blue paint. My original plan was to paint intricate flowers all over the cabinet, but the woodwork reminded me of retro starbursts, so I painted mid-century modern-inspired diamonds instead. I applied some glossy varnish onto the woodwork and framed the diamonds using lots of colour. I also polished the hardware, painted inside the cabinet and added a shelf. Total project cost? $8 because I already had everything I needed. It did take about 12 hours to complete over a few days, but I’m pretty sure the girl math is mathing because I loved every minute of it, and I’m so excited to hear what you think!
To see how this project came together, watch this video 🎥
Before & After
