Good Question: DIY This Cabinet from Art Deco to MCM?

Hi, I'm thinking of using this cabinet in another room that has tan walls and a rug with turquoise in it. The room will have 2 swivel chairs and a midcentury side table. Any ideas how to bring this to life? I was trying to make it art deco when I painted it the first time. It has a mirrored top and mirrored doors at the bottom. Any ideas, new knobs? I was thinking a nice funky turquoise in a high gloss and mirroring or painting the inside a more neutral. Trying to reuse and recycle in my funky victorian farmhouse. Thanks for your help! Heather

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New knobs are a good place to start — we'd suggest something smaller scale and matte, dark gray. As for paint, changing the inside to a light neutral would work nicely — consider a semi-gloss paint. We'd unify the doors — either both mirrored, both glass or both solid. Solid doors will give it a much calmer look. Lastly, we'd consider switching out the mirrored top you added with wood.

Anyone else?

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Comments (5)

Frosted glass instead of clear glass and mirror could update it.

posted by Lisa (Montreal) on March 11th 2009 at 10:57am
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Thanks, it used to have a yellow formica top, yellow formica doors and was painted red. It was funky 50's. I do want to keep it kind of funky and I'm finding the mirrors to add a lot of interest and light to the room so am now wondering most about color and knobs. I don't mind if it's not too subdued or like "fine furniture", the rest of the room is now quite subdued and my house is very whimsical and fun. It makes a nice bar cabinet.

posted by coophaus on March 11th 2009 at 3:39pm
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If it's from the funky 50s, and you want it to be both funky and MCM why can't you just restore it to its original state? The 50s were right in the middle of the century...

posted by tarsengreen on March 11th 2009 at 6:26pm
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frosted glass with perhaps your initals somewhere on the glass ( im thinking small on the corners) not frosted.

posted by bellaknollie on March 12th 2009 at 10:27am
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It was too kitcheny in the red with yellow formica. I'm now considering a peacock blue with some glass knobs and adding a lamp in the room that picks up on that same color.
I'll have to think about the frosted glass ideas, I just can't picture it.

posted by coophaus on March 12th 2009 at 3:08pm
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