Before & After: A $5 Find Gets a Sleek New Look
We needed some extra storage space in our new house and when I spotted this piece that was the perfect size for just 5 bucks, I purchased it with the idea of turning it into something completely different.
At first I was a bit reluctant to take the legs off because they were the cutest part of the thing but couldn’t really change the style if I kept them so, off they went. I then removed the moldings and the doorknob and suddenly the piece was a blank canvas. After sanding and varnishing, the wood looked quite pretty, better than I expected considering that it is not solid wood but veneer. Though my initial idea was to leave the natural color of the wood, certain parts of the cabinet had to be painted to cover all the imperfections, marks and scratches left by the moldings. Then I bought some new mid-century legs and painted them black too and I have to say that, in the end, I think it looks better with those black parts. The final touch was to add some mid-century style doorknobs that I made by cutting two thin pieces of wood. I really like the result and think it’s hard to tell that it only cost me 5 dollars!
Thank you Maria!
Re-edited from a post originally published 12.19.15-NT