Before & After: A Beat-up Bathroom Cabinet is Saved From the Trash

Written by

Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director at AT Media
Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director at AT Media
For more than 10 years, I've led Apartment Therapy's real home content, producing thousands of house tours from around the world. Currently, I live in my maximalist dream home in New Orleans, Louisiana, with my partner, a perfect dog, and a cute cat.
published Mar 16, 2014
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(Image credit: Armelle Wu)

Armelle lives in Shanghai and runs Tsai Yun Studio with her friend Catherine. They collect and up-cycle old Chinese furniture that comes from many of the old houses that get torn down to build high-rise buildings. In the process of renovating her apartment, when Armelle spotted this old cabinet that was destined for the trash, she knew it could be the perfect addition to her sons’ bathroom.

(Image credit: Armelle Wu)
(Image credit: Armelle Wu)
(Image credit: Armelle Wu)
(Image credit: Armelle Wu)

From Armelle:

We mostly buy them from migrant workers who collect thrown away furniture on their cart on the street (a lot of old houses are being destroyed in Shanghai to make place for new high-rise buildings). Since I was also in the process of renovating my new apartment, I was looking for a nice cabinet that could go in my sons’ bathroom. This one had the perfect dimensions, a door and three drawers, but was in pretty bad shape. The structure was still very solid though, just needed a big clean-up and dressing-up.

After a thorough clean-up, it was just a paint job, with a bit of color to add to the black and white color scheme of the bathroom. I painted little red stars around the knobs to match the tiles. The whole interior is painted the same red and I left the wood bare around the drawers. Then we had a black acrylic counter top made, [placed] the sink on top, and voila! I have my own unique bathroom cabinet.

Thank you Armelle!