Before & After: A Thrift Store Media Cabinet Gets a Makeover
What do you do with a perfectly good, sturdy piece of furniture that has potential but is a bit heavy visually on the eyes? If you’re Kim, you give it a fresh paint job and add some design details that make this piece one-of-a-kind!
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From Kim:
I’ve long since coveted a sleek mid-century modern media credenza. I couldn’t justify the price of a professionally restored piece and living in New York City I knew I had a better chance of spotting a unicorn than finding a reasonably priced Craigslist, stoop sale or flea market item in need of TLC. I all but settled on an IKEA hack; this would be my first DIY project and I wasn’t confident enough to take on something too complicated, and spent several weeks browsing the Internet in search of inspiration.
In what I thought was going to be another futile thrift store visit, I found this Bassett dresser for $25. It wasn’t what I originally imagined, more late 70s or early 80s than mid-century, but I dug the lines and appreciated the length (70 inches). Although the dresser had been roughed up and was currently serving as the store’s storage cabinet, I found the $25 price tag hard to believe. According to the staff, they’ve had the dresser for two years so it was priced to move.
When I got the dresser home I noticed all the problems I couldn’t see in the small cramped thrift store. The base was crumbling, the bottom was sagging and although the drawers were real wood the sides and top were some sort of funky laminate. After two weeks of sanding, priming, staining, painting, and lots of internet research and approximately $125 worth of plywood, sandpaper, primer, paint, stain and new legs I have a DIY project that I’m really proud of and a great piece a furniture.
Thank you Kim!