Before & After: Rita’s From Rusty to Cherished Cart

Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director
Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director
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 15, 2014
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Rusty three-tier metal cart with dirt and stains in a garage setting, labeled "before."
(Image credit: Rita Killilea)

Rita was on the hunt for a project where she could turn something unloved into something that could be used, cherished and enjoyed. Rita knew an old, rusted kitchen cart that once belonged to her great-grandmother (that had just been collecting dust in her basement) was the perfect project to tackle to give her space that extra something special.

(Image credit: Rita Killilea)

From Rita:

I started by using WD40 on the wheels before applying Jasco’s Rust Converter and sanding it down. Once that was done I used Rustoleum’s 2X Paint and Primer, it only took one can to get the job done.

For the pattern I bought a gold leaf starter kit off Amazon and an additional order of 25 sheets. I’m glad I did because I used close to 40 sheets on this project. Instead of using painter’s tape alone, I used a combination of Scotch washi tape and Scotch Blue painter’s tape to achieve different widths and give the cart a little more dimension.

I also found a very useful DIY affixing a wine glass rack with magnets. “Super magnets” which are about the size of a pea but hold up to 7lbs each! I used 5 which was more than enough. I spray painted the wine rack and wheels with Rustoleum metallic gold as a finishing touch.

See more of this transformation on Rita’s blog.

Thank you Rita!