Yes, its been two years but I wanna play catch up because I want to print blog books in the near future. So for now I will do current updates and catch ups.
DISREGARD THE MESSY GARAGE (WISH I HAD A SHOP)
My friend asked me if I could do anything to spruce up her entertainment tower and because it was solid wood I knew I could bring it back to life! I love a challenge. I love making old things new. I'm no professional by any means I still use a brush and roller as opposed to a sprayer but I still love how they turn out!
Here is the before of the cabinet. The smokey glass is lovely. The broken door adds character :) and that 90s oak is to die for!
I knew instantly I would remove it all. Then add baseboard and crown molding to make it more from this decade. A quick google search and I found a couple pieces that were exactly what I was picturing.
After removing the smokey glass and broken doors it was already improved! I sanded the entire cabinet. You have to remove the sheen on any piece of furniture to get regular paint to adhere. I use an automatic sander and it makes all the difference. After a good sanding I added the bead-board backing. I simply cut bead-board to size and glued them on! I used Liquid Nails construction adhesive laid the cabinet down and just let the glue dry.
It's already a transformation, right?
After the glue had dried and the bead-board was secure I moved on to the base board. This is just builder grade standard here in Utah. I used my miter saw to cut the base to size, used Liquid Nails and my brad nailer to attach it to the cabinet. This was the easiest part because I had just spent a week adding baseboard to our basement so cutting it was fresh in my mind.
Because I didn't have any crown molding on hand I decided to go ahead and prime the cabinet first. I use Zinsser primer. It's the best. Nothing else compares. It is a little more pricey than others but most of the time needs one coat and the paint adheres beautifully saving you money in the end.
I got the crown molding up but it was challenging. Crown Molding is tricky to cut. I've done it before but it usually takes me several (4-5) mistakes before I remember. Ugh. So google it and watch videos. I glued and nailed it on like the base. Gave the unit one coat of primer and one coat of paint.
The insides of the cabinets got a second coat and then I starting playing around with glaze. I use Kwal glaze, in Raw Umber. (I had to wait for all the caulking to dry before giving the whole thing a second coat) Caulking really is your best friend. Makes your seams look perfect and flush. I also used some wood filler to fill in the holes where the doors were connected.
I'm a bit of a perfectionist so distressing and glaze can give me anxiety. I have to learn to be ok with imperfections because that is what is supposed to happen! I took a hammer back to he cabinet to add indents where the glaze would catch and look worn. I also use a screw laid flat with a little tap from the hammer to get rivets for glaze enhancing.
BEFORE AND AFTER
In my friends living room waiting for the last two shelves (I took a break because of summer heat) and accessories. This took me a couple weeks because I have kids that need things off and on. :) What do you think?
