Refinished and Repurposed
I love working with my hands and being creative. One of my favorite hobbies is to refinish old furniture for a new purpose. Taking something old and worn and giving it a new life brings me joy.
Recently, I acquired an unwanted filing cabinet. Seeing the possibilities of what the cabinet could become, I took it back to my workshop, otherwise known as our kitchen. I envisioned a white distressed wet bar/liquor cabinet and decided to embark on the transformation.
Once in my workshop, I removed the drawers and hardware, leaving me with a blank canvas. I decided to keep the bottom drawer and set it aside to work on it separately. In order to bring my vision to life, I needed to take measurements and purchase supplies. My list of supplies included:
- Hand sanding pads
- Paint rollers
- Paint brushes
- Paint
- New hardware
- Wood filler
- Putty knife
- Diagonal wire cutters
- Laser cut metal sheeting
- Wooden legs
- Wine rack
- Screws
- Drill
- Wood slab
Lucky for me, many of the above items were among a plethora of tools which we already own. For the remainder, I either purchased them at a home store or on Amazon.
Setting into the task of repurposing the cabinet, I decided to add a shelf for easily accessible storage. The shelf could hold glassware or any number of bar accessories. I purchased a wood slab from Home Depot, and because I had already taken the proper measurements, the staff were kind enough to cut the wood to size at the store. With a little bit of extra man power from my husband, I was able to install the shelf. After installation, I used wood filler on the exposed holes, allowed them time to dry, and used the putty knife to scrape any extra filler, ensuring the holes were completely flush with the surface.
After inspecting the piece further, I quickly realized that the cabinet was not made completely of hardwood. Several parts of the piece were found to be laminate, which made sanding crucial to ensure that the paint adhered well. Usually a primer is also pertinent, however, I purchased a paint with a primer already included.
Sanding and painting complete, I then installed the new wooden legs which I had previously painted and prepared. This might have been the most difficult part of the process, but with some extra time and effort, I was able to secure them in place.
Once back in the upright position, I reinserted the newly painted drawer and installed the new hardware, a set of classy glass knobs. Before installing the wine rack, I measured and cut the laser cut metal sheeting to size, fixing it to the back of the cabinet for added flair. Once the sheeting was properly inserted, I simply drilled the wine rack into place, offering ample storage for glassware.
The final step was to make the cabinet look distressed. To do this, I merely used the sanding pads to ware off the paint in key areas, including corners and edges. Then... viola... my repurposed, refinished liquor cabinet/wet bar!
