Yay! Score one for me I marked something off my list! Earlier this year (::cough::January!::cough::) my grandma gifted me with this less than desirable cabinet which she was using to house some porcelain "days of the week" dolls.
Okay, let me just make this general disclaimer: the lighting in our house S-U-C-K-S!
When they had new carpet put down in their home, they started getting rid of furniture so there would be less for them to move when the installation day came. Somewhere back in my childhood years I made the comment to my grandma that I wanted the cabinet of dolls and it was something she never forgot. I still haven't learned how to say no to my grandma (maybe that's why we've accumulated so much crap) so before I knew it, we were hauling it away--creepy dolls, bad paint job, and all!
The dolls I knew would be given away, but the longer I looked at my fugly new cabinet, the more I realized it had the potential to be the perfect sized hutch in our dinning room, whether or not I wanted to put actual dishes in it, or just start having a better place to display some of my favorite decor pieces.
This thing had more staples, screws, hinges, and junk holding it together than I even care to rehash! The paint job was the worst I'd ever seen in my life (vanilla speckled accented in gold? genius!) and more than once I wondered if this was going to be a huge DIY disaster (would we even like it when I finished?). But once it was primed, I was feeling much better. I even opted not to put the lower cabinet door back on, and instead decided to paint the bottom of the backer board with a shot of turquoise spray paint (Rust-Oleum, Lagoon).
I had every intention of putting the mirror back on, but as we were hammering the backer board into place, the mirror fell and shattered into a billion pieces. One of which ended up in my leg (insert horrified screaming here). I was so bummed I shelved the entire project for about 3 weeks.
Then I saw (and pinned!) this from The Lettered Cottage.
I adored the way the blue looked peeking out of the hutch! Not to mention, it made the hutch look somewhat bigger than (I think) it actually is. I was worried with the shattering of the mirror that my hutch would instantly look squat and tiny painted all black. So I headed down to Home Depot armed with the fan deck we were gifted at my first ever Pottery Barn decorating class. I had them color match "Wedgewood Gray" to their paint and primer in one formula (note: Wedgewood Gray is not currently offered in the Pottery Barn collection by Benjamin Moore). They did an amazing job! (FYI: the Pottery Barn/Benjamin Moore paint goes for about $66/gallon. I spent $13 on my quart and have barely used even a quarter of it). Once it was all painted, we used a metric ton of Gorilla Glue to reattach the backer board, followed by two days of drying.
Here's the long-awaited after.
Top to bottom I decorated it with a few things that have been hiding in cupboards and on soffits. Top shelf: my favorite jewel red wine glasses from World Market. I bought them when Jason and I were first dating and have never found anything like them again (I actually have four, but three just looked better, and one has a tiny chip in it). I'd love to find two mercury glass votive to go in between these I think...
Middle shelf: my clover tea pot, purchased in Emerald Isle, North Carolina at their St. Patrick's Day Festival; little tea cups I purchased at a North Carolina flea market for a mere 10¢ each (I have a fourth one as well, but the tower was getting a little rickety...); and a small creamer pitcher I picked up at TJ Maxx sitting on top of a silver candle holder for some height. This is probably my favorite shelf (but shhhh! don't tell the others!).
Third shelf: a goblet with my family crest on it filled with vintage silverware; my little brass bell from an estate sale; two of my favorite tiny books (a book of love poems and my Irish O'merican book).
Bottom shelf--originally I had planned to stack some heirloom dishes in here that my mom has in storage, but for now this little arrangement works: a little chef plate I picked up from BB&B years ago; two "vintage" coke bottles (definitely not antique, but I love them anyways); one of my jute wrapped pears for a little texture.
I'm extremely pleased with how it turned out, considering how it started! I may still decide to switch out the paint color of Lagoon (on the bottom part of the backer board) for an apple green later on down the road (like my favorite Martha Stewart wrapping paper). Why yes I did just link to my old blog twice in one post. I still have more work to do, mostly touch ups. I'm supper unimpressed with my 3M Blue Painter's Tape (so. much. bleeding.), I'd like to change out the hinges for an oil rubbed bronze (or maybe a silver to contrast the black), and I think I'm going to carry the Wedgewood Gray paint out onto the ledge around the display case. I'd also like to find a new drop pull for the door. Currently I'm loving this one from Anthropologie.
But for right now it's done, I can put dishes in it, and I love it!
COST BREAKDOWN:
Rust-Oleum gray primer (2 cans) - $8
Rust-Oleum Smooth Protective Enamel in satin black (2 cans) - $10
Rust-Oleum Lagoon - $0 (already owned)
Wedgewood Gray paint - $13
Rub n' Buff Silver Leaf (for drop pull) - $0 (already owned)
Decor - $0 (already owned)
TOTAL: $31
Thanks Grandma!♥
I'm linking up to:
Thrifty Thursday #52 at Thrifty Decorating
Okay, let me just make this general disclaimer: the lighting in our house S-U-C-K-S!
When they had new carpet put down in their home, they started getting rid of furniture so there would be less for them to move when the installation day came. Somewhere back in my childhood years I made the comment to my grandma that I wanted the cabinet of dolls and it was something she never forgot. I still haven't learned how to say no to my grandma (maybe that's why we've accumulated so much crap) so before I knew it, we were hauling it away--creepy dolls, bad paint job, and all!
The dolls I knew would be given away, but the longer I looked at my fugly new cabinet, the more I realized it had the potential to be the perfect sized hutch in our dinning room, whether or not I wanted to put actual dishes in it, or just start having a better place to display some of my favorite decor pieces.
This thing had more staples, screws, hinges, and junk holding it together than I even care to rehash! The paint job was the worst I'd ever seen in my life (vanilla speckled accented in gold? genius!) and more than once I wondered if this was going to be a huge DIY disaster (would we even like it when I finished?). But once it was primed, I was feeling much better. I even opted not to put the lower cabinet door back on, and instead decided to paint the bottom of the backer board with a shot of turquoise spray paint (Rust-Oleum, Lagoon).
I had every intention of putting the mirror back on, but as we were hammering the backer board into place, the mirror fell and shattered into a billion pieces. One of which ended up in my leg (insert horrified screaming here). I was so bummed I shelved the entire project for about 3 weeks.
Then I saw (and pinned!) this from The Lettered Cottage.
Here's the long-awaited after.
Have I mentioned the lighting in our house sucks?
Sorry for the flash but it was the only way to capture the turquoise on the back.
Top to bottom I decorated it with a few things that have been hiding in cupboards and on soffits. Top shelf: my favorite jewel red wine glasses from World Market. I bought them when Jason and I were first dating and have never found anything like them again (I actually have four, but three just looked better, and one has a tiny chip in it). I'd love to find two mercury glass votive to go in between these I think...
Middle shelf: my clover tea pot, purchased in Emerald Isle, North Carolina at their St. Patrick's Day Festival; little tea cups I purchased at a North Carolina flea market for a mere 10¢ each (I have a fourth one as well, but the tower was getting a little rickety...); and a small creamer pitcher I picked up at TJ Maxx sitting on top of a silver candle holder for some height. This is probably my favorite shelf (but shhhh! don't tell the others!).
Third shelf: a goblet with my family crest on it filled with vintage silverware; my little brass bell from an estate sale; two of my favorite tiny books (a book of love poems and my Irish O'merican book).
I love the way the brass bell picks up on the gold foil writing on the poetry book.
Bottom shelf--originally I had planned to stack some heirloom dishes in here that my mom has in storage, but for now this little arrangement works: a little chef plate I picked up from BB&B years ago; two "vintage" coke bottles (definitely not antique, but I love them anyways); one of my jute wrapped pears for a little texture.
I'm extremely pleased with how it turned out, considering how it started! I may still decide to switch out the paint color of Lagoon (on the bottom part of the backer board) for an apple green later on down the road (like my favorite Martha Stewart wrapping paper). Why yes I did just link to my old blog twice in one post. I still have more work to do, mostly touch ups. I'm supper unimpressed with my 3M Blue Painter's Tape (so. much. bleeding.), I'd like to change out the hinges for an oil rubbed bronze (or maybe a silver to contrast the black), and I think I'm going to carry the Wedgewood Gray paint out onto the ledge around the display case. I'd also like to find a new drop pull for the door. Currently I'm loving this one from Anthropologie.
But for right now it's done, I can put dishes in it, and I love it!
Rust-Oleum gray primer (2 cans) - $8
Rust-Oleum Smooth Protective Enamel in satin black (2 cans) - $10
Rust-Oleum Lagoon - $0 (already owned)
Wedgewood Gray paint - $13
Rub n' Buff Silver Leaf (for drop pull) - $0 (already owned)
Decor - $0 (already owned)
TOTAL: $31
Thanks Grandma!♥
I'm linking up to:
Thrifty Thursday #52 at Thrifty Decorating
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