Project DIY: Dated Wooden Cabinet

We love a good DIY project! Not only is it fun to give new life to old things, it is a great way to keep items out of the landfill. Part of a sustainability mindset is finding ways to use what we already have and therefore purchase less.

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The DIY Project: Updating this dated wooden cabinet with a surprise detail inside

Why I Love It

This wooden cabinet was such a versatile size, I could see the potential the moment I noticed it. It could easily fit as an entry table, living room side table, or a bedside table. The cupboard space allowed for a decent amount of storage as well. While the details looked dated in the dark brown colour of the wood, I was confident they would be a highlight once painted.

The Plan

My plan was to paint the cabinet a solid colour using chalk paint and then seal it with wax. I planned to sell the cabinet once finished, which is why I chose a neutral grey chalk paint for the colour. I still wanted to have fun with the cabinet, so decided to line the inside with a pop of pattern.

Supplies List

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• Chalk paint
• Foam Brushes
• Painter’s Tape
• Furniture Wax
• Modge Podge
• Scissors
• Screwdriver to remove handle
• Lining paper
• Measuring Tape

The Process

I started by giving this piece a good wash. It’s always good to start with this to remove any dust and grime. I then removed the handle from the door so I would be able to paint the entire door and I taped off any area, such as the magnet latch, that I did not want to get paint on.

I painted the entire cabinet in a charcoal grey chalk paint. As the paint was a darker colour, I did not have to worry about the wood stain bleeding through the paint. If I had chosen a lighter colour of paint, I would have wanted to paint the cabinet with a primer before applying the chalk paint. I applied three coats of paint to get my preferred saturation of colour.

I then measured and cut the paper for the inside of the cabinet. I laid the cabinet on its back and applied a generous coat of Modge Podge glue to the inside of the cabinet wall. I placed the lining paper in place by starting at the top and slowly smoothing the paper down to the bottom. I pressed out as many bubbles as I could and applied a top coat of Modge Podge to seal the paper.

In hindsight, I would have chosen a thicker paper for lining as the one I chose was quite thin and prone to tearing. Overall, for my first attempt at lining, I felt good with the result.

The last stage was applying wax to protect the painted surface and reattaching the hardware.

The Finished Product