Repurposing a Vintage Cabinet
In search of a unique storage solution for my powder room, I turned to a vintage spice cabinet that my grandfather built years ago. In its original state, it was made of stained oak, but I had always planned to lighten it up with paint and repurpose it. Like most powder rooms, mine is small, so a wall cabinet made the most sense.
The cabinet is a bit of a curiosity, with six teeny drawers, shelves, and two small doors. After spying the flower cluster knobs at Anthropologie, I had my inspiration for a creamy white and blue scheme.
Paint and Distress to Add Character and Age
I settled on a creamy yellow interior latex paint from Home Depot. Although I no longer remember the color, it was a small tub of premixed paint intended for craft supplies. I liked the small pulls on the drawers, so didn’t feel the need to replace them. However, they were originally white, so I simply removed them and spray painted them blue to match the flower knobs. I also spray painted the original brass hinges on the doors black. Before brushing on the paint, I lightly sanded the cabinet. Once the first coat of paint was dry, I used sandpaper to rub off some of the paint along the edges and front of the drawers, adding just the right amount of age.
The cabinet’s unique nooks and crannies hold various collections that I change with the seasons. When I have guests, I always add fresh flowers and candles.
Extra rolls of bathroom tissue fit perfectly inside the two doors. The textured glass on the doors is original to the cabinet, but I wanted to hide the tissue stored inside. I used checked gingham left over from a pillow project because it coordinated perfectly with the pulls, and was simple to install. Using a very small dowel, I cut a piece of fabric approximately one and a half times the width of the glass window, folded the fabric over the dowel, hand stitched it in a few spots, then pushed it together on the dowel to create a gathered look. I affixed it with hot glue. Quick and easy!
Finish With Pulls and Knobs
The display of knobs and pulls at Anthropologie boggles the mind. There are so many! I adored these flower clusters the instant I saw them. The combination with the pulls on the spice drawers is cute and whimsical.
The original cabinet built by my grandfather did not have a hanging towel rack, but I knew I would need one. My brother, an amazing craftsman as well, added the towel rack to the bottom of the cabinet. With paint, one would never know that it was not part of the original cabinet. The hand towel, also from Anthropologie, picks up all the greens, blues, and reds in the room.
I couldn’t be happier with the finished product. The vintage cabinet sets a lighthearted tone in the powder room and solved my need for additional storage.
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