Apothecary cabinet made using cube unit

[sandy_d]

Wood scraps, paint and beeswax helped transform a worn-out cube unit into a cabinet styled as an apothecary chest. 

• The project
• How to upcycle furniture
• More inspiration for your home

 

 

The project

I’m always given free furniture from my family, and this cube unit had seen better days. I decided to transform it into an apothecary cabinet with fake draws. I started with the unit and built a frame for the base. This gave me somewhere to attach the legs. 

I used nails and Liquid Nails to attach as the laminated surface would not allow wood glue to bond. 

All the timber I used was recycled or offcuts from previous projects, so I did cut and paste pieces together. Let’s call it the rustic look. I added a timber frame to the top and bottom and also to the sides. I used plywood to cover the sides. This not only added a little more thickness to the frame but also allowed me to paint the surface. 

Once the frame was built, I cut some MDF panelling I had, and used this for the doors. Some panels I had were just slightly shorter, but this added to the rustic look. To achieve the multiple false drawers, I cut some 120 x 120mm plywood and glued it with liquid nails. I made a template and drilled holes for the placement of the handles. 

I made the mistake of purchasing overlay hinges and figured out what was wrong after three hours and some tantrums. If you make the doors sit inside like I have, you’ll need to purchase inset hinges. A mud cake made by my son and a cool drink later, I glued the inside of the cube unit with some old fabric I had. You can choose to use adhesive film or just leave it if the unit is in good condition.
 

 

The cabinet top was made from discarded wood which I laminated together with wood glue and clamps. I added a ply backing to stop the cube unit from too much movement. 

To decorate the cabinet, I made a decorative bowl using curtain rod wooden rings and macrame rings and hot glued them together. To form the shape, I glued them over a bowl I had covered with cling wrap.

 

The cabinet base is painted with a semi-gloss paint in all black and the top is stained in sepia. I have also applied a natural bees wax to the top to protect it. And there you have it, one very rustic-looking apothecary cabinet made from a cube unit. 

 

How to upcycle furniture

Bunnings D.I.Y. expert Mitchell has shared an easy-to-follow guide How to upcycle a bedside cabinet. The techniques can be used for most types of furniture.

 

More inspiration for your home

Workshop member Donna took a forgotten 50-year-old cupboard and transformed it into a trendy upcycled cabinet.

Community member Dana created a fashionable Hamptons-style upcycled buffet by cleaning, sanding and painting a worn fixture. 

Find more top ideas and tips in Upcycled bedside drawers and tables and Top 10 most popular indoor furniture projects.

[Dave-1]

@sandy_d 

What a mark up! The line "take my money" comes to mind. This is a project I will definently have to give it a go. When I first started reading it I was unsure but by the end of it I was thinking "Where can I lay my hands on the cubes"

What gave you the idea to upcycle it?

Dave

[sandy_d]

@Dave-1 please give it a go, it’s really not as hard as it may seem. The cube unit I was given was water damaged so I thought rather than sand and paint I’d give it new life. 
originally, I just wanted to add doors to hide the kids toys, but I had seen a door front with the faux apothecary squares and I was sold. 

I have always wanted an apothecary cabinet, but I knew I’d open every single draw to try to figure out where I’d left things! This was definitely a better option. 

I hope you find yourself a great cube unit to get started 😊