Upcycled farmhouse cabinet

[kendallmac]

This 80’s teak/mahogany farmhouse cabinet was a lucky FB Marketplace find - only $50! I had a vision for it to be stripped, tan paint washed and upcycled to be more ‘rustic’ looking in keeping with our Mediterranean farmhouse inspired renovation.

To create depth and contrast, the interior was painted a darker colour so that the items inside would ‘pop’ visually.

This upcycle certainly wasn’t a quick one - but worth the effort in the end!

Materials

80, 120, 180, 240 Grit Sandpaper

Scotch Painters Tape

UniPro Paint Brushes

UniPro ‘Little Ripper’ paint rollers and tray

Dulux ‘Earth Kiss’ interior paint

Taubmans ‘Hog Bristle’ interior paint

Cabots water based Walnut Stain

Brushed Brass Knobs

Steel Wool

Tools

Makita Orbital Sander + pads

Makita Detail Sander + pads

Carbine Scraper

Steps

Step 1

First I cleaned the entire piece and taped every window with Scotch Painters Tape to avoid them being scratched when sanding and in preparation for the eventual paint wash.

 

Step 2

Next I used a paint stripper in an attempt to remove the cherry wood stain. This was only partially successful so MANY HOURS of sanding followed. I did all the larger, flatter surfaces with the orbital sander, then used the detail sander for the more difficult parts. The carbine scraper was used to remove the old stain from the profile ridges around all the windows (384 in total!). I used a credit card wrapped in sandpaper to hand sand each of these. 

 

Step 3

Once the entire piece was sanded, I applied the tan paint wash using 1 part Dulux ‘Earth Kiss’ to 9 parts water. I left the wash on for approximately 1 minute before wiping off with a clean cloth.

I repeated this twice on the exterior and interior of the doors (not shelves).

I then followed with 2 coats of Cabot’s Water Based Walnut Stain - again watered down 1 part stain to 3 parts water. 

Step 4

I finished with painting the interior in Dulux ‘Hog Bristle’ to create depth, contrast and warmth. I used the UniPro ‘little ripper’ rollers to do 3 coats of this.

 

 

Step 5

The final step involved cleaning and updating the hardware. I used steel wool and bicarb soda to bring the hinges, lock and key back to life. I removed the handles and replaced them with 2 brushed brass door pulls from Bunnings.

 

Step 6

A Bunnings trailing Ivy plant and Teracotta pot completed the styling on top, with some wicker baskets to create texture. 

 

[JacobZ]

Hi @kendallmac,

Thank you for sharing your fantastic upcycling project.

It's always great to see an older, somewhat worn-out piece of furniture receive a new lease on life with a bit of sanding, some new hardware and a bit of love.

The new lighter stain, combined with the dark interior really has given it that great depth and contrast you were looking for.

Congratulations on a wonderful project.

Jacob

[kendallmac]

Thanks Jacob - a ‘bit of sanding’ is always quite the understatement though isn’t it 😀 These old pieces have such great shape and structure - I’m glad we persevered 👍

[Dave-1]

Good morning @kendallmac 

Wow! That piece has really been lifted up! Love how you described the "Wash effect" Will keep that in mind for sure. 

That sanding is a LOT of work, well worth it but man my arms ache just looking at it!'

Envy

Dave

[JacobZ]

Hi @kendallmac,

Maybe a lot of sanding is closer to the truth. I bet you're glad it's done. 😂

Jacob

[kendallmac]

Indeed! 

Thanks Jacob 🙏

[kendallmac]

Thanks Dave! The sanding was endless and I ended up painting the interior because I ran out of steam getting that part back to raw timber. A lucky result! 

[Dave-1]

Evening @kendallmac 

Sometimes it just works out!

Dave