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My Nana’s old cabinet has passed through 3 generations and now belongs to my Niece, so it is time for a make-over. Made mostly of Silky Oak it was in good condition but also very fragile, rickety and loose. The leadlight glass is original and only one small glass has cracked but is not noticeable. The top and base are veneer on ply and had warn very thin in parts so we decided to paint rather than varnish and went with a mat black and chrome look.
The cabinet was gently stripped, lightly sanded back and reinforced. All fittings were replaced with new. The legs are each made of 3 pieces joined and had split apart at the timber joins so they had to be re-glued and strengthened with long screws through the joins. The frosted glass had accumulated 80 years of grime so I painstakingly cleaned each one with a toothbrush and soapy water.
Primed and painted with Porter’s Aniseed ultra-black which is a strong, colour-dense paint and worth every penny. Finished with 2 applications of Gilly’s Carnauba Wax polish for protection and gives a subtle luster and depth.
The back-board was going to be covered in wallpaper but for the small amount required was not worth buying a whole role so I used a stencil with silver frosted paint. Finished with coloured LED lights and soon to come, 2 glass shelves.
Good to go for the next 100 years and very pleased with the result.
Cheers,
Stuart
