Upcycled Armoire Cabinet – DIY Farmhouse Cabinet Freebie!

A coworker no longer needed it and asked if we could do something with it. Ummmm YES! One of the doors had a major ding and could not be repaired, so we just removed the doors.

As it sat in my shop, I pondered over it for days, trying to envision what direction to take. I knew it had to be painted. The orange wood was so outdated and so ORANGE.

Supply List:

- Chop Saw

- 220 Grit Sandpaper

- DeWalt Sander

- Sherwin Williams Latex Paint in Savvy Green

- Polycrylic

- Paintbrush

- Brad Nailer

- Minwax English Chestnut

- Wood Strips (cut from scrap wood)

After invading my paint stash (because I was too darn lazy to go to the store), I found this beautiful green by Sherwin Williams I had leftover. I had already made up my mind that I was not painting it white, I wanted color. The color was called “Savvy Green”, a light airy green. Normally, I do use chalk paint, but I did not have any colors in stock that I wanted to use. You do not have to use chalk paint on furniture, if latex paint is more available, go for it! The colors are ENDLESS!

As you all probably know by now, I am a fan of the farmhouse look. I knew I wanted to add wood to this piece. I decided to remove the old, ugly back and use thin wood strips to give it a planked look. The Hubs had scrap wood left over that would be perfect (you can use any wood that you have on hand). He cut the strips to size for me using his chop saw. He sanded the pieces until smooth using 220 grit sandpaper. I then applied Minwax Stain in the color English Chestnut.

He also built two wood shelving pieces to go inside the cabinet using plywood and cutting it down to size. (Eeeek, I forgot to take a picture ughhh!)

I put the strips aside to dry overnight and started prepping my cabinet. I gave the cabinet a good cleaning, inside and out, with my vinegar and water solution, making sure to allow the cabinet to dry for an hour.

I gave the cabinet one coat of the Savvy Green, allowing it to dry overnight. I painted the inside as well as the two shelving pieces the Hubs constructed. The next day, I applied a second coat and allowed it to dry overnight.

Now this is my favorite part. Distressing. I just love the way it makes a piece look worn. I used 220 grit sandpaper and went to town. There is not a wrong or right. I distressed heavily around the edges and drawer edges where normal wear and tear would occur. I also distressed on the sides of the cabinet as well.

The next day, I applied one coat of Polycrylic to the entire piece and the shelving pieces. I also gave the wood strips one coat. After allowing it to dry for a day, we inserted the shelving pieces using the same clips that came with the cabinet.

The final step was to attach the wood strips to the back using my brad nailer.

I found the pretty knobs for the drawers at Hobby Lobby. They really compliment the wood back. The pulls were brass pulls that I had in my stash. I painted two coats of the Savvy Green and then applied a coat of Polycrylic.

This piece sold the very day I advertised it. Such a beauty now!

Visit me over on the blog for more great projects!

Christina

xxoooo