Radio Cabinet ReHab

A couple weeks ago I was just about to turn down my street, the yellow pickup packed to the gills with fresh finds from the fleamarket, when I spotted a ways down Main Street, something wonderful on the side of the road, a sweet little radio cabinet! Oho! I gunned the truck engine and zipped up there, but realized to my dismay that another gal, coming the other direction, had found my prey first. I pulled over on the side of the road and watched like a hawk as she inspected the thing, opened the doors, walked once around, and then climbed back into her own car and drove away. Bit too big a project for you, eh lady? Now it was mine mine mine! To be fair. The cabinet was rough. Probably I should have driven away and left it too, but now my ego was at stake. It suddenly became exceedingly important to me to prove that I could indeed save this forlorn little cabinet.
         It had seen some moisture. I actually wonder if it had sat on the curb through a rainstorm (this spring it's rained basically non stop, so excellent odds on that). The veneer was shot, every inch of it had to come off. Luckily, 80% of it came up in huge satisfying sheets, and underneath? Fat, yummy, solid chestnut boards. Oh hell yes.
          I kept the top in wood, because that chestnut is far more glorious than the cheesy walnut veneer had ever been, and painted the case in a custom mixed cottage yellow. It's a favorite color of mine, daffodil-esque, with just a hint of peach to it to give it depth. I highlighted bits of the woodwork in linen white, and did the interior in white as well. And just because I really wanted to make the cabinet special, I hand painted flowers across both doors, inspired an Art Nouveau woodblock. The piece is the perfect size for any space- a bathroom, an entryway, or a bedroom- just a nice little bit of stylish storage. I'm glad I didn't drive away and leave it behind.

All the pretty pieces I pulled straight from my kitchen cupboards to stage the cabinet. They looked so sweet in the late afternoon sun, I had to snap a picture!