Before & After Wednesday: Beauty the China Cabinet

Once upon a time, it was Memorial Day weekend. A young-ish girl, who was covered in paint, received a phone call from a client. "Come quick!" said the clinet. "We've found a china cabinet but we need you to refinish it!" Away the paint-covered girl went in the truck, to visit a china cabinet. It was big. It was orange. It was a beast. Yet it was everything the client had ever wanted - just not in the right colors. The paint-covered girl loaded up the china cabinet with her handsome prince of a fiance, and whisked it away to the basement.

Colors were discussed. New hardware was envisioned A plan of attack was created. The paint-covered girl started work immediately. This was the biggest piece she'd ever done, and she didn't want to waste any time. First the china cabinet was stripped:

An arduous process, but the girl knew the better the stripping the better the stain application. Toothpicks, step stools, and toothbrushes were involved. And sandpaper, lots and lots of sandpaper. One evening the girl tediously cleaned the dentil moulding detail with a toothpick. Cross-eyed and with a stiff neck, the girl got ready to stain.

The cabinet stained beautifully... except the one middle drawer. Because there's ALWAYS one door, one leg, or one drawer that won't cooperate. The girl's dog friend wagged his tail knowing full well the drawer would be fixed in no time. Alas, summer came and went. This project was how the young-ish girl spent her Summer vacation. The tricky part was now coordinating the delivery. The beast had turned into Beauty, deserving of her forever home. Finally, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving the stars aligned and Beauty was successfully delivered.

Refinished in a warm brown stain (that admittedly looks more red in the photos) with a soft mint cabinet interior and new hardware.

And don't forget the drawers!

The paint-covered girl is exceptionally proud. She may have been naive in taking on a project of this magnitude, but she's sure glad she did because it was an amazing achievement. Best of all the client got the china cabinet she'd been searching for for 30 years, and they lived happily ever after.

Next week: check back in to see how I staged Beauty for the client!

#beforeafter #furniturerejuvenation #furniturerestoration #customizableprojects