Red & Black

I have been a little slow getting new projects posted ...

but with good reason.

I had a major project which I just finished and will share with you now. 

Ever since I started using Milk paint I have wanted to try it on a piece of furniture, 

not just more little accessories. 

So one day when I was at the thrift store I spotted this cabinet. 

Kind of pathetic looking but still there was something about it. 

The glass door was hung crooked, one of the glass panels was completely missing, the backing was made of cheap plywood with a huge hole cutout of it (to accommodate a T.V. I presume?) and the whole thing was quite wobbly because the brace that should have been between the two glass doors was also missing (again I think for a T.V.). 

I knew exactly where it would fit in my home (which is saying a lot since there isn't much room to spare) and the price was $29.99. How could I say no? 

First we put the support back in place, and already it was a lot sturdier.

Then we tore the old plywood backing off and replaced it with tongue and groove paneling. (Wanted that rustic look)

But because the paneling is so inexpensive, it is full of knots (and holes where knots used to be!) and some of the edges (tongues) were broken off. We knew this already as we have used this product before, so we bought extra. 

We filled the holes and imperfections with wood putty. Let it dry and sanded it smooth. Then we sealed the knots with shellac so the sap wouldn't bleed through once I had painted it.

The boards were cut to size, glued together and nailed in place one at a time. 

It was really sturdy now!

We then replaced the glass panel on the side. 

Now I could begin painting. 

I wasn't sure which colors I wanted to go with until I saw this cabinet in Chintz and Co. 

Gorgeous right? 

I loved the contrast of the bright Aqua against the dark Brown. Not the right colors for the space the cabinet would be going into, but I liked the idea. 

So instead I decided to use Red for the interior and Black for the exterior.  Miss Mustard Seeds Milk Paint of course, because I wanted more of a rustic look. 

 Painting the interior took a long time. First all of the taping. Then all of the mixing. I wasn't sure how much to mix up each time as all of my previous projects were quite small. Plus because some of the wood was raw, (no paint or varnish) such as the new backing, it really soaked the paint up. Normally Milk paint goes quite far. But I also painted every square inch of the interior. Ceiling, shelves(top surface and underneath) supports,etc. Every nook and cranny! It took me three coats to get good coverage and about five hours!!!

 Next I added some simple trim to the top(darker brown color) that I picked up at the Restore for $1.50.

I then had to tape off the interior edges so the black wouldn't cross over. I am a bit messy when it comes to painting this kind of stuff.

The black paint went on sooooo much easier and faster too!

 The cabinet was all painted now, but it didn't peel or flake at all! 

I knew the raw wood wouldn't, but I was kind of hoping the rest might have a bit of it here and there. I am a pretty stubborn person, so I couldn't leave it at that. I used my tape method (see "Tips on Using Milk Paint" post) and  I forced it a bit here and there.

Much better. Then I took some fine sandpaper and did the edges in places that I thought would have natural wear. I just have to stop myself from getting carried away with the distressing because it is so fun to do.

Okay next step: Protecting the paint. 

Well, I had a few choices here, but I wanted something relatively quick and inexpensive. So I went with "Miss Mustard Seeds' - Hemp Oil". Plus this stuff is safe on the environment and made with natural ingredients so it's easy and pleasant to work with.

So here you can see the difference between the paint and the paint with the oil rubbed on.

It gives it a deeper tone and a more finished look. This took me another four hours! Every nook and cranny and groove (maybe the paneling wasn't such a good idea after all... just kidding!), inside and out. Make sure you use a lint free cloth. Found that one out the hard way.

Here it is before I put the doors back on. (Please excuse the messy garage, I'm working on clearing that up)

These are the knobs that I chose to replace the ugly square wooden ones that were on it.

I also had to replace the glass in one of the doors because Oops! 

I broke it when I took it out to paint the door. 

I would just like to add, that the glass in this cabinet was held in place by clear silicone and very thin strips of wood. Which is all fine but the silicone was applied so carelessly that it was all over the glass and looked terrible. So me being the perfectionist  that I am, I couldn't leave it alone. 

I took the glass out, scraped off all of the silicone (which is no easy feat!!!) and re-applied a small amount of silicone and the wooden strips and small metal brackets. MUCH BETTER!!! I also added a glass shelf.

Now the fun part! To fill it and decorate it!

It now housed all of our board games and puzzles.

Plus there was room to display some of my collectibles.
 I have a bit of an obsession with accessories :0)

And how perfectly it fit into the space. Guess it was meant to be.

Here are closeups of the vignettes inside.

I made the dice in the jar - see P.B. Vintage Dice - Vase Filler

I love how the face sculpture looks in here.

Some of my old books I have collected.

More books, vintage shoe forms and the gear thingy!

Lots of work, a bit of money but in the end I think it was worth it.