Calling this console ‘primitive’ is a bit of an understatement. No, it’s a HUGE understatement.
It was a hot mess.
It had decades of dirt embedded in both the exterior and interior and the wood was gouged in so many places it made my head hurt just thinking about how I was going to tackle this.
BUT…it was only $20, has great storage potential, and I knew I had the perfect spot for it.
I found it a few months ago and since then it just sat waiting patiently while I moved on to FAR easier projects like this milk paint cabinet and my jewelry organizer (which, btw, I LOVE!).
I really liked the color, and although the chippy finish was a bit extreme, I didn’t hate it. Not at all. In fact, I was tempted to just give it a good cleaning and call it a day. I was putting it in our basement which is decorated in a rustic cowboy/cowgirl theme so it would have been fine as is.
The problem, or one of them, was the right side wasn’t painted in the same color as the rest of it. I guess that side was up against a wall in its former life and whoever painted it turquoise didn’t think it was worth the trouble to move it.
So…since I knew I had to paint the side I decided to just give the entire piece a good cleaning and a new coat of turquoise paint. I got some TSP, a scrub brush and a toothbrush and got to work. I didn’t want to overwork this piece, though. As the title of this post implies, I just wanted to revive it.
Think a little botox, not a full on face lift.
Notice the stellar paint job?
The other issue with this piece was the condition of the top. When I found it, it had some metal shelving that was piled on top of it, and from the looks of it it was probably like that for years. Cleaning it only made a slight dent in the appearance, so I knew it was time to bring out the big guns.
So…I sprayed some paint stripper and left it overnight and this is what it looked like after I scraped off not one, not two, not three,
but four layers of paint.
Oh, and there was also some paper that had been glued on at some point and painted over.
I filled in some of the gouges with wood filler, put two coats of stain (Ipswich Pine) and two coats of Hemp Oil. The resulting finish is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, BUT, it’s very appropriate for the piece itself as well as the room it will be in. I wasn’t going for perfection. I wanted to clean it up and make it the best it could be under the circumstances.
Remember…botox, not surgery.
For the outside I just gave it a quick coat of some turquoise paint and scruffed it up just a bit, but I was struggling with what I should do with the inside. I didn’t want to paint it the same as the outside but I didn’t want too much of a contrast. I looked at the painting that it would eventually be sitting under for inspiration and decided on blue. Then I remembered I had some wallpaper that I had gotten for free at a church sale last year which had shades of turquoise, some blue and lime green, so I cut it to size and used some Mod Podge to line the shelves.
I painted the back with two coats of blue paint I custom mixed, and the insides of the doors lime green and blue. (This picture was taken after one coat.)
There…isn’t she starting to look a little better?
One of my favorite parts of this piece is the hardware. Rusty, but charming ;).
Here she is in her new home, which is actually our basement, aka Fisherman’s man cave. It’s a walk out, but this spot is tucked in a corner with very little natural light. (It’s hard to tell but the sexy cowgirl’s vest is dark blue.)
I think I’ll be putting photo albums inside, if I ever get around to sorting through the thousands of photos we have and organizing them!
In ‘other news’, apparently my name isn’t ‘Doreen’. It’s Dor_ne. At least according to the Department of Health. Remember when we moved and our important documents were stolen? Well, I ordered a new Birth Certificate and they told me their records show my name is spelled ‘Dor_ne’ and unless I give them certain obscure documents, i.e., a letter from the hospital where I was born, immunization records, a school admission form, etc. I will need to go to court to have my name legally changed to ‘Doreen’ if I want a Birth Certificate! Isn’t it bad enough everything was stolen, now this??! The hospital doesn’t keep records longer than 15 years (I called).
I don’t remember my name being spelled that way on my Birth Certificate, and I have been able to get a passport and driver’s license with my correct spelling, so WTH? I’ve requested they show me what their records look like, so we’ll see.
Thank goodness I have an expired Passport (the new one was stolen) so I can get another one using that and my driver’s license. We’re not planning on any overseas trips soon, but I think I better get on it nonetheless.
Then I can start organizing my photos…
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Manuela@A Cultivated Nest says
Well that’s weird and annoying about your name! I hope you find a way to resolve that.
The console looks great! I really hate scrapping paint off furniture – which is why I rarely do it. But I must say the top fits in so perfectly with the room now.
Good job!
Lavender Dreams says
That really is strange about your name spelling and what a pain to have to work on something like that. LOVE the beautiful job you did on this piece of furniture! And I think cowboy stuff is so cute. I have a little bit here and there, too! Enjoy your afternoon! Sweet hugs, Diane
Al says
What a lovely facelift. I think it’s great that you opted for botox instead of surgery. All too often we think we need to totally redo something when the original has charm and potential. Have a great day Dor_ne.
Linda says
Well, that is just strange about your name spelling. Like you really need to work on that. You have really changed the whole appearance of your $20.00 item. Good place for it and plenty of storage. Thanks for visiting. I shall read your other post,
‘Two Brothers From Bari’.
Yes, we have our dreams and I want to live mine.
Betsy says
What an amazing makeover (Botox only) and a real labor of love. Love that chippy old hardware and the wonderful color. Someone’s typo years ago sure is causing a headache now. Hope you can get it resolved and get on to more important things like organizing your photos:-)
Poppy says
This newly revived botox beauty, complete with fillers and permanent make up, is a true stunner! Some people are blessed with a ‘green’ thumb; others, like yourself, have the hands of a surgeon, a ‘furniture’ doc, that is! Kudos, my friend, it looks perfect in its new place, and patiently awaiting pics for its space!
Poppy
Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow says
How nice your transformation looks! This stolen paperwork is just one headache after another, ugh!
Vicky Hunt says
What a sweet piece! I love what you did with it and it looks like it was made for that spot! When I saw the first picture, I thought I was looking at a piece from my house. I have a little $5 cabinet I bought a couple years ago that has the same hinges. Anyway…love it! And that is crazy about your birth certificate and name issue….don’t you hate dealing with things like that! I hope you get it resolved soon.
Blessings, Vicky
Shirley@Housepittality Designs says
Oh the “patient” is very happy with the results of your work!!….fantastic hardware…Sorry to hear about the birth certificate problem…it is bad enough having all of your important documents stolen, let alone the added problems with them..sorry to hear that!!
Magali@TheLittleWhiteHouse says
Botox can do wonder… and a touhc of blue doesn’t hurt either! Great job.
kimberly says
Are you kidding Dorne with a hyphen? That is just crazy!
Oh, I do love your cabinet. What a find. It looks great now, especially where you’ve placed it.
Cecilia says
Doreen, I love how the cabinet turned out! It looks great!
I can’t believe you’re running into this misspelling now. That’s just crazy. Good luck in getting it straightened out. How annoying for you. π
Hugs,
Cecilia
Patti says
Love the console, and it looks just perfect there! That color is sooo good!
Sorry about the papers, such an inconvenience!
Hugs,
Patti
kelly says
I love that cabinet! It’s perfect for your basement area. Hope you can get your paperwork straightened out. Sounds like a nightmare!
SharonFromMichigan says
Well Dor_ne, you did a wonderful job on the cupboard! I adore the hinges. You can tell its an old piece, you don’t see decorative hinges like that on pieces anymore. Love the turquoise color too! I’m sorry but I’m laughing so hard at the mistake with your name – obviously someone at the Dept of Health is not a good typist. It always amazes me that in this day of technological advances, people can’t simply admit to human error. I’m still chuckling…….
Vashti Quiroz-Vega says
Interesting project. I like the console, it has character, and masculine appeal. So the basement (fisherman’s man cave) is the perfect room for it. π The whole situation with your name is so frustrating I hope you get that resolved quickly.