Hello lovelies! I am so excited because I have a makeover today that was actually on its way to the trash!
My friends are also sharing trashy makeovers of their own, so be on the lookout for their makeovers at the bottom!
This lovely wall cabinet was the perfect candidate for today’s makeover:
This once hung on the wall in my sister’s bathroom above their toilet, and she was just going to toss it but asked me if I wanted it. Of course I did! I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I love.
These are my favorite projects because you can really only go up from here, right?
I had it sitting in the garage upside down:
Do you see what I see? I thought it could be cute as a small floor cabinet if only it had feet on the bottom?
So, I set out to find a set of feet that would work and I found these on Amazon:
Funny thing…when I saw the listing for these, one of the photos in the listing was a collage of my own photos from this desk post where I used similar feet! Hmmm I feel like I shoulda got these for free at least, right?
Anyway, they were the perfect size for this cabinet!
Adding feet to the cabinet
You’ll need dowel screws to attach the new feet, and luckily, I had some on hand.
To attach these feet to the cabinet, I had to first drill a hole in the the top of the feet (just a tad smaller than the screws) with my drill, so that I could more easily insert the screws:
Then I used pliers to grip the screws as I twisted them into the holes:
I kept going until I had all of them about halfway in…
Then I needed to prep the new bottom of the cabinet so I could attach the new feet.
I cut pieces of scrap wood and attached them to either side using wood glue, followed my nail gun.
Then I pre-drilled holes for the feet and screwed them in place, adding a bit of wood glue for extra hold:
I knew the feet would not sit flush yet, so I found a scrap of poplar that I had on hand and cut into smaller pieces so that I could tuck them under the fee to better support them. I wood glued them in place also.
It isn’t pretty, but it does the job!
Fill holes
The next thing I did was fill in any holes and fill in where the knots in the pine had gaps using Dixie Mud:
I planned to move the hardware up, so I filled those holes too. When the Mud was completely dry, I sanded with 220 grit sandpaper wrapped around an old sanding sponge.
Prime knots
Next, I decided to go ahead and give it a coat of BOSS in White to cover those knots since they tend to bleed through over time. I’ve never tried BOSS for pine knots before, but if it works as well as it does on traditional bleed-through, it should work here too!
Paint
Then I gave it two coats of Cotton on top of that. When it was completely dry, I sanded all over with 220 grit sandpaper to smooth out the finish and distress a little here and there.
The final step was to add a little something to the doors!
Adding more detail with a transfer
I went through my stash of transfers before starting this project and came across this Gingham Black transfer that I love and knew it was what I wanted to use!
Once the transfer was attached, I sealed with Clear Coat in Satin using a blue sponge applicator.
The result
Here is this wall cabinet repurposed as a free-standing floor cabinet!
Super cute, right?? And those feet are just right!
It is the perfect size for any small space to add a little extra storage, but especially a bathroom!
The gingham adds a touch of charm to this piece, but it is still neutral enough to fit with just about any color scheme.
And these handles are one of my favorites from Hobby Lobby. Y’all see me use them all the time!
While the outside remains quite neutral, I decided to have fun with the inside…
With a pop of color! This is Pure Ocean and it is a true, deep turquoise.
Rehabbing things that were destined for the trash is my absolute favorite!
I hope you enjoyed it too!
Don’t forget to check out what my talented friends have for you as well!
Meet me back here next for the makeover of this headboard that has been in my stash for longer than any other piece!
UPDATE: See what I finally did with this headboard HERE now!
XOXO,
Don’t Miss a Thing!
If you like what you see, there are several ways to follow along!
Sherin says
Oh my goodness Christy! I’ve been searching for the type of double ended screws you’ve used for the feet on this cabinet for a couple of weeks, but I didn’t know what they were called. I’ve tried loads of descriptive terms but no luck.
Now I know – Dowel screws! A quick Google search has found loads of them. Thank you so much.
I love what you’ve done to the cabinet BTW – genius to turn it upside down.
Christy says
Thank you, Sherin! And I’m glad I could help ha ha! XOXO
Sammi says
WOW!! I love the little floor cabinet!
Christy says
Thank you, Sammi! XOXO
ColleenB.~Tx. says
Oh, WOW. I love that.
When I first saw your first photo and not seeing the others yet; I thought to myself; turn that baby up the other way so that the shelf is on top, And you did.
Love the new handles you added and by putting ‘feet’ on it really made for
a very nice unit.
With the shelf on the bottom reminded me of an old medicine cabinet that my parents used to have in the bathroom many, many years ago.
Have yourself a Great day and Thanks for sharing All your Inspirational pieces with us.
Christy says
Thank you, Colleen! Yep, my sister was using this cabinet the same way in her bathroom. It worked out so well flipping it around! XOXO
Maryellen Webber says
What a beautiful transformation, upside down and all! I love this cabinet, the black and white check and the pretty pop of blue inside is so pretty!!! Great job Christy! Have a great day!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Maryellen! I had fun with this one! XOXO
Mary Kaiser says
Wow, it is so cute now! , I LOVE how that turned out! I am surprised that your sister didn’t ask for it back! LOL I wouldn’t blame her for wanting it back because it turned out so cute! What a great trash to treasure.
Christy says
Thank you, Mary! Ha ha she loved the results, but her little bath is so small that there isn’t much room for it as it is now. It will surely work great for someone else though! Have a great day! XOXO
Larissa ~ Prodigal Pieces says
Super cute and oh so fun! And…yes, you should get something for them using your photo. 😏
Christy says
Thank you, Larissa! And right? Sometimes it’s just not worth the trouble! XOXO
Meg Habasevich says
Wow! Your trash to treasure is super cute. You have such a wonderful vision and talent for pulling this off. Congratulations my friend.
Christy says
Thank you so much, Meg! I appreciate that! XOXO
Kathy Blumenberg says
Dang, woman! You’re good! What a cool idea!
Christy says
Aww thank you so much, Kathy! XOXO
Pam Walsh says
It is beautiful ! Super job!!!
Christy says
Thanks so much, Pam! XOXO
Kelly says
The gingham black transfer link doesn’t work… try again?
Christy says
I’m sorry it’s not working for you, Kelly! It seems to be working for me. You can search “Prima Gingham Black transfer” on Etsy and find it that way too! XOXO
Cheryl Atkinson says
Hi Christy! What an awesome repurpose! I have never used Pure Ocean but it sure is pretty. I bet I have something I could use that color for. This is a great little cabinet. I am using this same transfer on some Christmas smalls. So e cited for Thursday 8 years?!?! Wow..
Christy says
Thank you, Cheryl! I had never used Pure Ocean either and was itching to try it on something…it is really vibrant and pretty in person! I love that transfer…the other one in the set with the red through it is perfect for Christmas! And yes…8 years…I can hardly believe it myself! XOXO
Zefi Famelis says
Absolutely love it!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Zefi! XOXO
Michelle says
What a darling cabinet! I love how you turned it upside down! I can understand why they are using your pictures. You have such a flair for decorating as well. You really should do some more posts on how to style and decorate your home. Thanks for sharing!
Christy says
Thank you, Michelle! I appreciate that! I do love to style and decorate…I really should share a bit of that! XOXO
Christina says
Oh Christy, this is marvelous!!! Love the feet and that you share your processes! Muy bueno! Tres bon! Sehr gut! Wow! 🙂 Love the transfer and the interior color. You rocked this!!! 😉
This isn’t going to last in your booth. Zoom! Gone!
Christy says
Thank you so much, my friend! Hoping for a quick sale! XOXO
Lori Sawyer says
My mom has the same cabinet ,that I’ve been wanting to rip off wall and change . Maybe she’ll let me after I show her yours!
Christy says
Oh yes…these were very popular in the 80’s! I hope she lets you! XOXO
Geri Ann says
Adorable…
Christy says
Thank you, Geri Ann! XOXO
Rosie says
Clever Christy! So cute!! I bet your sister wants it back seeing how cute it turned out 😃
Christy says
Thank you, Rosie! She doesn’t have the floor space for it in her bathroom, but she does love the outcome! XOXO
Barbara Warner says
I love it, Christy! The white makes it look brighter and I love that you turned it upside down and added the feet. What a useful piece of furniture. You could sit a narrow cabinet like this in a lot of different places. You did a wonderful job. Love those handles on the doors!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Barbara! It really could work in so many places! Glad you enjoyed this one! XOXO
Denise Cox says
I KNEW this stash was gonna be a winner! I LOVE this (of course… 😋). JC Penny catalogs used to carry these type of cabinets in the 80’s/early 90’s and I adored them! Everytime I moved, I I bought a different style, wood color/finish to match the decor of my bath. When you’re just starting out, it was a great way of increasing storage space in the bathroom. You don’t see them anymore. What a shame… 😢. Anyway, I’m crazy about those handles, as well!!! Girl, God gifted you with the ‘sparkle & shine’ gene. What a talent you have!!!
Christy says
Your encouragement is always so appreciated, Denise! Thank you!! Yes, these were very popular at one time! I sure am glad my sister didn’t trash it lol! XOXO
Val says
Wow, what a huge transformation! Who would remember to turn a piece of furniture upside down and wind up with such a lovely bathroom cabinet??!? great job you did!
Christy says
Thank you, Val!! I am so glad it worked out so well!! XOXO
Tammy Ganci says
Hi, In all seriousness, I would love to buy the rocker and this cabinet, if of course the shipping isn’t crazy!!!! Do you think you would see them?
Thanks,
Tammy
Christy says
Hi Tammy! Unfortunately, I don’t ship furniture at all. I’m so sorry, my friend! XOXO
Kathy W F says
So clever of you to turn it upside down and the feet are perfect! And those handles…..I just love Hobby Lobby. Someone will love that inside color. Kinda corky. Now I’m going to take a look at Nancy’s bar stools. We’ve been waiting to see what she does with them. But before I do that, I may have asked before and don’t remember. I notice that HL knobs have really long screws. Do you cut them off or just replace the screws? Love your advice. I’ll be back on Thursday to catch another make-over. Have a good week.
Christy says
Thank you, Kathy!! Nancy’s barstools turned out amazing!! These didn’t stick out much this time, but when they do, I use a dremel like tool that has a metal cutting blade for cutting the ends of the screws off, and I used a small hand saw before I had that. I would drill a hole into a piece of scrap wood, and screw the knob in place to hold it steady while I cut. XOXO
Jacki Gherardi says
Oh Sissy, she Is soooo gonna want that back! ❤️❤️❤️ As I always say, your refabs never disappoint! Proper Job!
Christy says
Aww thank you so much, Jacki!! XOXO
Deanna Casto says
Gorgeous! I love repurposing! Have a beautiful day 😎☀️🖌️
Christy says
Thank you, Deanna! Me too!! XOXO
NancySharp says
You are so clever and imaginative! What a great idea and you have the talent to make it work. I love it. I’ll be looking at things a lot differently now.
Christy says
Aww I appreciate that so much, Nancy! Thank you! XOXO
Gail says
Wow, you really, Really, REALLY knocked it out of the park with this repurposed idea! My hubby handmade me a similar cabinet when he first got into woodworking for my birthday over 30 yrs ago. I cherish it and won’t part with it–even when it meant dis-assembling it to carry back in a suitcase when we lived overseas!!! We are really tired of constantly trying to find sturdy studs to hang it on the wall so this next move will probably be to add feet and make it a floor cabinet now! Thanks for this idea!!!
Christy says
Aww thank you so much, Gail! Yes, it is pretty heavy, so I can imagine it isn’t fun trying to hang it. I love that you have kept yours, and now you have an idea to enjoy it for many more years! XOXO
Janice Holt says
Love everything about the cabinet. The check looks so pretty on the front.
Christy says
Thanks so much, Janice! XOXO
Kellee Kroll says
So did your sister want this back? 😊 It’s darling!
Christy says
Thank you, Kellee! She doesn’t have much floorspace in her bathroom, but she did love it lol! XOXO
Lezaly says
Ok, this tuesday’s transformation was brilliant!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Lezaly! XOXO
Jane Sauder says
This is amazingly beautiful! It’s always inspiring to see how you reimagine your pieces. I have a question about staging. Your pieces are always beautifully staged as well, but Im curious as to how you hang things on your walls. Do you have lots of nail holes or is there a trick to the trade?
Love it!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Jane! I do have lots of holes lol…and photoshop! 🙂 XOXO
Karen says
What an eye you have! RIght side up or upside down! Very cute cabinet, and I love the surprise of color when you open the doors!
Christy says
I’m so glad you enjoyed this one, Karen! Thank you! XOXO
Lisa says
That is so damn cute! I love when items turned upside down make it a whole new thing. I’ve done that with a few myself. Great job with the plaid and pop of turquoise inside. Love, love, Love!
Christy says
Aww thank you so much, Lisa! Yes…finding new ways to use things is the best!! XOXO
Tara C says
I love this transformation! So much better than the original.
Christy says
Thank you so much, Tara!! XOXO
Micah says
Beautiful!
Christy says
Thank you, Micah! XOXO
Cecilia says
Super cute! The perfect repurpose of this piece. Love the pop of turquoise inside.
🙂
Cecilia
Christy says
Thank you so much, Cecilia! It was fun to use try out a new color! XOXO
Deanna says
Genius to turn it upside down and go with it! Awesome refresh. I bet your sister wants it back 🙂
Christy says
Thank you, Deanna! She has a tiny bathroom and not much floorspace, but she does love how it turned out! XOXO
Robyn Wright says
How many times can I tell you it’s perfect?!
Christy says
Aww you are sweet, Robyn! Thank you, my friend! XOXO
Sue H Mellette says
WOW! What an absolutely beautiful transformation! You have such a creative eye for repurposing outgoing “trash.”! I love the white, black and white checked gingham transfer, and the pretty door knobs. I also love the pop of color inside the cabinet. This little ugly duckling truly has been transformed from brown and drab to white, bright, and contemporary! You are so talented. As always, thanks for sharing.
Christy says
Thank you so much, Sue! I really had fun bringing this one to life! XOXO
Vicki Bauerle says
Perfect repurpose!! Love it!
Christy says
Thank you, Vicki! XOXO
Marty says
I never would have thought of turning it upside down! I learn something every time I read your blog. Love it.
Christy says
Aww I love that, Marty! Thank you! XOXO
Cindy says
Very cute. And I love those handles.
Christy says
Thank you, Cindy! Those handles are my favorites! XOXO
Janet Schen says
Oh my goodness! I absolutely love how you reimagined this! You’re so clever to turn it upside down and add feet. I love the black check, too. Great job!
Christy says
I am so glad you enjoyed this one, Janet! Thank you so much! XOXO
Joanne says
This cabinet turned out so darn cute! Love everything you did to revive it. I bet your sister is trying to think of somewhere else she could put it! ;>)
Christy says
Aww thank you, Joanne! Ha ha…she might be! XOXO
Becky says
Fantastic! This is SO cute now!
Christy says
Thank you, Becky!! XOXO
p says
A very cute transformation – and functional too. 😉
The feet added exactly what it needed. Good eye !
p
Christy says
Thanks, P! Yes, it could go just about anywhere you could use a little extra storage! XOXO
Donna says
Wow! What an awesome repurpose project and love the inside turquoise and transfer ideas! So cool
Christy says
Thanks so much, Donna! XOXO
Audra says
That is so cute!!!! I’m redoing my guest bath right now and I could totally use it! I might have to go and find one to repurpose myself!
Christy says
Thank you, Audra!! You might just get lucky…they were popular in the 80’s! XOXO
Debbie in TX says
So this is sheer genius, thinking totally outside the box! Love the new handles, and the beautiful color inside is absolutely perfect. Way to go, girl!
Christy says
Aww I am so glad you like it, Debbie! Thank you, my friend! XOXO
Denise - Salvaged Inspirations says
Those feet are perfect and I love the gingham and pop of color on the inside. Absolutely beautiful! Pinned XOXO
Christy says
Thank you, my beautiful friend!! XOXO
Debra Hubbs says
What an amazing transformation! I love it.
Christy says
Thank you, Debra!! XOXO
Kathy M says
So cute! Your imagination and ingenuity never cease to amaze me.
Christy says
Aww I appreciate that so much, Kathy! Thank you! XOXO
Amanda says
This is one awesome makeover! I couldn’t picture how you would make this look good upside down, but I knew you could and wow! I love it now!! Your brain is much more creative than mine and I love seeing what you come up with for these unloved pieces!
Christy says
I’m so glad you like the result, Amanda! Thank you!! I’m just happy it worked out ha ha! XOXO
Nancy @ Artsy Chicks Rule says
So good!! Everything is better with feet! Love it! 🙂 xoxo
Christy says
Isn’t it amazing what adding feet can do?? I know you know lol! Thanks, girlie!! XOXO
Tina says
What a brilliant transformation. I’m not sure I would’ve ever thought to turn it upside down and add feet! The end result is BEAUTIFUL!! Yet another job well done!!
Christy says
Thanks so much, Tina!! It was a fun one to work on! XOXO
Lizzy says
What a perfect little cabinet! I am consistently amazed at the transformations.
Christy says
Aww yay! Thank you, Lizzy!! XOXO
Jackie says
Wow! I love this cabinet and I think it may be my favorite thing I’ve seen on your blog!
Christy says
Oh I love that! Thank you, Jackie!! XOXO
Michele M says
You are absolutely genius. It blows me away what you do, Christy.
Just wow. I am gob-smacked yet again.
Let me guess: sis called and wants her cabinet back now, lol. ♥
Christy says
Aww you are so sweet, Michele, thank you!! She doesn’t have the floorspace, but she does love it! XOXO
Rose Lefebvre says
What a great idea! I love it and the handles are wonderful! Anothergreat re do!
Christy says
Thank you, Rose! I love those handles too…they add so much! XOXO
Brenda says
Absolutely adorable!
Christy says
Thank you, Brenda!! XOXO
Tracey Baxter says
Wow, you are so inspiring Christy, I love your creative flair, so cute and stylish, you have the ability to see the potential and the courage to use power tools with confidence. I am getting there, but love your work.
Well done, from Tracey, Melbourne Australia. See you inspire people all over the world. Go girl.
Christy says
Aww you are the sweetest, Tracey! Thank you!! I couldn’t always use the big power tools, but one day I got tired of waiting for my husband ha ha! We can do anything! XOXO
susan says
You are so creative! Who would have thought to do that! It is sooooo cute! Wish I had your talent! Can’t believe they used your pictures in their description of their product. Flattering that they did but without your permission? Wonder if the same thing goes for the other people’s photos. I’d email them. You might get some free product!
Christy says
Thank you, Susan! It happens more than you know and they are not the first company to use my photos without permission. I guess I just can’t be bothered making a big stink about it, but free product would be nice lol! XOXO
Jen @ Girl in the Garage says
Holy cow this looks amazing now Christy! Love the added feet and the gingham panels! xo
Christy says
Thank you so much, my friend! I’m so glad it worked out so well! XOXO
Sharon L Austin says
Oh that turned out so cute! I have those same feet in my amazon cart for a little free standing fireplace I’m redoing, so seeing your method really helped!!
Christy says
Thank you, Sharon! Those feet were perfect! XOXO
Addie says
Adorbs!!! And a surprise…..as I thought it would just get the white treatment. You have such vision!!!! Love it!!!! xxoo
Christy says
Ha ha thank you, Addie! I’m glad I can still surprise you sometimes lol! XOXO
Marcie Lovett says
I thought it was just going to get freshened up with paint but now it’s too cute for words, Christy! What a smart re-purpose for the cabinet.
Christy says
Thank you, Marcie! I’m glad I could give it a new twist! XOXO
Cecilia from Georgia says
Such a surprise and looks so good! You really went over the top with this. I love how you pay so much to the details of each piece you makeover. I admire your talent and how fun you make it seem.
Christy says
Thank you so much, Cecilia! I really had a lot of fun with this one!! XOXO
Marie-Interior Frugalista says
My goodness, it took forever to scroll down to the bottom of the comments – you go, you popular girl! Wowzers, what a stunning upcycle and creative vision for the wall cabinet. Love the pop of color on the inside too. I’m curious if your sister wants her cabinet back? LOL
Christy says
Thank you, Marie! This was a popular one LOL… I think the trashiest makeovers are always the most fun! My sister does love the redo, but now she doesn’t have the floor space LOL! I hope you have an amazing weekend, my friend! XOXO
Karen H says
THIS was brilliant, Christy! And I absolutely love it! It would have been a shame had your sister tossed out that piece! I certainly wish I had your vision! XO
Christy says
Thank you so much! Yes, I am so glad she offered it to me!! XOXO
Lisa says
How clever! You are so talented😊 Love it❤️
Christy says
Aww thank you so much, Lisa! XOXO