Beautiful friends, welcome back! I had promised on Tuesday that I would be back with my latest thrift store haul, but then I discovered that today is actually Furniture Fixer Upper Day!
It Falls on the fourth Thursday of each month, which is usually the final week of the month. Well, oopsie! It came early this time, but no worries!
I’m sure you won’t mind revisiting this pretty lady:
I shared this one a couple of years ago, but it is a favorite!
I picked up this cabinet at an estate sale that had crazy good deals since it was the final day and everything was half price. This was originally marked at $48, but I got it for a steal at $24!
I don’t normally buy pieces that are already painted, but it was such a great deal that I made an exception this time. I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I love.
That meant that I had to remove the existing paint, so my rotary sander and I got busy…
I used 100 grit sandpaper first to get most of the paint off, then I followed up with 220 grit to smooth everything out.
I knew that when I painted the areas I sanded back down to bare wood, I would see natural wood coming through after distressing and that is not what I wanted. I decided to stain those areas with these staining cloths.
This was so that when I painted and sanded after, I would get darker brown showing through the paint. They dry really quickly and are perfect for this application, but these days, I would skip right to painting and bust out my distressing block and Coffee Bean paint and fake the distressing! (See more on that in this post.)
Once the stain was completely dry (about an hour) I gave it two coats of an oops paint that I made into DIY chalk paint. (Recipe HERE.) This was pre-Dixie Belle days!
I decided to paint the fretwork white to contrast a little:
I just gave it one coat of white and then sanded it all over with 220 grit sandpaper…
I did give it a coat of spray shellac first just in case it was a bleeder.
Sounds easy enough, right?
Now let me tell you the tale of the INSIDE, little troublemaker that it was. (Just in case y’all think everything always goes according to plan around here.)
Here is how it looked before:
Dirty, but no problem, right?
I gave it a good wipe down to start. Then I figured I would need to seal it to prevent bleed-through, so I gave it a good coat of Shellac using an old chip brush since that was all I had on hand at the time.
Nope…bled through all over!
This was the battle that ensued on these bleeders back before I discovered BOSS! A coat or two of BOSS and that would have been that!
Ugh. So I made a Home Depot run to pick up a few foam brushes which is what I usually used to apply the shellac. I applied another coat and waited the recommended time before attempting another coat of paint. After applying that coat, I still got bleed through. I’m fairly certain cursing was involved.
How did I finally combat that dreaded bleed-through?
I sealed the inside with Annie Sloan’s clear soft wax, and guess what? I actually still got some areas that bled through, but just a few.
I applied wax again in just those few areas and that finally did the trick.
Dixie Belle’s BOSS would have tamed this beast no problem!
I held my breath as I applied my final coat of paint…thankfully it worked that go round:
I sanded the interior lightly and sealed with clear wax.
The white interior really made this piece look clean and fresh…like a place you would actually want to store your freshly washed towels!
My favorite, of course, was the door…
That pretty fretwork detail really made this piece special.
I used my Logan point driver to resecure the glass and fretwork:
I added this glass knob since it didn’t have any way of pulling it open before:
I assume the key is what was used to pull it open originally, but that was missing.
This would be a perfect piece to store extra bathroom supplies if you had room for it.
However, when I first shared this makeover, I was told that it was originally meant to hold sheet music, hence the wafer thin shelving inside. That totally makes sense!
Don’t go anywhere just yet, my friends have furniture flips of their own today, and theirs are all brand new makeovers!
Thank you all so much for taking time out of your busy day to visit. I truly appreciate every one of you!
And if you missed my post on Tuesday, I put together a Dixie Belle Product Reference Guide:
I had several people ask if there was a printable version. I went back yesterday and added one to the bottom of the post for those that want to print it out for future reference!
I will be back on Tuesday sharing my newest haul…it’s a big one!!
Have an amazing weekend!
UPDATE: See all the goodies in my newest haul HERE now!
XOXO,
Don’t Miss a Thing!
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Mary Kasier says
I remember when you did this piece, I loved it then and I still love it now. What ever happened to it? Did you sell it in your booth? I so would have bought this piece from you. Looking forward to seeing your new stash on Tuesday!
Christy says
Thank you, Mary! I sold this one and it didn’t last long! Have a great weekend! XOXO
Lilly T says
Beautiful Job!!!! Love this little cabinet so much! <3
Christy says
Thank you, Lilly! XOXO
Christina says
Christy this is so cute, I adore its sturdy yet delicate features.
Isn’t it wonderful to now have Boss? Ooo and Mud too. 🙂
I like the glass knob as well. You’d be hard pressed to find a skeleton key that would work and… can’t lose the knob. 🙂
Be well and have fun!
Christy says
Thank you, Christina! Oh my goodness, Boss is heaven sent for sure! And yep, the glass knob does the trick! Enjoy your weekend! XOXO
Janine (NY) says
Christy,
All of your work is so beautiful! I love this piece, albeit, I’ve never heard of a “Sheet Music Cabinet”! I love the unique doors. Your work inspires me!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Janine! Neither had I and when I googled it, there it was…several cabinets very similar to mine! It’s always fun to learn what purposes antique pieces once served! XOXO
Kathy says
Wow! Your makeovers continue to amaze me! I wish you lived in my town so I could shop your treasures! I would have so bought that!!!
Christy says
Aww thank you so much, Kathy! I loved this one also! XOXO
Toby Peplow says
Cute Cute Cute!!
I didn’t know you could paint over wax!!
I have run into those frustrating multiple bleed thru’s over and over again!! So glad I have another “tool” in my toolbox now!!
Have a great day Christy!!
Christy says
Thank you, Toby! Yes, BOSS is definitely one of my favorite painting tools!! No more frustration! XOXO
Sue Mellette says
Christy, this is the first time seeing this cute sheet music cabinet makeover! I love what you did. i am sure there was a great deal of elbow grease involved. I love the detail on the fretwork and the addition of the glass knob. It really is updated now. Fabulous! Thanks for sharing.
Christy says
Thank you, Sue! I love these pieces that have that lovely fretwork…it adds so much character! XOXO
Michele M. says
Christy – I love this little cabinet!
Well done, ma’am!
Christy says
Thank you, Michele! XOXO
Denise - Salvaged Inspirations says
I thought this cabinet was pretty darn cute in the before pic but you brought it to another level, Christy! Love it! Pinned XOXO
Christy says
Thank you, Denise! It has such pretty details that I really couldn’t go wrong! XOXO
Jeanie Lassiter says
What do you call those wheels you have under the cabinet feet in the picture on the driveway. Where do you get them? I could use some. Old lady that I am moving the pieces around on wheels would save me work. Love the way the cabinet turned out btw.
Christy says
Thank you, Jeanie! You can find those dolly wheels here on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3m6JRaq They are fantastic! XOXO
Rebecca Payne says
I simply love this and the color. Great job.
Christy says
Thank you, Rebecca! XOXO
sharon austin says
Lovely! I saw one of these at an estate sale last week and thought about snapping it up for craft storage, but didn’t. Now you make me regret my decision…LOL
Christy says
Thank you, Sharon! And oh no…It would be great for that purpose! XOXO
Rose Lefebvre says
It looks so nice in this color. I am glad you gave it a second life.
Christy says
Thank you, Rose! XOXO
Jen @ Girl in the Garage says
I had forgotten about this sweet cabinet – so nice to see it again! I love the way it turned out, Christy! xo
Christy says
Thank you, my sweet friend! XOXO
Rosie says
Although I did like the before, it turned out sweet! Looks fresh and up to date. Great job as always Christy😊
Christy says
Thank you so much, Rosie! XOXO
Lisa says
Christy- I have a shelf painted red and then mustard with a polycrylic on top that I’ve had for several years. I put DB brown wax on it for several hours and then buffed. All of the wax came off. I have read to paint, topcoat and then add wax to distress. Is there any way for me to darken my shelf now after the poly has been on it for several years? I’m also wanting to purchase the DB dirt but I don’t know if I should paint, wax, buff and then add the dirt? Seems if I wait to buff after the dirt is applied, the dirt would go on places I don’t want it to be. Any suggestions and tips from you? You are the expert😊👍 Thank you
Christy says
Hi Lisa! If you are wanting to give an aged look to something with a shiny topcoat, you probably want brown or black glaze instead of wax. And the dirt works best on pieces that have a lot of detail for it to nestle into, much like the wax. If you have a more plain shelf, I don’t think you really need it. XOXO
Kathy Owen says
The new look is so much better. Love the lighter colors Christy!
Christy says
Thank you, Kathy! XOXO
Marilyn says
Like how the “sheet music “ cabinet turned out but my first thought with all those shelf adjustments along the sides of the cabinet is that it is really a piano roll cabinet with many shelves removed to repurpose it. Wish it was mine
Christy says
Thank you, Marilyn! It sure could be! I had to google that and it looks like you could be absolutely right! It was a lovely piece! XOXO