Hey everyone, Mindi here, from MyLove2Create! Do you ever have projects that you start….but never finish?

Well, today I am sharing such a project. I am happy to announce, after (over) three years, my Corner Cabinet Makeover is finally complete!

Why did I wait so long? Why?

I actually know the answer…it is because I am a very indecisive person. If I can’t decide…I don’t do anything. Nice.

Let me fill you in on the details. When we moved to Colorado 4 1/2 years ago I began finding things on Craig’s list to help furnish our home.

Being the cheap person that I am I always checked the free section just in case. One day I scored this corner cabinet for free.

It had been living outside in the elements for a long time, the finish was completely gone and the wood was starting to get damaged.

These shots were taken in my van when I picked it up, in the rain. I was happy to find them because this was way before I started blogging.

I am not sure how long it was in our house before I finally decided to prime the cabinet. I didn’t know much about refinishing furniture at the time and I have to admit I did a pretty sloppy job. I used an oil based Kilz primer from the Restore and I remember barely having enough.

I had no idea what I was doing or what color I wanted to paint the cabinet, so I just brought it back inside and put it in the corner. It has been there ever since, looking sad and pathetic.

When I started blogging a year or so later I thought, “Maybe I will finish that cabinet”. I cut another shelf since it needed three but only came with two. I even primed it with some oops paint, you can see it is a different color. Then I had to decide what color to paint it again…and I moved on to something else.

The photo above was just taken this week when I finally decided that enough was enough! This corner cabinet needed some serious attention. The shelves looked unfinished to me, so I cut some scrap lath boards as trim for the front, the above is just a dry fit to see how it looks.

I also wasn’t digging the weird mesh looking top part so I grabbed a scrap piece of 1/2 inch plywood and cut it to size. Then I simply glued and nailed it in place.

But wait? That scrap piece did not come with a decal…

I made it! I came across Sweet Pickin’s Raised Stencil Tutorial a few weeks ago and have been aching to try it. Funny thing is…when I pulled out my stencils to do it I realized that I had the exact same stencil she used in her tutorial. Crazy!

This was really simple to do and you can bet I will be doing it again! It was helpful to use spray adhesive to attach the stencil. I used my finger to cover it with spackle, since I didn’t have a flexible putty knife. Then I carefully lifted the stencil off and let it dry for two hours (this spackle is pink when wet and white when dry). I made sure to wash the stencil right away and the excess spackle came off easily. Then when it was done drying, I used my 400 grit sand paper (you could use a 220 grit as well) and carefully sanded it smooth to get rid of the higher areas.

I also did it on the faux drawer too. Fun and easy!

I decided to try a two toned effect and painted all the trim two coats of white. I painted right over my raised decals with no problems. I wanted the inside to be a fun pop of color, so I just picked my favorite color (actual color is Glidden Pacific Coast, and I used a sample jar size) I should have done that years ago!

I painted the edges with a foam brush and then used a foam roller for the rest. I made sure to do the shelves as well.

When the paint dried I added the now painted lath boards to the front of the shelves with Gorilla wood glue and finish nails. Then I filled the holes and touched up with paint.

Over three years to do a few hours of work. Seriously?! We are loving it though, and I am so happy to have some fun color in my living room! I actually just grabbed my pallet top table for pictures, but I might keep it there.

Now, to address the decals. In all reality they obviously would look best if they were highlighted with glaze or wax and distressed. But I knew if I did this it would change the the color of the white and I wanted white. In real life they show up quite nicely (not from clear across the room) and I am happy with it. On camera they hardly show up at all. If I had tinted the spackle I could have distressed them to show up better, but I didn’t. So think about those things if you are going to try your decals…just FYI.

If you like the frame above (made out of moulding) I stole it from my Halloween Spider Craft that I made a few years back, I think this is a better use for it. Oh, and that light on top of the cabinet actually works!

I forgot to mention that “years” ago, when I primed the cabinet I also painted the faux drawer handle with oil rubbed bronze spray paint. I spent a good hour or so looking for this dang handle, after a few years of things getting moved around I had to search for it! I am glad I found it.

I am loving the white trim on the shelves, it adds a nice finishing touch. Since I nailed the trim directly to the shelves they are still removable, so I can change them up if needed.

It was interesting trying to style this because the shelves are so small. I built the little triangle tray for my small succulents so they had something to sit in, they look better that way.

Now this little corner is looking much happier!

It is also giving me an itch to just jump in and make decisions sooner, if I can paint it once I can always paint it again. Right!? I guess I need to stop thinking of my choices as being final “set in stone” actions. I can always change it up if I don’t like it and things will look better in the meantime. A good lesson for me to learn, even if it took almost 4 years.

Now get up and go finish that project you have been putting off! I promise you will feel better if you do!

Hugs,

Mindi

see more of Mindi’s posts on MRL below:

How to Transform Basic Bi-Fold Closet Doors to Look Like Custom Cabinetry