Old Cabinet/Buffet makeover

So I'm not exactly sure what my grandparents used it for, but this old cabinet or buffet was in their basement. And we found really old and super cool newspapers in its drawers when we moved it. Since I'm notoriously bad at taking before photos here's the cabinet with the top boards already removed.

They were CRAZY warped and I put a new top on it which I'll show you later.

Here's an aerial view of looking down into the drawers while the top was off:

The wood was really dried out, so I tried my oil and vinegar trick and it brought it beautifully back to life! Sorry I forgot to take a picture of that :/
I just love the old hardware latch on the doors:

K, so the first thing I did after I removed the warped boards was find a plank of wood to replace it with. I found what's pictured below at Lowes (I liked that it had the look of many boards but it was only one piece) and I cut it down by only about 5 inches in lenth. It's width was PERFECT and didn't need any adjustment.  I stained it in a dark Jacobean Stain by Minwax (which I think is my FAV shade) and ended up with this:

I also dinged it up with nail "worm holes" hammer dents and screw driver scrapes to give it a more worn, aged look and help it match the old base it would soon be paired with so it didn't look brand spanking new and like I had just replaced the top :)

And PLEASE forgive the messiness behind the cabinet top. That room's kind of a catch-all and it was holding yard sale items which have now been SOLD and are outta my life! :) Oh, but you can see one of the old, warped, barely still painted red top boards behind it...

Now, the photo below may look like I just threw the top on and started using it as extra storage (which I'm sometimes known to do if I get sidetracked in the middle of projects) but really I used a line of glue (Liquid Nails) around the perimenter of the top of the cabinet, added the board, and then the paint cans and box o' yard sale stuff on top to weigh it down while it dried. After the glue was dry I hammered in a few nails around the perimeter for good measure.

Then came the white paint...can you see the transformation happening? :)

I used this polyurethane for a top coat:

And it made that baby shine like the sun! :)

It made the wood so much richer in color and warmth. Love it! But unfortunately, this is where my camera died and I wasn't able to take a proper 'after' picture before it sold. That's right, this beauty was sold at our yard sale along with a few other pieces I re-finished. I was a little sad to see it go since it was my grandparents, but it had just been taking up space in our home and we never used it.

Plus it went to a good home - a young couple who first stopped to inquire about it, left, and then came back to bring it home with them. I'm glad it'll make someone else happy :) Speaking of happy, have a Happy Tuesday!

til next time,

~Amy

p.s. Did anyone else watch HGTV'd last night? Was that girl's room makeover crazy or what?! I want a hidden karaoke machine in my living room now :)...