Drexel Declaration Sideboard Makeover

20 Minutes
Easy
I know the teaser line, if Hometalk chooses to share this, will have all the wood-loving readers nervously clicking to see if I painted this beauty and armed with some sort of "how could you paint that?" comment. Well, I AM WITH YOU, and there's no way I would ever paint a timeless piece like this.
See? Here's the reveal and not a DROP of paint was involved. Whew!
We started here with this estate sale find that obviously had non-original "batman" style pulls installed at some point. Totally inappropriate for this style of furniture - don't you agree? Anyway, I saw the potential and decided to buy it (along with two other pieces of furniture.
Here's what I used to "refinish" this piece. That's right. Murphy oil soap.
And some brass knobs stripped from another piece that I am painting (sorry, not sorry). These knobs are a much better fit for the aesthetic of this furniture.
The cabinet doors are on a spring. When pushed, they open, and the cabinet lights up!
Be sure to stop by my blog for the the full post and a few more pictures. Thanks for reading.
Phoenix Restoration
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • S S on Jul 17, 2019

    Gorgeous! I love painted furniture when the piece has character (aka preloved, damaged), but when a price is in the this condition? I’m with you no paint needed! Lucky you to find it and have the space for it!

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  • Lynn Palamara Maranowski Lynn Palamara Maranowski on Jul 17, 2019

    I thought you had used a stain on it.

    My bedroom furniture is the old blonde wood and would love to make it like this color. I’ll try the Murphy’s oil soap in the meantime.

    Thanks

    • Trudy Trudy on Jan 18, 2021

      The soap is gentle on wood but will not change it from being blonde.

  • Mary Jo Murphy Mary Jo Murphy on Dec 21, 2019

    Stunning!

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