New Life for an Old Stereo Cabinet
$95
6 Hours
Medium
I purchased a 1950's stereo cabinet from a local Facebook Buy/Sell/Trade group. I had a vision for this piece, but I knew it was going to take a lot of work to get there. Like painting it TWICE, maybe? At one point, I was ready to light it on fire because I was over it. Luckily, my best friend is not as much of a quitter as I am, so she persevered for both of us and dragged me back in.
This was the picture that made me fall in love with this piece. A local woman was selling it for $55 - what she paid for it - because she didn't have time to fix it up. I jumped on it!
I used Zinsser 1-2-3 Primer (my favorite). I wasn't worried about the primer getting on the speaker fabric because it was going to be replaced soon anyway. I also discovered that the cabinets on the front were fake - and I could not get the hardware to come off!
I used Maison Blanche Paint - Franciscan Grey. I knew I wanted a light/medium gray color. This ended up being TOO light, though. (This is where I wanted to take a match to it)
See how light the Franciscan Grey really is? My best friend and I improvised and added some black latex paint to a quart of light gray latex paint until we got the color we were looking for. The darker color up top is what we ended up going with.
This is the hardware that I was able to remove. I used Plaid Liquid Leaf in Silver to brighten it up. It is so easy to use!
This is after the Liquid Leaf. What a difference!
The finished product! The fabric I used was from Serena and Lily. Yes, the stereo still works. It is very, VERY loud. I wish it was a non-functional stereo! I unplugged and switched stuff as best I could, but unfortunately I have a husband that knows ALL about old stereos. Blessing/curse.
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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My husband and I repurposed this same exact piece!! We picked it up for free in San Francisco. The stereo was not working so I gutted it. My husband is a woodworker so he made actual working doors in the front with shelves. He made a solid shelf underneath the sliding doors on top. Of course the speakers are now wine racks. I would have loved to restore it had the stereo been working. It is now a beautiful wine rack/buffet 🥰
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I have my parents old stereo that still works! And I’ve been wanting to update it so Seeing this is inspiring! Funny how the doors are fake on ours as well!
Frequently asked questions
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How did u replace the stereo fabric? I have one I'm redoing as well and it also has the fake drawer and cabinet doors!! Please help me I'm so over this thing
Hi there! How did you attach the fabric to the speakers? Did you take off the old fabric from the inside? I have one right now that I want to redo, but cannot get to the back of the speakers without removing EVERYTHING, which I am a bit scared to do without ruining them. Thanks!
How did you attach the fabric on the front? I don’t have access to the inside of my panels!