Vintage China Cabinet Redesigned as a Bookcase, Paint Couture & Iflex

4 Materials
$65
6 Hours
Easy

This piece was so much fun to work on, this simple transformation gave this vintage china cabinet and new purpose as a bookcase. Painted in a custom navy by Paint Couture, with Iflex Mouldings and Perfect Pigments for the details.

Painted in Paint Couture custom Navy, with Iflex moulding and perfect pigments.

First I removed the doors and shelves to give myself a clean slate to start from. I then scuff-sanded the entire piece and cleaned it with Greenez strip and clean.

The door stops and magnetic close had to be removed to create a sleek design for the bookcase.

I used Minwax wood filler to fill the holes left by the door stops and the magnetic close.

You can tell when the Minwax filler is dry because it changes to a lighter color.

I also filled the screw holes from where the doors hung. These steps are required if you want a crisp clean look. icon

I used my mouse sander with a foam sanding pad with150 grit for this step, it is gentle enough to not strip the piece but to remove the excess wood filler.

I added the Iflex wood mouldings IFW 0358-0359 for that extra detail on the top drawer. If you have never tried these mouldings, you will love them!

To apply the IFlex mouldings on a curved surface like this drawer, you can use a heat gun or hairdryer to mould them to the surface. I used Tightbond Quick & Thick for the glue and low tack tape to hold them in place while they dry.

I left the top of the shelves natural to compliment the beautiful navy.

To finish this piece off I lightly distressed and added Paint Couture Perfect Pigments in copper to enhance the hardware and Iflex details. Thank you for following my page! Please feel free to reach out with any questions. icon

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  • Dl.5660408 Dl.5660408 on Dec 03, 2021

    Love, love, love the color! You do beautiful work 💕. My question is, was this a solid wood piece?

  • Jemma Bouillion Jemma Bouillion on Nov 22, 2023

    I have 2 entertainment centers used before flat screen TVs became the norm. Any suggestion on refurbish /update them? Thank you

  • Lsc1352421 Lsc1352421 on Nov 22, 2023

    How did you remove the top wood piece ?

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  • Redesign by Renee Co Redesign by Renee Co on Mar 12, 2022

    Thank you, I realized after staging I should have added books. I did add books on it in my space where it is for sale ❤️

  • Lynn Lynn on Nov 24, 2023

    That is a beautiful piece! We have an ugly hutch top that we plan to paint black. Adding a new top and feet to the bottom should make a lovely difference. I have waffled about what color to paint the inside--my husband suggested black but I thought it wouldn't highlight the things I was going to put on the shelves. Boy--was I wrong! Your things absolutely pop against the dark background--thank you so much for sharing!

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