80's Oak Bookcase Makeover to Rustic Industrial

2 Materials
$60
6 Hours
Easy
It isn't often that I come across a good trash-to-treasure furniture piece, but this one is a real keeper. The Hubs actually nabbed it from the trash bin during their last office remodel. It's an old-fashioned 1980's oak bookcase that hung on the wall.
The project began by thoroughly cleaning the cabinet, lightly sanding, and then wiping it down again. Other than some dirt and grime, the piece was in good shape. No repairs to the wood or any joints were needed.
The plan was to use the piece in the basement for backend storage. But when we started the basement (AKA Man Cave) refresh, we quickly realized that the piece was a perfect fit for the landing at the bottom of the stairs.
To get the project going, a basecoat of Fusion's dark chocolate was applied and allowed to dry for a couple of days.
Then a block of beeswax was rubbed on the dry paint in places where I did not want the topcoat color to stick. This technique is called using a resist. The beeswax will "resist" the topcoat of color from sticking. This way, I will only have to buff away the topcoat of color, but won't really have to sand. So after the beeswax, one coat of the color Algonquin was applied and allowed to dry.
The last two steps involve wiping the paint off of the places where the beeswax was applied and applying a bit of black wax. Fusion paint does not require any kind of sealer, but black wax was applied using a special technique to create a worn and rustic industrial look.
Then accessories were chosen in colors that would blend with the rest of the house, but mean something special to the guys.
And here's how the landing looks now. It's a total transformation of the trash-to-treasure piece for the cost of paint and wax.
THE LANDING WAS REFINISHED IN THREE PROJECTS:


If you'd like to see more detail and photos about how the PIECE WAS REFINISHED, please click here:


http://thechelseaproject.com/bookcase-makeover-from-80s-oak-to-modern-rustic-industrial/


or how we installed the PLANKING on the wall, please click here:


http://thechelseaproject.com/planking-made-easy-with-stikwood/


or how we came up with a DESIGN PLAN the whole family can love, please click here:


http://thechelseaproject.com/how-to-design-a-man-cave-you-both-will-love/
Suggested materials:
  • Fusion Mineral Paint, waxes, and brushes   (www.fusionmineralpaint.com)
  • Sandpaper   (local home improvement store)
Susie @ The Chelsea Project Blog
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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  2 questions
  • Dl.5660408 Dl.5660408 on Feb 14, 2017
    Could you tell me what a mineral paint is? Thanx
  • Tobi Wyszomirski Tobi Wyszomirski on Apr 13, 2017

    Yes, I want to try this project. One question, you say, "black wax was applied using a special technique to create a worn and rustic industrial look." What is that "special technique"?

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