Antique Linen Cabinet Makeover

Corinne Nolan Somerville
by Corinne Nolan Somerville
8 Materials
$50
2 Days
Medium
We live in a century home which really means....zero storage space !!! We found this gorgeous linen cabinet at a great deal and use it now to house towels in our bathroom ....I actually want people to see my bathroom now :)
Here's the before of this gorgeous linen cabinet. Very dark wood with lots of that beautiful alligator skin like aging on it.
Step 1: First things first....PREP !!! A good cleaning with either TSP or a natural cleanser and then giving her a light, all over sanding with 220 grit sandpaper with an electric sander and then another good cleaning before painting! These steps aren't the most fun but they don't take long and truly are key to getting the result you want!
Step 2: My colour choice for this piece was Fusion Mineral Paint in the gorgeous shade of Bedford ! It's this beautiful beige/grey/green and I absolutely LOVE it !!! Because the wood was so dark and Bedford is a lighter shade I opted to paint a coat of Fusion Mineral Paint Concealer first...it's like a primer but because it's from the Fusion Mineral Paint line it has zero VOC AND it's less expensive then the paint so it's a great way to lay a GOOD base coat before you paint with your final colour!
Step 3: Here she is with fully painted in Fusion Mineral Paint Concealer....I actually had painted the entire piece with Concealer and then decided I wanted to stain the top and front legs so I went back and sanded those down to the raw wood...it's all good....it's just paint !!!
Step 4: You'll notice I didn't sand completely down to the raw wood.....I made sure everything did get touched by 220 grit sand paper but I was ok with leaving a bit of the original stain behind as the Homestead House All in One Finishing Oil did a great job covering it and I had chosen a dark stain to go overtop.
Step 4: Here she is with concealer, sanded to raw wood on top and front legs and I chose to do some heavier distressing then I usually do but this is a big piece so she could handle it :)
Step 5: I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of the piece painted in the Fusion Mineral Paint Bedford before I starting waxing it. Just pretend you can see it in your mind :) I used Homestead House Furniture Wax in clear and espresso !
Step 6: Before I waxed with the Espresso Wax I first applied Homestead House Furniture Wax first (I usually work in sections as this allows you to work with the wax before it "sets") I also have designated a clear wax, dark wax, and white wax brushes...it's a worthwhile investment so that you don't have your colours mixing on your project. By laying the clear furniture wax first it helps to move around the coloured wax easier. I don't buff it in but rather just lay a thin smooth coat.
Step 7: Now the fun starts....I usually lay the espresso wax around the borders of the section I'm working on and then work it into the centre...gives a nice aged look and always put extra espresso wax on raised surfaces to highlight those areas.
Step 7: This is usually how I lay my Espresso wax down and use a lint free cloth or blue shop cloth to begin buffing in the wax until I get the end result I like
Step 9: I like to paint first then stain (the oil based stain will repel paint so if by chance I end up over painting the stained area onto the painted part it wipe right off if I get to it right away. I LOVE Homestead House All in One Finishing Oils !!! I'm obsessed, addicted to the Cappuccino colour !!! I just use a cheap chip brush and brush on one coat.....let sit for 5-15 mins (depending how dark you want the end result to be) and then wipe off with a lint free cloth or blue shop cloth.
Step 8: Onto to staining !!!! Here's a great tip !!!! Once you've got the areas your wanting to stain ready to go FIRST apply a coat of Odourless Solvent. I LOVE the MMS brand because it's odourless and less corrosive then mineral spirits. What does Odourless Solvent do???? They open the fibres of the wood so that they're ready to beautifully drink in the Finishing Oil :) Trust me when I say that this quick and easy step makes a HUGE difference in your end result !!!!
Step 9: I like to paint first then stain (the oil based stain will repel paint so if by chance I end up over painting the stained area onto the painted part it wipe right off if I get to it right away. I LOVE Homestead House All in One Finishing Oils !!! I'm obsessed, addicted to the Cappuccino colour !!! I just use a cheap chip brush and brush on one coat.....let sit for 5-15 mins (depending how dark you want the end result to be) and then wipe off with a lint free cloth or blue shop cloth.
Step 10: The result is so gorgeous from using the Homestead House Finishing Oil and you can also see the "bib" of the cabinet with the distressing and espresso wax to really highlight the appliqués.
Step 11: I decided I wanted a subtle "pop" of colour on the inside drawers of the cabinet and chose Fusion Mineral Paint in Lichen (again....addicted to this colour !!! GORGEOUS!) and you'll notice this also gorgeous Staalmeester brush....these brushes are a "must have"
Love how the subtle paint colour change really enhanced the whole piece! Not gonna lie, I was a little nervous to do this but I'm so glad I did ! Don't be afraid to stretch yourself with your projects...remember it's just paint!
I loved working on this piece....had several "do over" moments with it, learned a ton, and stretched myself as well. Learning to love the process takes time but you'll learn to truly love it....trust me :)
Suggested materials:
  • Fusion Mineral Paint - Concealer   (Janice Slater @ Fred & Bessie's in London, Ontario)
  • Fusion Mineral Paint - Bedford   (Janice Slater @ Fred & Bessie's in London, Ontario)
  • Fusion Mineral Paint - Lichen   (Janice Slater @ Fred & Bessie's in London, Ontario)
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