Old Chipboard Armoire is Totally Transformed!

16 Materials
$150
3 Days
Medium

I'm a big believer that ANYTHING has the potential to be dramatically updated...and that ANYONE can do it!


When it came to this cruddy old armoire I had a crazy idea and just decided to run with it! I'm so pleased with how it turned out and hope it helps inspire.


I've summarised this tutorial slightly for Home Talk. You can find the full how-to here on my blog.

I started with this super basic chipboard armoire which I picked-up second-hand for just $50.


Granted, it's not the most attractive specimen in the world though I wanted something sturdy with simple lines so it fit the bill perfectly.

Cutting off the toe-kick

My first step was to cut off the toe-kick then attach slightly over-hanging sheets of plywood to both the top and base.


This isn't necessary though I wanted a more custom look and like the way it helps frame the doors and drawers.

Attaching the new top and base

In addition, I created a new pine feet frame in a mid-century modern style.


Again, this isn't necessary and whilst it wasn't overly difficult it was probably the trickiest aspect of the project. For ease you could simply use off-the-shelf feet instead.

You could use pre-made feet instead

For a more luxe look I gave the whole exterior of the armoire a few coats of black satin paint.

Painting the armoire

Next was the fun bit...attaching the hexagons!


Now, if you're cringing at the thought of trimming 300 perfect hexagons by hand, never fear! Ready-to-go laser cut plywood shapes can be bought from lots of places. Because I needed sooooo many I found my cheapest option by far was to purchase wholesale through Alibaba (you can find further product information over on my blog - link at the end of this article).


The hexagons were raw so I used a variety of wood stains to tint them different shades. It sounds time-consuming though was actually pretty quick and very simple. Almost therapeutic!

Staining the hexagons

Once my hexagons were dry I began attaching them to the armoire.


Determining how the over-all pattern would work took a bit of figuring though once I got started it was just a matter of gluing and clamping, gluing and clamping, until everything was covered.

Attaching the hexagons

Once the glue was fully set, I used a jigsaw to trim off any over-hanging hexagons before sanding everything nice and flush.

Trimming the over-hanging hexagons

To finish I sealed the hexagons with several coats of Danish Oil.

Sealing the hexagons

This gives them a lovely lustre, enriches and protects the wood and also helps to "lock" everything in place.

Finished!

It's like a whole new piece!

Thanks so much for reading. I hope you like it!


Visit my blog post here for the full how to, further photos and all of the product source info.


Resources for this project:
See all materials
Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.More info
Kristine | The Painted Hive
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Go
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 44 questions
  • Psp Psp on Oct 14, 2019

    Holy HEXAGON! Fabulous job. How many Hexagons were used?

  • Jenniferjk0624 Jenniferjk0624 on Dec 28, 2019

    Did you do anything with the inside? I'm thinking simply more of the black paint would do it for me.

  • Vincent Vincent on Jan 24, 2024

    Love this. How did you get the seams between doors and drawers to match up so well?

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 588 comments
  • Anna Anna on May 14, 2021

    I love it! Amazing job

  • Eas87571672 Eas87571672 on Aug 17, 2023

    I love, LOVE, LOVE THIS PIECE!!! ♥️♥️ You did a fabulous job!! Just amazing!! I would love this piece in my home…go, YOU! 😁

Next