Thrift Store Cabinet Makeover - You Won't Believe What I Paid!

6 Materials
$45
2 Hours
Medium

I was so excited to share this upcycled thrift store cabinet makeover with you! This month, I decided to take some time off to work on my shop. When we moved in last year, I was busy with custom jobs and had no time to really organize and set it up as I wanted it. I will be doing several updates and will share them on the blog, so stay tuned. Below is a brief video showing the process. This is what it looks like now:

Shop Before Renovations

I wanted the pieces that I chose to be functional, but also be repurposed. All items that I used for the reno project have come from the thrift store.


THRIFT STORE CABINET FIND

Like this find. I came across this cabinet at Goodwill. It was sturdy and was on castors which would work well in the shop. Sorry about the long post, I just had to share the story behind my find. See another thrift store cabinet makeover  here!

Thrift Store Cabinet Before

After looking it over, I found the price tag. I was prepared to say NO and leave it if it was too pricey. I could NOT believe what I saw. There it was, in red marker. $1.00, yep, you read correctly ONE DOLLAR!

$1.00 Wow!

That is to say, I was totally beside myself. So excited, in fact, I was squealing and jumping up and down. Can you imagine the looks I got?


My husband, of course, found this very amusing. But he understood my enthusiasm. I mean how many $1.00 pieces of furniture does anyone come across in their lifetime?? And the icing on the cake was that it was a Broyhill. I have never been so excited about ripping that tag off and taking it to the cashier!


THRIFT STORE VIBES

When I got to the cash register, the cashier was just as happy as I was to see this piece sell. The store was LOADED with furniture, and they had significant markdowns. She told us it had sat in the store for over a month. The original price was only $19.99, but I guess others could not see the potential this cabinet had. We loaded our thrift store cabinet into the back of the truck and brought it home!

Loaded up!

My shop needed pieces that had lots of storage capacity. The piece was perfect because it had three drawers, as well as shelving. I pondered over it a day or two and finally came up with a plan. Now, onto the thrift store cabinet makeover!


SUPPLY LIST


Behr Placid Sea

White Paint

Wooster Silvertip Paint Brush

Waverly White Wax

220-grit Sandpaper

Lint Free Cloth

4 Knobs (Hobby Lobby)

Pegboard and Hooks


THRIFT STORE CABINET PREP

First, we removed the damaged back and that hideous piece in the middle. I also removed the drawers, the door, and the two shelves. Because the door had this ugly wallpaper on the glass, we had to remove it. Of course, it left a sticky mess! Husband to the rescue! He removed the glass from the door and sprayed it with Windex window cleaner and let it soak for about an hour. He then took a scraper and gently removed the glue. Once all the glue was removed, he gave the glass a good cleaning and set it aside. All nice and clean!

Cleaning Glass

Secondly, I gave the entire piece and the drawers a good cleaning with my vinegar and water solution. The bottom was also cleaned because it was rather nasty. Always make sure to clean under pieces that have been used. 


COLOR CHOICE AND PAINTING


My color choice was based on this valance that I purchased off Amazon.

Color Inspiration

I wanted the cabinet to match the turquoise in the valance as close as possible. My color choice was Behr Placid Sea. 

Behr Placid Sea

The Placid Sea was too dark for my likening. Therefore, I added white paint to lighten it up a bit. It took two coats of paint to cover thoroughly. My Behr paint has a primer in it so I did not need to prime. The drawers, as well as the door and shelf, were painted in the same manner. One of the shelves was painted, the other one I would use on a different project. (I also painted the inside shelving part).

Two Coats of Paint

ADDING WAX

Once the paint had dried thoroughly, I applied one coat of Waverly Clear Wax with a wax brush, allowing it to dry overnight.  Meanwhile, the Hubs placed the glass back in the door while I added the hardware to the drawers. We then added the knob to the door.


WHITEWASH AND DISTRESSING

The blue vibe was a bit overwhelming. Therefore, I decided to tone it down a bit by using a whitewash. I achieved this by barely dipping the paintbrush in the white paint and brushing it lightly over the blue and wiping any excess off with a damp rag. I lightly distressed the cabinet with 220-grit sandpaper.

Whitewash

ADD BACK

For the backing, I chose to use a piece of pegboard. I purchased mine from our local Lowe’s. Most importantly, I could add hooks and hang my paintbrushes as well as tools that I used daily.

Peg Board Back

Lastly, I added two baskets for even more storage.

Baskets

In conclusion, the thrift store cabinet makeover has really brightened up my shop. I love the color. Above all, I have tons of storage space! And at only $1.00, what more could you ask for! Don't forget to come over to the blog and subscribe to DIY emails for free!

Resources for this project:
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Lucie - Oh my sander
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 5 questions
  • S S on Sep 21, 2019

    Have you thought of hanging lots baskets from the peg board or adding more shelving in the large open area?

  • Wandamurline Wandamurline on Sep 22, 2019

    This is nice, but I absolutely love the amoire that is sitting in the corner. Where did you get that?


  • Desiree Adamski Desiree Adamski on Sep 28, 2019

    By chance do you have a link for the valances? It matches my shower curtain perfectly and I'd love a set for the bathroom windows

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  • Tanaquil LeMaster Tanaquil LeMaster on Nov 13, 2019
    I totally love this and I'm going to start going to thrift store. Thank you, you did a beautiful job.
  • Gayle Gayle on Jun 13, 2020

    I love it!!!! I found one somebody left by the dumpster. My husband put a new top on it and I added a bookcase. I put it in my guest house 😃😃

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