Vintage Grey Cabinet for a Marble Bathroom

Life is pretty amazing isn't it. I think we take a lot for granted these days. It's good every now and then to stop and count your blessings. Yesterday we did a family fun run that was a great community event down at the Bay Run, close to our house. It was a beautiful sunny winter's day that felt like springtime. I'm really proud of my kids and their willingness to put effort in and push through discomfort for a good result. So what does this have to do with a vintage grey cabinet, not much but the chalkboard message I wrote for the display made me think of all the good things in my life and I'm feeling blessed.

This little cabinet was looking a little sorry for itself. The wood was lovely - very old pine, but the varnish had definitely seen better days and was flaking off badly. The middle panelling on the doors was falling out and it was all pretty grubby. One of the drawers was missing and the other drawer on the bottom has stuck inside and took me an hour to prise loose as it was broken. Anyway i stripped it all back with my orbital sander, took the doors out and removed the rusty old nails and started painting.

Someone on instagram had been asking me for a cabinet for her new bathroom and I thought this was a perfect candidate. Leanne has recently renovated their main bathroom with lots of beautiful marble tiles and so we though Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paris Grey with white trim would fit the bill.

I painted the edges of the door panelling before I reinserted them and it made it much easier. I painted the bevelled edge of the top and base using my trick with a damp cloth. Once I had inserted the door panelling I then cut some wood for the bottom shelves where the drawers had been. I waxed the inside to bring out the beauty of the wood. I also waxed the paint work and buffed it to a soft sheen. I also added little magnetic catches as the doors weren't staying shut. You would think that screwing in these little catches would be quick and easy - yet it took me an hour! Sometimes it's the littlest things that can take the most time. The actual painting of this cabinet didn't take hardly any time. I actually was on a conference call on loudspeaker when I did most of the painting! Nice and easy, but it was all the other little steps that took a lot of time - removing the drawer, the sanding, cutting the wood for the shelves, cleaning the cabinet, my first top coat (Porter's) yellowed the paint so that meant I had to repaint the section that I'd top coated.  
Sometimes old furniture needs a lot of work! Particularly a very old cabinet such as this. 

and here is Leanne's beautiful bathroom here my cabinet is headed. 

Doesn't Leanne have beautiful taste. You can find her on Instagram here - where all these bathroom photos are from. I think the cabinet is going to look lovely there!

I have a few very special pieces coming up this week. I am really looking forward to sharing them with you. BTW the chalkboard is for sale $35. Pickup Lilyfield (or I can post within Australia)

Hope you all had a lovely weekend
Fiona xx


Shared here: My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Savvy Southern Style, Dedicated house, Miss Mustard Seed, Redoux interiors, French Country Cottage A Stroll thru life power of Paint My Repurposed Life Fabulous Furniture  Coastal Charm  transformation Thursday Shabby