Big, Bold, and Beautiful
According to my dad this china cabinet has been in my his family for at least two generations. His Great Aunt Cora left it, along with all her other dining room furniture, to my grandparents when she died in the late 1950’s. My Grandpa said she made the best chess pie. She was a school teacher in Atlanta, GA in the Morningside area near where my sister lives now. Her old school teacher bell sits on one of the many shelves in the den of my parents’ home. My Grandpa really liked Aunt Cora; she was good to him (better than his mom in his eyes).
Growing up, this cabinet was always in the corner of my grandparents' dinning room to the right of my Grandpa’s chair at the dinner table. We ate every meal all together in that dining room, at that table, in their home in Acworth, GA during our visits. The only exceptions being lunch’s on one of Grandpa’s old boats, one he had just finished building, or on a picnic table along the water at the Yacht Club where my grandparents kept them. Yacht Club makes it sound fancy but there wasn’t a single yacht on Lake Allatoona. It was old, campy, and I miss every bit of it.
While he obviously didn’t build this cabinet, my Grandpa is the person that comes to mind most when I look at it. He was a DIYer he whole life in addition to the other jobs he had. He build many boats and taught my dad many things. And many of those things my dad, in turn, taught me. I love having a piece that reminds me of my Grandpa here, in my own home. I’d like to think he has enjoyed watching as I’ve built all I have so far, and that he can’t wait for what all is still to come. ❤
Repairing Veneer and Using Bondo
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I knew from the beginning that I was going to paint this piece due to all the veneer damage along the curved base. Because of this, I just needed to blend the surface to look like one smooth sheet. First, I reattached the broken pieces of veneer using wood glue and bar clamps. I used scrap blocks of wood to help hold the wide sheets in place without denting them.
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Next, I applied Bondo over all the seams using wooden popsicle sticks to mix the formula. I used a healthy amount because I knew I would be sanding it down and didn’t want to have to reapply it a bunch of times. If you use Bondo, do so in a well ventilated area. This stuff gives off some serious fumes.
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After the Bondo had finished curing, 45 minutes or so, I sanded the seams close to flush using my orbital sander with 80 and 120 grit pads. I always refill my stock with this sanding disc variety pack because they are uber cheap and you get so many. I finished sanding the seams using my 120 grit sanding block- feathering it out so all the seams were completely flush.
Linked Supplies
Hardware Cleaning: I cleaned all the brass hardware by placing them into a pot of distilled white vinegar, bringing it to a boil, removing the hardware with needle nose pliers, and scrubbing them with 0000 grade steel wool until clean. The gunk just comes right off, it’s unreal. Super easy and they all look amazing!!
Brown paper: I used this is to protect the glass on the doors from the paint
Wood/Veneer Repairing:
- Wood glue
- Bar clamps
- Bondo
- Orbital sander
- Sanding discs variety pack
- 120 grit sanding block
Paint Sprayer: this was the first time I had used a paint sprayer and it was a GAME-CHANGER. Prep and clean up take about the same amount of time but the painting process is unbelievably faster. I spent a long time finding out from other DIYers what sprayer to get and hands down this was the most recommended because it is the best quality for the best price. After using it myself I cannot recommend this sprayer more, I absolutely love it. The most critical step not to half-ass with a sprayer is the clean up. It takes about the same, or less, time to clean up than your usual rollers and brushes but follow every step in the manual and it will continue to spray wonderfully.
Paint Color: Tricorn Black by Sherwin Williams, 1 Gallon- Sherwin Williams Showcase- Satin Finish
ALWAYS add BB Frösch to your paint! I love the buttery smooth finish it gives all my pieces!
I had planned on using this peel and stick wallpaper on the back wall and lining the drawer of this cabinet but I’m so in love with it now as is. Regardless, I thought you may want this linked as well. They offer samples of all their wallpaper in case you want to see it in your space before taking the plunge!
Products on Shelves
From top to bottom, left to right:
Cake Stand - Hearth & Hand™ with Magnolia
Faux Eucalyptus Arrangement - Hearth & Hand™ with Magnolia
My milk glass vases are family heirlooms but there are a lot with the same kind of vibe available on Etsy!
My milk glass goblets are from a local antique store but there are TONS on Etsy and eBay
Stoneware Pitcher - Blue Grid - Hearth & Hand with Magnolia.- no longer sold at Target but still available at a few places online!
8.5" x 6.5" Artificial Thistle Plant Arrangement in Ceramic Pot White - Threshold™
My dishes are antiques but I found some look-a-likes as well as some more eclectic, modern ones at Target