Project ideas and inspiration from Good magazine
Upgrade a plain cabinet with a dash of yesteryear charm.
Whether your preferred tipple is a kombucha cocktail or classic martini there’s something so appealing about mixing it using a retro-style drinks cabinet. As well as providing a handy place to stash glassware and other breakables, display cabinets add an eye-catching feature to a living room or dining space. With fresh coats of Resene paint and the simple addition of painted metallic panels you can turn a plain old cabinet into something truly fabulous.
Step 1: Prepare the cabinet by giving all paintable surfaces a light sand and wipe clean. If you need to give the surface a more vigorous clean use Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner.
Transform a plain old cabinet into something truly fabulous. Check out your local secondhand furniture store for cabinets to upcycle.
Step 2: Paint all surfaces, except the back panels, with an even coat of Resene Lustacryl in a colour of your choice. I used Resene White Pointer. One option is to use a small roller, such as the Resene Testpot Roller Kit, on the top and main outer panels for an extra smooth finish. Allow to fully dry, before using a window scraper blade to carefully remove any excess paint from the glass. Or use painter masking tape to protect the glass before you start painting.
Step 3: Cut panels to fit the back of the cabinet using a tape measure, scissors and Resene’s textured paintable anaglypta wallpaper. I chose pattern RD0671.
Metallics: Use Resene FX Metallic Rose Gold and Resene Proton to create a vintage effect and extra depth
Step 4: A basecoat is recommended for all Resene Metallics and special effects colours. The basecoat Resene Chicago and topcoat of Resene Pure Pewter creates a lovely mellow silver look. For extra depth and a mixed silver and gold effect, I added a little paint from testpots of Resene Rose Gold and Resene Proton. Use a dry brush to dab small amounts of paint onto either the raised or lower surfaces of the paper. Blend it in a little with a dry brush or cloth.
Step 5: Allow to dry before gluing the panels to the back wall of the cabinet.
Step 6: Fill the cabinet with your best glassware vintage collectables.
Words and styling Sarah Heeringa. Photography Amanda Reelick. 2021
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