Goodwill vintage buffet makeover

Hi everyone!

I’m Shanna from Restoration Redoux, and I’m so excited to be Debbie’s new contributor!

Debbie’s blog was one of the first blogs I ever read, and she is one of the reasons I decided to become a blogger.

I am a stay at home mom to 3 adorable dogs, an ancient cat, and a crazy teenage daughter (learning to drive over the past few months is the reason I now look 10 years older). I run a furniture business from home, and I blog full-time. I’m a lover of yard sales, upcycling, and decorating on a budget.

Speaking of upcycling, I thought I would show you my newest makeover.

My client was looking for a sweet, retro TV console. While scoping-out Goodwill one day, I ran into this vintage buffet for a whopping $25!

Now it had seen better days — it was scuffed, dirty and had a plastic veneer top that was in rough shape (Please disregard the little white dog photo-bombing the shot). I loved the shape, and it still had the original hardware … so I loaded this crazy heavy buffet into the car, drove it to the shop, and off to work I went.

I started by cleaning off the years of dirt and grime. It was also pretty smelly inside, so I put some dryer sheets in the drawers and cabinets.

I then removed all of the hardware and used the bench grinder with a wire-wheel brush to remove the years of filth.

I then painted the whole piece with three coats of DIY ivory chalk-like paint. After the last coat was dry, I painted the inserts of the drawers and cabinet fronts with taupe paint.

Since my client’s home has blue accents, I decided to add a subtle pop of color to the piece, painting the inside of the drawers and cabinets blue also.

I taped-off the diamond and trim area with painter’s tape to get a nice, sharp line.

I then distressed the whole piece with a 100- and a 150-grit sanding block.

Next I went over the piece with Annie Sloan’s clear wax, and then I gave it a coat of dark wax to give it a more aged look.

I was really happy with how the piece transformed from a thrift store cast-off into a piece my clients are thrilled to have in their home!