Playing Dress-Up {progress on the rescued cabinet}

If you follow me on Facebook, you've probably seen me share some things before they make it over here to the blog. 

Last Saturday I went to see this darling historic house for rent in Glenwood Springs. If it had a red front door, it could have been right out of a Mary Engelbreit illustration! 

Well, it wasn't meant to be ours. The owner was so bombarded with responses to the ad she had to take it down. But I did appreciate all the good wishes I received on Facebook! 

If you love old houses the way I do, you can imagine how hard it was not lose my heart the minute I stepped inside. It was so full of character and charm, it really was a treat just to get to tour it and dream a little. Sigh...
This "old house thing" has been with me since I was a kid. I've been fortunate enough to live in several historic houses in my life, but darn it, now I have readers who could appreciate the house with me, right?!  {smile}  I'm still holding out hope for 'someday'. 

On to today's progress report of the rescued cabinet! 

Remember this sad sight I shared about a month ago? This pitiful cabinet was in the "free" section at a friend's yard, and for some reason she was just calling to me! I pass up lots of free pieces of furniture, but I had an immediate vision for this old girl. (yes, furniture pieces are female) 

The doors and most of the trim were completely broken off, although all the parts were still here. After getting careful measurements from the owner, I went home to measure the back of my van to see if I could get it home. It seemed like she would just fit, so I went back the next day and wrangled her into my minivan all by myself! The owner wasn't at home, but I bet their neighbors enjoyed the show. Ha!  




When I got it home, I realized the particle board back was just crumbling, so I pulled that off first thing. 

The cabinet landed in the "possibility pile" in the garage while I thought about how to approach it with my usual zero budget. I know a lot of people would automatically think 'paint', but I was picturing her with the crown molding back in place and the lighter areas where the hinges were attached, and pieces had broken off, stained to match the rest of the cabinet. 

I could see her in the dining room full of white dishes, with a dropcloth curtain draped across the bottom shelves for concealed storage. 

I'm not finished with her, but this week I had fun playing "dress-up" with this rescued old girl! Here's what I've done with her so far. 

See all the lighter areas where there's no stain where the hinges from the doors were, and pieces of wood had fallen off? She needed a little "makeup". 

I was anxious to get some visual results with this, but I didn't want to wait until I could afford to get stain, so I came up with an alternative. I lightly sanded the areas I wanted to darken. 

I put some of this 500 year old {okay, really the price sticker on the bottle is from a store that went out of business over 10 years ago} brown iron oxide craft paint in a jar and mixed it with some water. I brushed/ rubbed it into the light areas of the wood until they sort of blended with the rest of the wood tone. Don't look too closely. I tacked the crown molding back in place.




And then the dressing up began. I just couldn't wait to see my vision confirmed a little, even if it's not really "finished" yet. As you can see, she's still sporting the "backless" look.

I gathered some pretty accents, and began trying out some fabric for the 'skirt'. 

I strung a piece of twine across the cabinet and secured it with upholstery tacks. Remember, we're just playing here, so this might not be what I would choose permanently. 

Then again...

maybe? 

 What do you think? It's amazing how a new outfit can make you feel completely different. 

Sometimes it's fun to play dress up when you need a little encouragement to see your vision through to the end. I'm not exactly sure what her final purpose will be, but I know I'm not sorry I rescued this old girl! 

Thanks for stopping by to see her progress today!

**Update** 

The rescued cabinet is currently being used in my creative space! Click over here to see more. 


Jeanette


Sharing this week, over at
Sundays at Home at Thoughts From Alice

Party Junk at Funky Junk Interiors

Junkin' Joe at The Cottage Market

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Under $100 Party at Beyond the Picket Fence

Share Your Cup Thursday at Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Knick of Time Tuesday

Show and Share at Coastal Charm

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Tweak It Tuesday at Cozy Little House

The Scoop at Confessions of a Plate Addict

Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch