Cabinet Makeover: from Folk Country to French Country

I've been wanting to makeover this little cabinet for awhile now.

The only thing that held me back was that it was a custom made piece by one of my favorite local word-working shops, The Barn Loft. Call me craftsman-loyal, I hated to 'mess' with something that was handcrafted with such care.

That folksy-country look was really 'in' at the time  - about 10 years ago. But those carved hearts now felt dated,  and the brown stain no longer matched with my lighter, more airy decor.

But I felt it was worth salvaging, since there was lots I still loved about it, like the exposed hinges, and the chicken wire; not to mention the extra storage.

To stay around, there was a list of things that HAD to go, starting with the paint colour. I purchased Behr's Premium Plus Ultra (with the primer built in) in Coastal Beige. This is an awesome creamy white colour.  I just love painting furniture with Behr paints.  For me, there is no comparison.


Next to go - the pine, painted knobs.  Since I was going for more of a french country look, I decided to swap them out for pretty glass knobs.

And, finally, those kitchy country hearts would have to be concealed somehow.  I was stumped for awhile, until I found these sweet little accents at Home Depot, and thought they were the perfect size and style to hide the heart-shaped holes.

All in all, I spent about $50 on supplies - $20 on paint, $20 on knobs, and $10 on the accents.

Here's some shots of the my work-in-progress.

So long little country hearts!

And, here's the finished product!

With a little paint, these accents worked out so well!

A little distressing to keep the look aged and chippy.

Isn't it funny how some silly hang ups hold us back from making lovely changes in out homes?   I wish I had painted this sooner!  It really lightens up my living room.

Until next time, happy decorating.






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