before & after 2

Everyone enjoys a little before and after right?! I do for sure! This treasure of a cabinet was another generous hand-me- down that came to live with us in much need of a little TLC. 

The cabinet had fabric on the back as well as the bottom along with two very thin wooden shelves also covered in the same fabric. It was missing glass on the side and needed a little structural attention. Little dings and scratches from years of love just added "character".

Before

In hopes of using this piece as a bookcase, Dad built these much sturdier shelves out of pine to replace the thin shelves that were original to the piece.  I know these were tricky because the cabinet has a curve to the front and needed to allow enough space for the doors to close. Good job Dad! (not a surprise to anyone!)

The picture below shows the side that had the most damage. There was a large crack that needed to be re clamped and refinished. You can also see where the detail on the front needed a little loving too.

I knew the fabric had been in there for a long time, but I wasn't sure if it was original to the piece. I come from a long line of wild women, so I did not think it was too unlikely someone down the road thought adding a little fabric would be fun.

The VERY first thing I did when I got the piece home was remove the old fabric. I loved the color and pattern, but it was old and mildewed and had to go. I was a little surprised to see that underneath the fabric was unfinished wood, meaning most likely, this fabric was original to the piece.

I would LOVE to say I was able to create the after on my own, but I ended up calling in help from a professional. The VERY talented Michael Dickey picked up the piece and worked his magic. I was floored by the transformation! 

After

I honestly think it is even prettier in person. He recovered the back in a linen similar to the fabric on our headboard, stained the bottom, replaced the glass on the side, stained and mounted Dad's shelves, repaired the damaged wood, and re stained to add new life. phew! 

The cracked side of the cabinet looks brand new! The flash in the picture below brought out spots you can not even see in person.

The bottom corner, before yucky fabric and unfinished wood...now brand "new"!

Didn't Dad's shelves turn out great?! Michael stained them and mounted them were the original shelves once were.

It makes me so happy! Now the hard part is deciding what books are "worthy" of living in it!