"Drab to Fab"

We've been looking for quite some time now for a small piece of furniture that will fit under the overhang of our kitchen countertop. You know the place where most people would put a few barstools for extra seating? Well, in our kitchen the brilliant insane designer decided that area would be right in the walkway through the kitchen to the garage and sunroom so barstools are out of the question. That area is already way too cramped with it being the main thoroughfare through the kitchen. So...that brings me back to the piece of furniture we wanted. The counter overhang is only about 13 inches deep so trying to find a cabinet or bookshelf that narrow is kinda tricky.

I found some great pieces at local stores that were about 15 inches deep but obviously they wouldn't work. Then, I found the perfectly sized piece at another local place. It was really perfect and made with reclaimed wood, which made it even more perfect. Then...I looked at the price tag...$449.00! Are you kidding me???

So, the search continued... 

We stopped in a new place that claimed to sell overstock and damaged items from major retailers. They had mostly clothes and small appliances and boxed items and only a couple of pieces of furniture in there But our perfect piece was right against the wall. Jackpot!

Here it is in our driveway after we brought it home. It is a cheap piece with imitation "inlay-look" that apparently was a Costco reject. It had some damage (chips, cracks, gouges...nothing we couldn't live with though) And those horrid knobs! Those were the first thing to go.

Very 1970's style...

First I sanded the entire piece with an electric sander, then cleaned it with TSP (trisodium phosphate). Next, my kind husband painted it with his handy paint sprayer because he didn't want me to mess it up wanted to help me. Here he is in action:

After the paint dried, I hand sanded the corners and edges to give it a distressed look. Then the pretty new knobs went on. I am really happy with the way it turned out. I'll post a photo of it in its new home under the counter once we get it inside and put all our cookbooks in it.

Here it is in our kitchen in its new home. 

with cookbooks and storage