Woman in Real Life

Long delay aside, I am pleased with the end result. I believe that having some vintage and thrifted pieces in your home gives it extra character. Sure I could buy a brand new, ready-to-go cabinet, but it wouldn't have that quirky look and personal touch that makes this little cabinet special. And often it's more affordable to buy a thrift store or flea market piece to make over than it is to buy brand new.

All you need for this project is:

• A thrifty cabinet
• Sandpaper 
• Spray primer
• Spray paint
• Painter's tape

I wanted spray paint because of its ease of use in tight areas (like the little drawers) and for covering the carved areas of the cabinet. I chose whatever white paint was easily available in the store - it was Krylon ColorMaster at Walmart.

I started off by lightly sanding the spice rack. The door wasn't supposed to come off during the process, but I suppose my "light" sanding needed to be even lighter, because the door fell off and I had to glue a small crack in the cabinet. I then taped off areas that I didn't want to paint, like the door latch and the metal rods.


It was still cold outside, so I put the cabinet in the garage. I would not work in the house, as this primer and paint both have very strong odours. I used two coats of primer, allowing it to dry for a couple of hours after the first coat. My husband and I then took turns painting. Basically we put a coat on anytime we went near the garage. I discovered that we have very different painting styles. He puts the lightest mist of paint on because he doesn't want it to drip. I, on the other hand, blast it on because I don't want to wait. We put on several coats over three days before the wood grain was covered. And then it was finally time to hang my little nail polish cabinet on the wall.


It turned out to be just the right size for me - it holds 18 nail polish bottles, which is just about how many I have. How many I actually use is another story!


We chose to let some of the wood grain show through on the interior of the cabinet to add a bit of texture. But now I'm considering painting the interior a fun colour or lining it with a colourful paper. I'll get back to you in another three years!

The two little drawers are perfect for holding nail cutters and emery boards.


To give you a better idea of the size of the cabinet, here's a look at the full wall. I think it fills in the small gap above the towel rack nicely.