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Apothecary Cabinet Makeover ~ A Trashure Story

There is one reason that this forlorn piece of furniture is my subject for today’s Furniture Fixer Upper fun. Thankfully, I can laugh and have a go at making this into an apothecary cabinet. Stay with me, I’ll explain below. Oh, and be sure to read through to see the furniture makeover goodness from my friends too.

Filing Cabinet Before Makeover by Prodigal Pieces | prodigalpieces.com

JC had one job to do. Mind you he works full-time, is the one who ships everything for me from my shop, furniture and all, and is our main dude in our remodeling adventures. So, I guess he deserves a little slack, but…this happens A LOT.  I asked him to stop by and pick up this “filing cabinet” (as the lady described), but only bring it home if it was solid wood and would hold my files. ahem…does it look like solid wood to you?

Top of Cabinet | Prodigal Pieces | prodigalpieces.com

Side of Ugly Cabinet | Prodigal Pieces | prodigalpieces.com

He brings it home. My eyes roll and I laugh, “Honey! This is nothing but a fabricated mess. And there’s no way my files would fit in there.” This is exactly why I have too much in my stash and am working on clearing out.

DIY TIME

So, since this little ugly stand won’t work for me, it gets added to the makeover list to become new. First up, beat it apart and get rid of those side panels. Ahhh…there’s the wood. {{she dies laughing}}

Torn Apart Cabinet for Makeover | Prodigal Pieces | prodigalpieces.com

I wanted to add a little character to it, so I chose to use some beadboard to replace the sides. JC cut them for me on our table saw and I quickly attached them with my cordless nailer. I LOVE THIS TOOL. This is exactly why my motto has always been #toolsoverjewels. I was able to make the structure of the cabinet much more strong and durable for what I had envisioned – an apothecary cabinet.

Adding Beadboard to Cabinet with Ryobi Cordless Nailer | Prodigal Pieces | prodigalpieces.com

Once the sides were on, I added a board to the bottom of the cabinet using my Kreg Jig to make pocket screw holes. That is another of my must-have tools. The board firmed up the frame, but also added the structure I needed to add casters.

ASSEMBLY

Meanwhile, I needed to fix the drawers. The face was made of two pieces connected together feebly. In order to reinforce them, JC cut some scrap luan and I attached them to the back side with wood glue. (because of course he’s going to help me fix this thing. tsk.)

Making Cabinet Repairs | Prodigal Pieces | prodigalpieces.com

For added reinforcement, I then nailed on with my nailer.

Ryobi AirStrike to Make Repairs | Prodigal Pieces | prodigalpieces.com

Now to pretty the drawers up. Nothing like a good sanding with my orbital sander to take that old orange color away. After that, I used a combination of my favorite Early American (as seen in these posts) and Sunbleached stains (also seen here).

Staining Apothecary Cabinet Drawers | Prodigal Pieces | prodigalpieces.com

While the stain was curing, I went back to the cabinet and gave it two coats of a soft white that I used on this dresser. It was perfect to clean up the look of the piece and help me get to the apothecary cabinet I was after.

THE REVEAL

Here it is all redone from the skeleton down, and looking much better.

DIY Apothecary Cabinet from Ugly Vintage Stand by Prodigal Pieces | prodigalpieces.com

The label pulls made it have just the right touch, and the matching metal casters are ever so cute. They all add function and the vintage appeal that I love. I even lined the drawers with a few of my vintage wallpaper samples. Fun!

Apothecary Pulls on Cabinet Makeover by Prodigal Pieces | prodigalpieces.com

Upcycled Stand into Apothecary Cabinet by Prodigal Pieces | prodigalpieces.com

It looks cute with my office chair and would be wonderful to keep, but alas, it doesn’t do what I need it to do…hold my files. sigh…so it is now available in my online shop.

Shop Prodigal Pieces Furniture, Vintage Finds, Handmade Goods, & Supplies for your home | shop.prodigalpieces.com #prodigalpieces

Industrial Style Apothecary Cabinet DIY by Prodigal Pieces | prodigalpieces.com

Industrial Vignette with Apothecary Cabinet by Prodigal Pieces | prodigalpieces.com

My ultimate hope is that you can see beauty in the cast-off and take a minute to try DIY. You can make your house your home, even on a budget. In addition, pin and share to inspire others too!

Ugly outdated stand gets industrial apothecary cabinet makeover. Get the DIY steps by Prodigal Pieces here at prodigalpieces.com

What is more, I have more de-stash goodness coming up for you next week. To get these DIY tips & tricks in your inbox, be sure to sign up for my newsletter.

AND…Don’t forget to scroll down to see the Furniture Fixer Upper ladies work they are sharing with you. Until next time!

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Check.it.out. It’s Furniture Fixer Upper time and these are some sweet makeovers for you.

Furniture Fixer Uppers ~ A Furniture Makeover Group | Prodigal Pieces | prodigalpieces.com

Furniture Fixer Uppers March 2017 | Prodigal Pieces | prodigalpieces.com

  1. Just the Woods
  2. Confessions of a Serial DIYer
  3. Petticoat Junktion
  4. Girl in the Garage
  5. The Interior Frugalista

Also, more projects like my apothecary cabinet:

A Child's Chest of Drawers Becomes Faux Card Catalog by Prodigal Pieces | prodigalpieces.comFrench Provincial Blue Dresser Set Makeover by Prodigal PIeces | prodigalpieces.com

Comments

  1. Patty Soriano says

    This turned out great! Won’t work for you, but is PERFECT for someone! You won’t have it for long, I’m sure.

    • Larissa says

      Wonderful to hear, Patty. Thank you! Yes, I’m back on the filing cabinet hunt again. ha!

  2. Kathy Owen says

    Your hubby sounds like mine. Gotta love ’em anyway. You totally transformed that sad little piece. Love how it turned out.

    • Larissa says

      Yes, ma’am. I do! He is my bestie I couldn’t do without. 😉

  3. kandice says

    Im starting to think all of our hubbys are the same lol. I love love love the end result of this piece!

    • Larissa says

      I think so too! hee hee. This was a fun challenge. Thanks, Kandice!

  4. Christy says

    You sure worked your magic on this cabinet, Larissa! It turned out to be such a cool piece! XO

    • Larissa says

      You know I love a good challenge, and this was it! hahaha… Thanks, Christy!

  5. Kaycee says

    What a difference, it looks great now!

  6. Sue Pagels says

    You have an amazing vision with these pieces and I love your styling as well!!

  7. Patty says

    So, so cute. I love it and it is so functional, I wish I had room for it.
    Another great job.

    • Larissa says

      I just had to take on the challenge once I saw it. It was so ugly! hahaha… Thanks, Patty!

    • Larissa says

      The paint/stain combo is my favorite. Thanks so much, Katie!

  8. Cheryl says

    Awesome job!! I always love what you do to your pieces!

  9. Karen says

    Awesome! Your furniture makeovers never cease to amaze me 🙂

  10. Grace says

    Love the look! Lately I am drawn to that kinda color combination and I even have a category on my Pinterest: White(space) and soft wood.
    Great save!

    • Larissa says

      You know you’re a kindred spirit. It’s one of my faves. 😀

  11. Susan says

    He just brought that home because he knew you’d make something awesome out of it… and you did! Nice work!

    • Larissa says

      haha! I wish! He always thinks I’m crazy and it’s “too much work”. He doesn’t get the challenge is fun! 😀

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2020-03-21T21:34:13-04:00

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I love it! Larissa is amazing. She listened to what I wanted and then she took care of the rest! This is my second piece I've bought from her and I'm in love! I highly recommend her.

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2020-03-21T21:43:16-04:00

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2020-03-21T21:52:00-04:00

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Perfect purchase from start to finish! Absolutely adorable piece so creatively thought out. Packed with the greatest of care with lightening fast delivery. Very customer-oriented and friendly crafter. Could not ask for more! Thank you!
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