Display Cabinet Upcycle - Midnight Oil!
By Phoebe Peach
Creative Projects with Mezzie and Frank
Upon collecting this piece from marketplace I was under the impression it would be considerably larger, however the smaller size of the cabinet ended up being perfect for this project. The condition was average, requiring more prep work than usual but I am never one to turn down a challenge! The back of the cabinet had a large gap straight down the centre from where the timber has shifted apart from the join and there were many small cracks and holes from where shelves had been put in and removed. While it felt daunting looking at it all, it was a rather simple fix with some trusty wood filler and sandpaper!
Midnight Oil is one of my favourite colours in the range and I thought it would be the perfect fit for this piece with it's lovely rich base of navy mixed with the popular gunmetal. For the feature I sourced peel and stick vinyl from Bunnings in a wonderful morroccan pattern giving the piece some character.
Products used:
Mezzie and Frank Chalk Effects Paint - Midnight Oil 500ml
Gilly's Carnauba Polish 200ml
Paint brush
Paint stirrer
Gilly's Bamboo Polishing Cloth
Timber filler - any timber filler that is paintable will be fine (not wax).
Sand paper (I used 120 grit).
Boyle 1.5m x 45cm Self Adhesive film - Moroccan Blue Tiles
Stanley knife
Prep
First I used timber filler to fill in the cracks, gaps and holes in the timber, then once dried I sanded it back until smooth. I lined the glass panes with painting tape to prevent paint getting on the windows of the cabinet - you may even find it easier to cover the whole of the glass pane as I still managed to make a bit of a mess of the glass.
Painting!
The next step is painting! Before opening the can of paint I gave it a good shake to speed up the mixing process. Opening the can I used a paint stirrer to mix the paint very well, this ensures the the consistency is correct so that I see an even application of the colour. I applied the first coat of paint using a paint brush and left it to dry for two hours before applying the second coat. Once the second coat was dry I removed the paint tape and used a small paintbrush to touch up any missed areas along the edges of the window panes.
Top Coat
To seal the cabinet I used Gilly's Carnauba Polish which leaves a lovely rustic finish and can be buffed to a high sheen if required. To apply, ensure the paint is completely dry and apply small amounts of wax at a time using an old rag or a polishing cloth. Buff away any excess wax with a clean cloth to ensure a smooth finish. For extra protection you can apply a second coat however it is not necessary.
Alternatively you can use Mezzie and Frank's Hardy Clear Coat for an acrylic finish or for a food safe, oil based finish use Gilly's Pure Hemp Oil.
Clean up
Using Gilly's LoThin and some paper towel, I cleaned any paint splatters from the window panes and hardware on the cabinet, you can use any type of solvent for this I prefer LoThin for it's low odour and lower flammability compared to other solvents.
Vinyl backing
The feature backing inside the cabinet was lovely to apply, super easy for a first timer so don't be scared to experiment with some! Using a stanley knife I cut each piece of vinyl adhesive to size, peeled the backing off and pressed it down against the timber, carefully pushing out any bubbles. If I made a mistake it was easy to quickly peel back and re-apply, the hardest part of this for me was ensuring the edges I cut were lined up well with the pattern so that it didn't look distorted once applied.
For a tiny piece of furniture, this small display cabinet took a lot of time to bring up to scratch and finish! It needed a lot of work and it wasn't until you looked closely that you could see the amount of scratches, holes, splits and discolouration in the timber! One of my favourite things about our chalk style paint is you can take unwanted piece ready for the bin and give it a new lease on life, just like I did with this piece!
