Vintage Display Cabinet Makeover

One of my favourite things to do is to makeover furniture. I find it relaxing and quite therapeutic. Handing the reigns over to someone else is neither relaxing nor therapeutic. Yes, I am a control freak and I’m not afraid to admit it. At least when it comes to interiors…

When Brian said that he couldn’t wait to get started on the glass display cabinet makeover, I will confess that I felt a little more than anxious. This was to be part of the Revamp room (see here) and the prospect of it not ‘fitting in’ was a concern. How wrong could I have been?! I don’t know why it always comes as a surprise to find that we are on the same page, because it happens more often than not. Gold leafed woodwork and fabric lined back? Okay then!

I had been considering gilding it from the very start, but I hadn’t actually said the words out loud. So, when Brian suggested gold, I was delighted. This was waaaay down the line of work, as the cabinet looked like this…

Not exactly ‘just’ a makeover… there was a wee bit of construction involved too. Or should I say reconstruction? This glass display cabinet wasn’t exactly a light project to tackle, but as it was a gift from a friend, Brian was keen to see it through. If Brian is one thing, it’s stubborn… so I should’ve really known it would all work out in the end.

Now, I should add that the cabinet wasn’t in such a bad state when we received it. One door had come off and that was it. The real problems started on the car journey home; where it kinda ‘rattled’ itself to bits…

*This isn’t going to be a ‘how to’ of cabinet reconstruction, rather a ‘this is how he did it’.

The Reconstruction Before The Display Cabinet Makeover

We were quite surprised that although the cabinet had fallen to pieces, each piece was intact. The elegant curves of glass weren’t even chipped. How? We have no idea… but this meant that the whole thing could be salvaged: and salvage it he did.

By carefully removing the old nails and putty and cleaning up the glass, the jigsaw could begin. Brian pieced each part together carefully to ensure that it was all in the right place before any permanent fixing took place. Once he saw it was a-okay, he glued and clamped the wooden frame back together. If you’re ever attempting to make any kind of box or frame, we thoroughly recommend using a snake clamp. It provides brilliant tension, if you don’t have access to workbenches with clamps etc.

Once the frame was secure, the glass was put back in place. Using wood filler and an old bank card (who needs putty knives?!) the glass was secured by smoothing the filler into a nice wedge along the frame.

Once dry, this was lightly sanded to give a smooth finish. The doors were replaced and the reconstruction phase of the cabinet makeover was complete.

The Display Cabinet Makeover Begins

The initial thought was to gold leaf this project using metal leaf sheets. This is a bit of a task in itself and can get a little bit fiddly. As I had just done a mini makeover on the mirror above the mantelpiece, we decided that a more intense version of this would probably be quicker and more effective. The sheets would require ageing down afterwards, whereas using a wax would allow for the intensity to be built up gradually. Also, we didn’t want it to be super shiny.

Brian started by lightly sanding the unit to provide a key for the paint. He then masked off the glass before painting a base of a mid-dark grey all over the woodwork. At this stage, Brian decided to line the cabinet and get the inside finished, before commencing the gilding.

Lining the cabinet

To start, all of the original loose backing paper was removed before the fabric was laid out in the display cabinet, ready to be cut. A border of 2cm was added so that the fabric could be trimmed down neatly to size. Brian ran a line of  duck tape down the edges so that when the fabric was cut, it wouldn’t start to fray.

A layer of spray adhesive was sprayed onto the back and left a few minutes to go tacky, before the fabric was smoothed onto it. Starting at the bottom, Brian rolled out the fabric, smoothing out air bubbles as he went. The edges were trimmed up using a sharp craft knife.

Back to the Gilding

Once dry, the gold wax was rubbed-on to all painted areas using a soft cloth. This was done lightly all over to start, then built up in layers. Recessed areas only got a light application, whereas raised areas of moulding got a heavier coat of gold. When buffed afterwards, these areas would look the shiniest. Imagine aged brass that only gets a rough polish every so often… that’s the look we were going for.

Top Tip #1: applying the gold wax in circular motions in thin layers gives a less ‘streaky’ appearance.

Once the wax was applied it was allowed to dry in overnight before being buffed to a shine. A brass angle strip resting on the brackets, adds a nice extra bit of detail.

The Finished Display Cabinet

I love this cabinet anyway, but the fact that Brian did it makes me love it even more.

The fabric works so well as it is patterned enough to provide interest, without distracting from the items on display whilst the brass edging on the glass shelves adds just a little more detail.

The gilding is perfect as it doesn’t shine too much… the under-painting knocks it back and dulls it down enough so that it sits quietly in the corner, rather than screaming ‘LOOK AT ME I’M GOLD’. Nobody likes a show off. Although, this cabinet has every right to show off… it’s gorgeous!

 

*You may recognise that terracotta lamp from a previous post. It’s had a little spray-paint update. See the original IKEA hack DIY here.