Average But Inspired

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June 8, 2020 by Bre

Dated Oak China Cabinet Makeover

Our new house came with some nice architectural features, but they were all pretty dated.  I already tackled a makeover of our 1970s stone fireplace, and most recently finished the built-in dated oak china cabinet makeover, which has made a HUGE difference in my dining room already!  

Here’s the built-in oak china cabinet a little over a month ago. Before it got a makeover, this dated oak china cabinet was an eyesore.

Notice that the dining room was being used as a temporary e-learning classroom for my kids (hence the folding tables), and that we have no “real” furniture.  This built-in china cabinet was useful but dated. See how it got a beautiful makeover.

We left our dining room furniture in Illinois for the new homeowners because we knew it wouldn’t fit in our new space.  (It makes me happy in a way to know the furniture is still there in the house.  It’s like a little piece of us is there.  :-))

My kids did not like doing their school work in the dining room, so they kept abandoning their work tables and infiltrating my living room and kitchen.  I decided that if they weren’t going to stay in their space, then I would take over “theirs” and start the makeover process!  

The first thing I did was refinish the oak countertop with gel stain.  I’ve previously used gel stain to refinish my front door and lots of other wood finishes in our new home (here are my best gel stain tips), so I knew it would work perfectly for this countertop.  The top of this built-in china cabinet was refinished with gel stain in walnut finish.

Next, I ordered new lower cabinet doors from The Cabinet Door Store and new hardware from D. Lawless Hardware.  I really wanted to modernize this cabinet, so I figured new lower doors (removing the arched top and paneled inlay), and new hardware (in a brass finish to mirror the brass on the leaded glass upper doors), would help do the trick.

The new cabinet doors were great quality, and the cabinet hardware was beautiful and priced right.  I recommend both of those vendors if you’re in the market for cabinet doors or hardware.

Next, I chose Benjamin Moore’s Waller Green for the paint color.  Waller Green is a gorgeous shade of dark green that is almost black.  I knew I wanted green for this china cabinet, but I also wanted a color that would be timeless because Heaven knows I do not want to repaint this beast again anytime soon.  Bre from Average But Inspired transformed a dated oak china cabinet in Waller Green paint.

Because I had a lot of interruptions, and because I was being a perfectionist, it took me about a month to paint this oak china cabinet using Benjamin Moore Advance paint (a perfect paint for cabinets).  I followed the kitchen cabinet painting process detailed in my DIY Cabinet Painting Pro guide, which is an incredibly helpful resource for anyone wanting to paint their wood or laminate kitchen cabinets!  This built-in oak china cabinet got a brand new look! With Waller Green paint from Benjamin Moore, new lower doors, new hardware, and an antique mirror accent, it is now a gorgeous addition to this dining room.

The finishing touch was applying a faux antique mirror finish to the plate glass mirror already on the china cabinet.  Because the mirror was already attached to the cabinet, I had to come up with a creative way to achieve this antique mirror finish, as antiquing is typically done by removing the back layer of the mirror.  I wrote blog post on how to antique a mirror from the front, so check that out if you’re interested in trying that technique!

This dated oak china cabinet got a fresh new look with dark green paint, new hardware, new doors, and an antique mirror finish.

The hard work was definitely worth it. 

I am in l-o-v-e with my built-in china cabinet now.  I feel like it’s an asset instead of an eyesore.  This built-in china cabinet got a brand new look with dark green paint and a stained oak countertop.

Next up, I will be painting the room, replacing the light fixture, getting furniture, and decorating! (P.S.you can see my son and dog crate in the door reflection – ha!)  (Wanna see the finished dining room makeover?  Check out my Modern Vintage Dining Room post!)

This built-in china cabinet shines in Waller Green paint from Benjamin Moore, and with a stained oak countertop and antique mirror back.

I can’t wait to be able to entertain in here . . . someday!  This faux antique mirror finish on a built-in china cabinet is a beautiful addition to this china cabinet makeover.

I’d love to know what you think of my dated oak china cabinet makeover.  This china cabinet got an extensive makeover! With new paint in Waller Green by Benjamin Moore, an antique mirror back, and new doors, it is looking good!Much better, don’t you think?  Please be sure to PIN this image to share the love! See how this blogger transformed a dated oak china cabinet from the 1970's to a beautiful piece that looks updated for the times. The paint color, Waller Green, is sophisticated and timeless. It's a gorgeous dark green that works with all decor styles.

-Bre

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Comments

  1. Vickie says

    June 9, 2020 at 9:42 am

    I love.how. your wall turned out. Beautiful color!

    Reply
    • Bre says

      June 27, 2020 at 8:21 am

      Thank you, Vickie!!!

  2. Penny says

    June 9, 2020 at 2:08 pm

    That’s gorgeous! We’ve just remodeled our kitchen and in fact, my husband is working on the new floor this week. I feel badly not helping but I had foot surgery 4 weeks ago and am still non weight bearing in a boot. We are giving our daughter’s family our big dining room set. The table and chairs are going over this weekend and as soon as the hutch is gone, he wants to build a wall unit across one wall in our dining room. I’m so excited you shared your project and will hang on to it for future reference. Enjoy your new room.

    Reply
    • Bre says

      June 27, 2020 at 8:22 am

      Hi, Penny! I’m sorry about your foot! I hope you’re recovering well. Thank you for your nice note. Your home project sounds amazing! Good luck with building the wall unit. I’m sure it will be an awesome focal point in the room. 🙂

  3. Bridget McCullagh says

    June 9, 2020 at 2:11 pm

    This is BEAUTIFUL. Love all the finishes you chose. Green makes everything better 🙂

    Reply
    • Bre says

      June 27, 2020 at 8:22 am

      THANK YOU, Bridget!! 🙂

  4. MrsSW says

    June 9, 2020 at 6:31 pm

    Beautiful 🙂

    Reply
    • Bre says

      June 27, 2020 at 8:22 am

      Thank you so much!

  5. Pamela Vermeulen says

    June 10, 2020 at 4:36 am

    That looks AMAZING!!!

    Reply
    • Bre says

      June 27, 2020 at 8:22 am

      Thank you!! I really appreciate it!

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Bre of Average But Inspired

Hi, I'm Bre! Thanks for visiting my blog. I hope you'll find ideas to inspire your creativity and beautify your home here.

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