The Kitchen Cabinet Turned Bar

Sentimental is the name of the game.  I am not a hoarder, really I am not.  But I love things with a story.  When my husband and I were engaged, my great uncle was remodeling my mother's kitchen.  At that time, he made her a kitchen cabinet that I admired.  When Tim and I got married, my parents gifted us with a replica of that kitchen cabinet, also made by great uncle Paul Deermer.

He was quite the guy..a story teller, a lover of life.  He laughed easily, smiled quickly, and was a great craftsman.  He didn't ever think he would live a long life due to a family history of heart issues, but he always said he had a lot more to do.  He didn't get the chance to do it all, as he died not long after we were married.  I always felt blessed to be the keeper of such a special piece of furniture, crafted with his hands, chosen for us by my parents.

The problem is, tastes change, trends change, and so do home spaces.  When we moved into our current home, we were carving out a unique space, one that did not depict the country life we lived in (but that's another story).  For the rural Nebraska area that I live in, our home is unique.  It is not a ranch style home.  It is a Spanish inspired home, and when we were remodeling, we were very intentional about trying to create a retreat, a place that felt like all of the places we loved to go, and was home too.  Not only did this cabinet not look right here, but I didn't have a room that it fit in and worked.

Last year, I started doing some rethinking of my front family room, and realized I wanted a big cabinet to go in a corner by the windows.  My husband wanted the cabinet out of the small room it had been in so he could put more storage in it's place.  It occurred to me that with a little effort, this country cabinet could be turned into a beautiful bar cabinet perfect for that front corner.

I started with wanting to paint it black, place a mirror on the back of the upper part, add t-molding to the shelving to hold stemware, and maybe one day even add some doors with wrought iron work in them.  But it would still be the good heavy cabinet my uncle had made, just with new attitude and purpose.

I am in the process now of painting it.  After alot of research, and a couple of tests, I decided on this approach to the cabinet.  Use oil based paint, since I wanted a really smooth, tough black finish.  Use liquid sandpaper so I could skip sanding and priming (I know..for shame, right?).  Let each coat dry completely before adding a new coat.

It is making for a long process...no doubt.  But I LOVE how it is turning out.  The finish is very nice and smooth without brush marks.  I used a satin finish, which is perfect for what I wanted to accomplish.  I haven't decided if I will distress it yet or not.  Tim says no...but I'm not so sure.  I can't wait until I put it all in place and move my stemware into it.

So in the pictures, you see the project in the works.  And the inspiration pictures.  The finished product is yet to come and will look more like the one above, but with a finish similar to the black one.  Either way, in the end it will be completely reinvented..stay tuned..I think you will like it.

http://www.shopchristophers.com/ccp22460-howard-miller-cornerstone-estates-wine--bar-cabi-hm695082.htm