This is a furniture makeover challenge I issued to myself. Let me set the stage… 

My hubby and I recently redesigned my workshop in the garage. There was an old buffet piece I had been using as a workbench. Now, with the new workshop area, there was no longer a place for the buffet. Being a reuse and repurpose girl at heart, I couldn’t with good conscience throw out a piece of furniture (no matter how scary the current condition was) without trying to fix it up and pass on to someone who could use it. This is where the makeover story begins. 

Here's a “before/scary” photo so you can see exactly what I was dealing with: 

As you can see there was a lot wrong with this piece, but a few positives.  

Furniture Fixes Needed

• Repair the top or replace it

• Sand everything down so the surface would take paint

• Repaint

• Add new drawer hardware to update the look

• Find a way to cover grooves where shelves used to be

• Remove the scrolled trim around the bottom that was really dating its look 

Steps to Repair the Buffet 

1. The first order of business was the top. Although I had completely ruined it over the years, it occurred to me we could possibly remove the top, flip it over and refinish it with the unused side up. It took some work to get it removed, and we found the flipside had some dings and “dangs.” So instead of stressing, I just distressed and then refinished it. I think the top turned out pretty dang good! 

2. The next steps, sanding and repainting, were pretty standard stuff. I chose a neutral color for wider appeal and new contemporary, bronze drawer pulls to help update the look. 

3. Now, with the help of my hubby, the scrolled trim around the bottom was removed to give the buffet a much more contemporary look. 

4. The final hurdle of covering the grooves where shelves used to be attached was done by adding small molding, painted the same color as the outside. Now the former grooves are barely noticeable. Groovy, eh?  

The End Result 

With a little elbow grease, a small amount of money ($10 for all the new drawer pulls), and some help from my hubby, I was able to bring this piece back from the brink of the landfill. It now has new life and the best part is I know someone who can use it will now get that chance.  

Now, what will you do next to love where you live? 

Please feel free to reach out to us at The Redesign Habit and ask questions or simply share a project that you are working on or have completed. 

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