Upcycling a Wooden Cabinet with Rust-Oleum Furniture Paint

I've had this cabinet in my family for well over three decades. It was bought secondhand, so it's probably much older than 30 years, and I think it was once part of a set. I remember it being in my parents' house when I was little, before being given to my sister, who then gave it to me.

I don't know whether it's because of my age, or just my preference in aesthetic, but I really don't like the dark wood on this cabinet. I don't think I like it in any situation, in fact. I just think it looks quite dated. Maybe it'll come back in fashion - who knows - but, for now, I've decided that the dark wood look just doesn't work for me. Some of you might think it's a travesty to 'upcycle' such an old piece of furniture, but I say that you should love every piece of furniture in your home, therefore if you don't love dark wood, upcycle it.

I knew straight away that I wanted to paint this cabinet a light colour to give it a new lease of life, and also to fit in with my decor. After looking at many different paint colours and finishes (and consulting my partner who, as a teenager, was the go-to paint guy at our local Homebase), I decided on Rust-oleum Chalky Furniture Paint in a soft, light Winter Grey. The paint has a super matte, chalky texture to it - definitely not recommended if you're going to be using the surface of the cabinet a lot, as scratches will be pretty obvious.

I started off by laying down an old blanket (as I'm in a flat, I had didn't have the luxury of doing this outside), and parking the cabinet on top. I used a sanding block with a fine grain to remove the shiny varnished finish, then went straight in with the paint. The great thing about this paint is that you don't need a primer, and you'll only need a maximum of two coats.

I bought a 50mm brush and a tester pot roller set with a plastic tray as I didn't need a huge roller, however, I found that it was much easier to use a brush with this paint as I couldn't load enough paint onto the roller to achieve an opaque layer. It was also far easier to use the brush on the more detailed areas on the front of the cabinet, but I would recommend rummaging around for an even smaller brush for very fine details.

After the first coat, I left the paint to dry for four hours before reapplying. Following that, although the paint was touch dry after two more hours, I left it overnight before moving it into its place in an alcove in my flat. One 750ml tin was more than enough for two coats. I'm not sure what I'll do with the rest - can anyone suggest any new projects for me?

I'm super happy with how this turned out - not only is it an extra bit of storage for my living room, but it's also a very pretty piece of furniture which fits in with my decor. I've laid out the costings below:

Rust-Oleum Chalky Furniture Paint, £12.99
Rocket Sanding Sponge, £1.49
Tester Pot Roller Set, £2.15
50mm Paint Brush, £1.50

TOTAL: £18.13

What do you think of my upcycling? Let me know what you've upcycled lately!

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