One Retro Cabinet, Two Looks

Do you remember this little retro cabinet I painted not long ago?
The first time I painted it, I wanted to stay true to its retro-i-ness (see the post here). It was painted with classic, retro browns and glaze was used to highlight the basket weave. This is how the little, press-board, cabinet started out. Banged up and grungy, they could barely give it away. Ever since I picked it up though, I thought it would be the perfect piece to show how different a piece can look with just a few, simple modifications.

It always amazes me how the same piece can look so different by just changing the paint.

This time around I wanted the little cabinet to have more of a farmhouse, antique-y look and feel. It is still a retro piece, but even that specific style can lend itself to a farmhouse feel. The first thing I did to change it up, was to remove the doors. The doors were quite tight after the first painting, so removing them was a great option. Removing them also opened up the cabinet and gave it a more airy feel. I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Cream for the cabinet and shelves this time.

Cream is a beautiful, neutral, off-white that goes with anything. It is definitely one of my go-to colours. A dresser that I use in my studio area is painted Coco so I used that to paint the legs and tie the two piece together (see it here). By just changing the doors and paint, the same piece has a completely different feel. No wonder, despite all of the pieces out there, they all look so unique. Everyone has their own vision when they redo a piece. Peoples personal preferences and tastes usually shine through in their paint choices and designs and that makes for the gorgeous variety of styles we see.