Humble Beginnings

This glam girl was one of my first commissioned upcycles!

She came in looking rather worn out, but she had a beautiful shape that my client loved, and her glass-paned doors offered an interesting pattern. All she needed was a vision, a healthy dose of TLC and a fresh look befitting of her sleek lines and elegant curves.

Prepping for Transformation

My client had already removed side panels intended for CD storage and stripped most of the original varnish, but she was a bit patchy and sticky so I got to work with a deep clean and scrape to remove all traces of dust, dirt and goo. As I was working though, something felt a bit 'off' about her. After some contemplation I realised that she was upside down! Yep, she had a pointy centre stile that was facing downwards.

Once I flipped her around and secured some curvy Queen Anne legs with ball and claw feet that I'd sourced, she looked far more befitting of her new life as a gin cabinet and was ready for paint.

A bare wood gin cabinet with glass pane doors and no legs in a worn condition prior to being upcycled.
An upcycled gin cabinet with ball and claw feet, painted in a dark green with gold gilding finishes and gold pineapple door handles.
Gin cabinet upcycled in an art deco style, painted in green with gold decorative detailing with gin bottles placed on painted shelves against a wallpapered backing.
Decorative upcycled gin cabinet with glass doors, painted in green with gold pineapple and tassel details
Close-up of a green and gold decorative element on an upcycled and reloved gin cabinet.
Close-up of a ball and claw foot of an upcycled gin cabinet, painted in green with gold detailing.

A Brilliant Bold New Look

My client wanted a vibrant green with splashes of gold and art-deco background vibes. After some back and forth with mood boards and decisions around the final colour and wallpaper choices, I got to work on the painting and decoupage.

As one of my first commissions, this piece took me a bit longer than expected as I 'learnt by doing'. It was good experience for me in terms of what to do, what not to do, sourcing of materials and hardware, proper costing and timings. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the process and I carry the lessons with me in my work today.

Anyway, back to our gin cabinet upcycle!

She was painted in a rich, 'royal' green with gold leaf accents on the ball and claw feet, the glass door panes and the centre stile. The addition of gold tassels to the cupboard keys added to her new regal feel, while the whimsical gold pineapple door handles added a quirky fun factor. The bold, lined wallpaper in black and gold, decoupaged to the back panel, brought the whole look together for a fabulous finish and a happy client. Her unique upcycled gin cabinet sits proudly in her home not only practical piece but as a gorgeous statement piece with definite wow factor!

Commissioned Furniture Upcycling and Refinishing

Have an old piece of furniture looking for a fresh new look? Or an idea and would like my help to source the right piece to bring it to life? Get in touch and let's make it happen!

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