Changing up an old wardrobe.

before (found at a garage sale and delivered for $5)

after it was sanded and given the first coat of stain and varnish.

So I've decided to get more into furniture restoration- especially since I need a new cupboard and this one was so cheap. It was a much bigger project than my hallway bench but I managed.

You will need:

About 3L of stain and varnish- I used a chocolate colour.

Some sanders (a orbit sander, a triangle shaped one for the corners and a finishing sander)

A damp cloth

Paint brush

Some handles (I'm still yet to find exactly the right ones).

How to:

Sand back the cupboard - first with the orbit sander, then doing the corners using the triangle shaped one.

Then wipe the cupboard down slightly with a damp cloth before finishing off with a finishing sander.

Make sure your cupboard is well sanded (if you need to sand it) as it makes painting so much easier.
Then I just gave it two coats of stain and varnish and it was done.

Then I put the hinges back on the cupboard and put some temporary handles on. In total the project cost about $50 for a paint brush, handles and the stain and varnish. I was lucky enough to be able to borrow the sanders from my lovely neighbour but if not they are quite pricey so make sure you're really keen before investing.

I haven't quite found the perfect handles yet, but I'm already using it and loving it. For a beginner in furniture restoration I'm pleased with the end result.

Now to start my next project...

Lisa x