Credenza Transformation

About two months ago I bought a laminate credenza off of craigslist for $40. 

No great back story like Milly's chair, just one of those sales where you are glad you brought a friend along.

THEN:

NOW:

I'm trapped in credenza enchantment.

This was my process:

For the first time ever I used a deglosser instead of sanding.  I thought it might help keep the integrity of the laminate and also let me be lazy. I did have to bust out the sand paper for a water damaged section on the top though, so it wasn't completely grit free.

Another first, I tried the Clark & Kensington paint from my Ace Hardware. 

Paint and primer in one.

Semi-gloss white (1 drop of black per quart).

Two coats.

Followed by Minwax Polycrylic.

Clear semi-gloss.

Two thin coats.

No sanding.

You know I like shiny.

The doors are magnetic closures where you push them in to shut the door and push them again to pop them out, so I knew I didn't want traditional hardware.

I ordered push plates from LookInTheAttic.
The 10-inch Broken Leaf polished brass ones.
And resisted the urge to order glass door knobs for all the rooms in our house.

I centered the plates on the doors, measured once to make sure they were all in the same positions and then watched Anthony measure an additional ten times.

Then had to run back to the store to get shorter brass screws.  The screws included with the push plates were longer than the width of the door and I didn't want them poking out the back.  Anthony even put a piece of tape on the drill bit, so I wouldn't go through the door when pre-drilling my holes.

I also wanted to add feet because I love them and like being able to sweep & see under things.  I found simple cylinder options from Tempe Sales and, after sanding, tried to spray paint them to match the polished brass of the push plates.

I obsessed a little over the matching and alternated between light sprays of brass then gold.

Then gave them two coats of polyurethane.

In the little wood stand that Anthony built me just to make spraying legs easier.

When the hinges went back on, it took all my might to turn them open and shut.  Seriously.  Anthony graciously razored away some of the paint and sealer build up behind the hinges so that they could open with ease.  And since it is hidden, I didn't care.

Now it sits happily in my studio space.

Providing a ridiculous amount of needed storage.

And giving one more crappy credenza a new lease on life.