When Sarah Beedell’s grandfather passed away, there was one piece of furniture she couldn’t leave behind – a large glass-fronted cabinet that sat behind his favourite chair, filled with treasured glassware. “It felt wrong to see it end up in an op shop,” says Sarah. “I wanted to rescue it and give it new life in the form of a bedside coffee unit."

With a contemporary vision in mind, Sarah began the upcycling journey – thankfully the piece came apart in two sections. She labelled the hardware and drawers as she took it apart for prep work.

Sarah imagined it in a deep green paint colour and polished brass handles. Best of all, she discovered she didn’t need to do heavy sanding. “Resene have a great shortcut called Resene Waterborne Sureseal, which is designed to be applied to varnished surfaces so you don’t need to sand everything right back,” says Sarah. “I just smoothed out a few rough patches.” After taping up the glass, she painted it with Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel in Resene Welcome. “A piece of hardwood was added and stained in Resene Colorwood Matai and sealed in clear Resene Aquaclear satin.

Now fully refreshed, the cabinet takes pride of place in her home. “I know that opa would be thrilled.”

Step-by-step instructions: