Raise the bar

DIY projects from Your Home and Garden

Transform an old piece of furniture into a cool home entertaining statement.

Upcycling a kitchen buffet into an elegant bar
Wall painted in Resene Mine Shaft

Top tip: For a little extra bling, apply Resene FX Metallic on feature panels

I wanted to create an elegant bar set into an old cupboard, but I didn’t want to have to build something from scratch. My solution was to buy an old kitchen buffet found in a secondhand shop that had cupboards and shelving, and then upcycle it.

You will need

An old buffet or bookshelf
Drill
Sandpaper or orbital sander
Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer
Resene EzyFill Quick, if needed
Hardware for drawers/doors
Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Swiss Caramel
Wallpaper for the backing, I used Resene Wallpaper Collection FOL301
Wallpaper glue

Instructions

Learn upcycle an old kitchen buffet into an elegant bar:

Materials used
A close-up of the materials used in this upcycling project.

The buffet before refurbishment Before
The old kitchen buffet used in this upcycling project.

Step 1 - Filling holes and scratches, sanding Step one
Start by removing any cupboard doors you don’t want. Give the buffet or bookshelf a light sand all over to roughen the existing paint. I removed the doors and drawers to make this easier. Fill any little scratches or holes you find, allow the filler to dry and sand these areas again.

Step 2 - cleaning the cabinet Step two
After you have sanded, give it a good clean to remove the sanding dust and any grime that wasn’t removed during sanding.

Step 3 - Filling and spot priming the cabinet Step three
Because my unit was already painted, I didn’t have to prime the entire unit, however, I did spot prime any bare timber with Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer as well as filled in any spots with Resene EzyFill Quick. Allow to dry.

Step 4 - painting the bar cabinet Step four
Paint the unit with your Resene paint of choice. I used Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Swiss Caramel. For a higher sheen finish use Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel or, for a chalk finish, Karen Walker Chalk Colour paint from Resene ColorShops. Apply two coats, allowing to dry completely between coats.

Step 5 - installing the wallpaper Step five
While the paint was drying, I removed the backing board, fitted and glued Resene Wallpaper Collection FOL301 wallpaper to the back of the unit and refitted it. This is much easier than cutting the wallpaper around all the shelves.

Step 6 - fitting the new hardware and refitting the doors Step six
Once everything is dry, fit your new hardware and refit the doors. I decided to keep the top doors off and have open shelving.