If you have followed me for the last few months then you've seen me really fall into "my own style". I went from painting bright colorful pieces to all white farmhouse style furniture, and a little bit of everything in between. It took a lot of time and experimenting to truly discover my style.
I came across this gun cabinet for a steal of a deal! It was heavy, solid wood, and in great condition so I knew somehow I could transform it into a functional piece of furniture.
I started by removing the door hardware, lock, and the stock insert at the base of the cabinet. The door handles were in great shape and the perfect style for the look I was going for. I filled in the holes for the lock and handles using Dixie Belle Mud (wood filler) then drilled new holes midway up the doors for more convenient placement.
Next I thoroughly cleaned using Dixie Belle White Lightning (tsp cleaner). Once dry I primed my piece using one coat of BOSS. I was unsure if I would have issues with bleed through since the piece was a rich red wood so better safe than sorry! I allowed the primer to fully dry prior to painting.
I wanted to create a paint finish to give the cabinet dimension since it had very straight lines with zero detail. The exterior colors I chose were Dixie Belle Dried Sage as my all over color and Drop Cloth for my highlight color on the doors. The interior color I chose was Spanish Moss. I absolutely love how all of these colors compliment each other while adding slightly different tones! I used 2 of my favorite brushes to achieve this look. My Mini synthetic brush and my premium chip brush. I used the Mini for my all over color as well as blending highlights into the doors and the premium chip brush for dry brushing the exterior.
I loved how the Drop Cloth highlighted the door frames but it still needed something more. I wet distressed the edges corners and around the handles on the door to bring back the natural wood underneath. Next I took my Best Dang Wax in black and applied it with a tshirt rag and my finger along the edges of the door frames to give it a worn aged look.
Unfortunately I was not able to remove the center insert so I had to get creative in how I added my shelf. I decided on a floating shelf look to box in the insert. I used 1x10in boards for the top and bottom and a 1x3in for the front face of the shelf. I also added a 1x12in piece as a floor board and stained all boards using Dixie Belle's No Pain Gel Stain in Walnut.
I knew I had to do something as far as legs go for this cabinet. Sitting flat on the ground took away from it and choosing a cute little leg allowed me to add even more detail to this otherwise rectangle. I found these legs at Lowes for roughly $4 a piece. I painted them to match the interior color and attached using the Hardware "A" available at Lowes.
Finally to protect this piece overall I used Dixie Belle's Easy Peasy Clear Spray Wax which happens to be one of my favorites! It is so incredibly simple and quick to use!
I hope this gives you some ideas next time you come across a gun cabinet headed for the landfill! I would love to hear your feedback on this transformation!
Paint Finish Supplies:
• Dixie Belle Mini brush and Premium Chip
• Dixie Belle Paint in Drop Cloth, Dried Sage, and Spanish Moss
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