• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Start Here
  • Shop Favorites
  • About
    • Welcome To My Repurposed Life Home of Repurposed Furniture
    • More About Gail
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Information
  • Gallery
    • Repurposed Furniture
  • Repurposed Items
    • Building Supplies
    • Miscellaneous Household Items
    • Picture Frame/Chalk Board
  • DIY
    • Home Reno
    • outdoor living
    • Painting
    • Shop Talk
    • Tips for Around the House
    • Build It
      • Furniture
      • Home Decor
      • Storage
    • Crafts
      • Dollar Store
      • Easy
      • Holidays Seasonal
  • Furniture
    • Chair
    • Desk
    • Dresser/Chest
    • Headboard | Bed Parts | Cribs
    • Kids Furniture
    • Table
    • Kids Furniture
My Repurposed Life® Rescue Re-imagine Repeat
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Start Here
  • Project Index
  • Furniture
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Furniture Makeover » Antique China Cabinet | Curved Glass

    Antique China Cabinet | Curved Glass

    Published by Gail | Published July 27, 2022 | Updated December 8, 2022
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Pin
    Share
    Tweet
    An outdated antique china cabinet gets a new lease on life with paint and some TLC. The curved glass is a bonus! Tips on painting and repairs. #upcycled #MyRepurposedLife #chinacabinet #antique #painting via @repurposedlifeAn outdated antique china cabinet gets a new lease on life with paint and some TLC. The curved glass is a bonus! Tips on painting and repairs. #upcycled #MyRepurposedLife #chinacabinet #antique #painting via @repurposedlifeAn outdated antique china cabinet gets a new lease on life with paint and some TLC. The curved glass is a bonus! Tips on painting and repairs. #upcycled #MyRepurposedLife #chinacabinet #antique #painting via @repurposedlife

    Cousin Terry gave me this antique china cabinet with curved glass. I find it odd that the china cabinet has five legs, two of which were not attached when I brought it home. Therefore I had to lay it down on two small furniture dollies for storage and moving.

    antique china cabinet

    You can see the two back legs laying on the pavement, as well as the three curved wooden shelves. Note the small mirror attached to the back of the china cabinet. I have no idea how old this furniture is, but I don't think it was manufactured. I couldn't find any furniture company listed anywhere on it.

    antique china cabinet with curved glass doors
    old china cabinet

    In this picture, the cabinet is propped up on the back legs. But at least it's upright!

    Before I could do anything, I needed to get those back legs on. You'll see that I opted for Kreg Jig Pocket holes, but then decided to add extra screws "just in case".

    Repair Legs on Antique China Cabinet

    First, I removed leftover nails, then I sanded the old glue off of the legs and the bottom of the cabinet. This was done so the legs would rest smoothly on their new home.

    Next, I drilled the pocket holes, and finally I drilled countersink holes for new screws. Additionally, I used Gorilla Wood Glue for extra hold.

    repairing furniture legs

    Here, you can see that I added extra screws to the front three legs. As for the two missing back legs, I reattached them using the shadow of where they had been before. Had I not done this, I would have put them on wrong. It seemed to me that the "paws" should face forward, whereas originally they faced outward.

    Patch Pocket Holes

    I used Plastic Wood-X to patch the pocket holes. I did this in two phases, allowing the first application to dry and set up before I added more Plastic Wood.

    Remove Doors From Antique China Cabinet

    Because I wanted to make it easier on myself, I asked my neighbor Rodney to help me put the china cabinet on a work table. Then, I removed the curved glass doors, hence making it easier to paint the inside of the cabinet.

    How to Make Work Table Mobile

    In order to make my work table mobile, I used some tri-dolly wheels. I have learned to work smarter not harder. The weather was really warm and I needed to "chase the shade". My folding work table worked great using these wheels. They have pads on top of them that allow you to use them under furniture as well.

    Sand Rough Areas

    This was a good time to sand any rough places, including where the door hinges had been removed.

    Degloss Antique China Cabinet Before Painting

    Because I don't really know the entire history of the antique china cabinet, I used the deglosser on it to remove grime and crud. Simply brush it on (scrub it-optional) and wipe it off. This really helps the paint adhere. You can't paint over grease, grime and nicotine.

    Mix Paint for Custom Color

    Although I loved the way the small desk with missing drawers turned out painting it with weathervane, I was thinking something much lighter for this antique china cabinet. So, I mixed All in One Paint "Bone" with "Weathervane". It produced a very light (medium) gray.

    Paint with Small Foam Roller

    As usual, I used a small foam roller to paint all the large surfaces of the antique china cabinet, starting with the shelves. (it's not the high density type that you may use to paint your walls)

    I really love to use a butter container for the paint. The roller fits perfectly in it, and I can store the paint for short periods of time using the original lid.

    painting china cabinet with small foam roller

    The small roller was used on most areas of the cabinet, including the legs. Later, a small brush will be used for touchups.

    Don't the patched pocket holes look great? They will be totally invisible after they're painted.

    Note: Do you see the foam roller placed in a sandwich baggie while not in use?

    Finally, you get to see the freshly painted china cabinet standing up! So, this is when I had a couple of brainstorms! I'm really curious if you have already thought of either of my "aha" moments?

    Are you ready? Maybe you will like my ideas, and maybe you won't.

    What Would You Do?

    Yep, I removed the small mirror from the back. It was really difficult to paint, and I just thought it dated the antique china cabinet too much in order to re-home it.

    Speaking of difficult to paint, have your figured out my second "aha" moment?

    Remove Back from China Cabinet for Easy Painting

    I'm here to help YOU learn from my mistakes. Seriously, why didn't I think of this earlier. Painting the inside of the curved glass cabinet would have been so much easier with that back off!

    Why did I decide to take off the back? Maybe you noticed I didn't paint the back--that's because I planned to add contact paper on the back.

    Well, looky there! Can't you see how much easier it would have been to paint this cabinet with the back off of it? It definitely was easy to do touch ups and clean the paint off the glass this way.

    Add Contact Paper to Back of China Cabinet

    I used shiplap contact paper to easily line the back. I started in the middle, then did the left and right sides. It was incredibly easy to do with the back off the cabinet. Can you imagine trying to do this otherwise? Yes, it was a little bit of time and trouble to remove the back, but I wish I had done it first thing!

    Would you have put the shiplap contact paper vertical like I did? Or would you have put it horizontal? I debated the decision with Terry. She brought up the fact that if I got it the least bit crooked, (horizontally) it would be very obvious when the shelves are added. Something to consider, eh?

    I am seriously in love with the custom color I made. It is exactly the shade of gray I was going for. The All in One Paint has a fabulous finish that doesn't need sealing.

    Reassemble China Cabinet

    The weather turned really not, so I brought the antique china cabinet indoors to finish it. It was time to reassemble it. This included cleaning the glass, reinstalling the doors and adding a couple of lost dowels to hold the shelves. Luckily I have this baggie of 10 year old dowel pieces in my stash!

    China Cabinet with Curved Glass Doors

    gray antique china cabinet with white dishes

    It is soooo difficult to take a picture of a china cabinet with curved glass doors!

    gray china cabinet with curved glass doors

    Isn't it beautiful? Or perhaps you prefer the natural finish it was before? It really would have taken a lot of work to refinish the original wood. I just wasn't up for it, plus I would never recoup my time out of it when it's sold.

    I do refinish furniture occasionally. This antique dresser belonged to my mom, and my daughter Jamie asked me not to paint it. I have an antique vanity in storage, I can't decide whether to refinish it or paint it. hmmmmm

    gail

    Pin
    Share
    Tweet

    Related Content:

    • Antique Chest Of Drawers Easy Makeover
      Antique Chest Of Drawers Easy Makeover
    • DIY Corner Planter
      DIY Corner Planter
    • How to Glaze Painted Furniture
      How to Glaze Painted Furniture
    • How to Paint a Wooden Mirror Frame
      How to Paint a Wooden Mirror Frame
    • Antique Wardrobe Makeover
      Antique Wardrobe Makeover
    • Pallet Wood Shelf
      Pallet Wood Shelf

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      See comments Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Sue at Blu

      July 27, 2022 at 10:21 pm

      These are very difficult due to the curved glass. I was terrified the first time! Practice makes it easier. Beautiful Gail!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        July 28, 2022 at 3:18 pm

        Sue,

        Are you talking about removing the shelves? If so, there is definitely a trick to it. I think I'll have to include directions on how to do it so when the new owner is moving it out of the booth, they won't have any problems. 🙂
        gail

    2. girlfromwva

      July 27, 2022 at 1:58 pm

      lovely color and finish. like Terry's idea of the pattern running vertically.

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        July 28, 2022 at 3:17 pm

        For now, this is in my bedroom, waiting to go to the booth. It's really growing on me, but it needs to find someone else who will use it and love it!

        gail

    3. Dawn

      July 27, 2022 at 10:20 am

      My Mom has one like this. I told her I claim it. She's all about darker wood colors. She refinished hers with a dark stain. And her shelves are glass. I like the wood ones so much better. Love the colors you chose and the paper. Love it!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        July 28, 2022 at 3:11 pm

        I think this one would have been prettier with a dark stain finish than it's original oak finish. But, painting it was soooo much easier.

        thank you for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment. It's much appreciated

        gail

    4. Willemina Witt

      July 27, 2022 at 4:41 am

      Absolutely beautiful!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        July 28, 2022 at 3:10 pm

        Thank you so much! It's currently sitting in my bedroom, and I'm getting to enjoy it until I take it to my booth.

        gail

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, there! I’m Gail Wilson, the author and mastermind behind My Repurposed Life. I’m obsessed with finding potential in unexpected places and believe that with a little hard work and imagination, any old thing can be made useful again—myself included! I hope you’ll enjoy the journey and pick up a few tools along the way… literally!

    More about me →

    Join Our Mailing List

    ​

      Click the topics you're interested in below:

      Subscribing above means you agree to our Privacy Policy​

      Footer

      ↑ back to top

      SEEN ON

      Might I Suggest

      • Start Here
      • Furniture Makeovers

      Newsletter

      • Sign Up! for emails and updates

      About

      • Gail's Favorites on Amazon
      • About

      As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

      Copyright © 2023 My Repurposed Life · Privacy Policy · Disclosure