Coffee Bar from Repurposed Radio Cabinet

This project has been almost 4 years in the making.

Build Your Own Portable Pallet Bar

This is the original state of this old radio cabinet. When I showed it as a recent find (way back when), my friend Rose emailed me pictures of one that she had just like it. We called them  Two Peas in a Pod. We agreed to repurpose them and do a crossover post highlighting how we each made our own unique new piece.

I decided it wanted to be a secretary/desk, with a drop down leaf. However, I ran into design problems.

It got set aside for a long, long time

Earlier this summer I dug it out from all of that mess to give it another go.

I decided this ole gal’s fancy footwear needed to go.

To get a good line, and help with splintering I used some Scotch Blue painter’s tape around the bottom.

I used my circular saw to get the job done.

And it’s d.o.n.e.

I love refinishing tops of pieces…the easiest way is to sand it down instead of stripping.

To get this project ready to paint I taped and papered the top to protect it from paint, patched the knob holes and recessed lines. I used Minwax Jacobean stain on the top.

plus a couple of coats of Minwax Wipe-On Poly in satin.

To cover up the very shiny surface I first used some diy chalky paint as a primer, and then some Wipe-On poly on the outside, and regular latex paint on the inside.

I used the original hardware, but sprayed it with some silver spray paint.

I added wheels for easy mobility.

I installed a shelf in the middle of the unit. I added Luan to the back, and spray painted it with the same silver spray paint.

I brought it in the house to take pictures. It’s so difficult to get a good picture of black furniture and stained tops outdoors.

I think it makes a great coffee bar.

I would have loved to repurpose it into a new microwave cart for me, but I couldn’t get the dimensions to work in my favor.

I love how the doors open all the way to the side, completely out of the way. It’s very roomy inside, lots of room for cups and more, with even more storage space below.

Rose didn’t repurpose her pea in a pod, she ended up setting it out to the curb. Have you ever come across this piece? What would YOU have done with it?

gail