Homeright has issued another challenge to the Brand Ambassadors. Our mission, should we choose to accept it was to get our hands on a regular ole cubby and work our magic with a Finish Max and paint from Lowe’s. We’re celebrating the good news that Lowe’s is testing the waters with our favorite Finish Max in a few of their stores. woohoooo!
Homeright sent me a gift card to purchase a Closet Maid cubby and paint. Off I went to pick up what I needed. 
This is what we had to work with-a simple cubby organizer made out of mdf.
While assembling the cubby, I chose to use Gorilla Wood Glue to strengthen all of the joints and dowels.
Here is the simple cubby organizer all put together. At this point, I was still unsure exactly what I was going to do. I was hoping for some big LIGHT BULB moment, or at least a THOUGHT bubble over my head—nope, a big fat nothing. Were my creative juices drying up? Or was this the hardest challenge I ever took on? You may remember the IKEA challenge from Homeright.com last October. I actually won that with my dresser into a hutch. Furniture is definitely my strong point . . . but I moved forward.
Thinking back on my challenge from last year, I decided to go the same route with this simple challenge. The plain cubby needed a little something.
I added some smaller trim pieces to beef up the front of the cubby a little—to make the boards look a little more substantial. (I actually added these boards to the back of the cubby where the rougher mdf was showing, so the Gorilla wood glue would adhere better than to the shiny laminate of the front boards.) In addition to gluing, I used my brad nailer to secure the boards on the front and on the sides of the cubby.
This is after I’ve added all the extra pieces to get a new look on the cubby organizer.
I filled all the small holes with some spackling—as I was sanding that, I also gave the entire piece a light sanding to allow the paint to adhere easily.
I set up my Homeright Spray Shelter, and rested the cubby on some sawhorses so I could paint the bottom of the unit first.
After the bottom dried, I set the unit upright and continued painting all the way around. Using the Homeright Finish Max on this project made painting a breeze! Getting into all the little cubby holes was easy and as always the overspray was minimal. TIP set your project up higher, off the ground for better coverage and ease of painting.
I was hand painting some other projects, so I used some leftover paint out of my Finish Max paint cup to do a couple of quick coats on these chunky feet I picked up over the Summer at a yard sale.
I used some Gorilla wood glue to add the chunky feet to the Closet Maid Cubby organizer.
TIP: use a brad nail gun to temporarily secure chunky feet on the cubby unit until the Gorilla wood glue sets up. Think of it as a way to clamp where you really can’t use a regular clamp. After the glue set up, I then secured the feet with two long screws on each foot.
I love the flawless finish I get when I use my Homeright Finish Max, isn’t it beautiful?
I love how the feet raise it off the floor, don’t you?
see more great Finish Max projects here
gail
ps-it’s TIME TO VOTE for your favorite! Click the picture below to go to Homeright.com to vote. It’s really easy. The winner gets $500 !!!
disclaimer: I’m happy to be a Homeright Brand Ambassador which allows me to share great projects and products with you. Homeright furnished me with all of the products for this project and I have been compensated for my time. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Janet says
October 30, 2015 at 10:07 amI love the look with the legs! I would change the legs a bit and add baskets to conceal junk in the cubby.
Kim F says
October 28, 2015 at 3:07 pmI would enjoy doing a bar/wine storage piece that had some”old time Glam” inspired sparkle or bling to it! I’d Install a mirror to the back, add trim to beef her up, add a couple bottle storage areas, and then paint her a platnium color.
carol clark says
October 28, 2015 at 4:19 ami think i would two tone it like black with white inside if not pretty or style up i think id change it to one color love it …..
carol clark says
October 28, 2015 at 4:17 ami think i would two tone it like black with white inside if not pretty or style up i think id change it to one color love it
Carol Norton says
October 27, 2015 at 11:04 amI would put cross pieces in cubbys and make it towel rack/storage for bath.
Vic says
October 24, 2015 at 6:17 amI would paint the cubbie a deep red and use in my bedroom for additional storage.
Rebecca B says
October 24, 2015 at 12:47 amI’m dying to paint something teal! The shelves would be gorgeous.
Donna Churchill says
October 23, 2015 at 12:52 pmI love what you did with this cubby. I sure does make it look like it was homemade and done well compared to they way they look when you get them and just put them up. I don’t have the Finish Max but I think if I was to do this piece myself I would have stained all of the wood trim you added with a cherry wood stain and still painted the cubby itself the black. I just love how those 2 colors go together. I keep all of your emails in a folder and get to go in and look at them whenever I want, I love it. Thank you so much for sharing your talent with all of us. Have a happy day!!
Kathleen Lee says
October 22, 2015 at 10:55 pmI really like what you did with the cubby organizer. It would work perfectly in my foyer!
Linda says
October 22, 2015 at 9:07 pmLove the painting you do with the Finish Max.
I’d love to have one to do my kitchen when I do my remodel
pick me,,pick me…..
girlfromwva says
October 22, 2015 at 9:02 pmI love the flawless finish you got from the Finish Max !
I think i would add a back to it; you did such a great job!
Holly says
October 22, 2015 at 8:13 pmLove what you did to it. I would have added a back to it.
Bev Ritch says
October 22, 2015 at 8:12 pmI would faint if I was chosen to win a HomeRight Finish Max! I enter every giveaway I see for them hoping that someday I will win! It would definitely help me amp up my enthusiasm and help me get my mojo back, and the timing couldn’t be better since I am off work for the winter 🙂
estereoj says
October 22, 2015 at 12:10 pmI think this cubby could use some wheels
Patrycja Chudziak says
October 22, 2015 at 10:12 amI would paint it in cubes of different shades of green and black for a Minecraft design for my son’s room!
Stacey says
October 22, 2015 at 9:52 amJob well done! I love how a few pieces of trim & feet can elevate a piece of furniture. I would have added some bead board & another lighter color layer of paint & light distressing.
mary ballerin says
October 22, 2015 at 3:16 amI would put it on a kickplate, add doors and paint it to match my kitchen cabinets, I need more storage space to hide cookware.
Jenny U says
October 22, 2015 at 12:02 amIt looks great! I like a more cottage type feel and would probably do a beadboard backing and paint it all a light blue.
Julia says
October 21, 2015 at 6:09 pmI think I’d finish it just like you did…in black. Looks great and I love those legs on it!
Joye says
October 21, 2015 at 6:05 pmIt qould be hard to improve upon your version. Adding baskets for concealed storage is a possibility, I guess. Nice job.
theresa j says
October 21, 2015 at 3:35 pmI would love to add some baskets or drawers
Doreen @ Altered Artworks says
October 21, 2015 at 2:24 pmI would be so excited to have the HomeRight Finish Max that I would probably just paint it over and over again because it is so much easier than regular spray paint. I’d finish with a duck egg blue on the outside and white inside.
cathy says
October 21, 2015 at 12:42 pmThe Finish Max would be so awesome to help turn a cubby into a storage area for my yarn!
Carol Norton says
October 21, 2015 at 11:58 amI have 3. One plan on hanging on wall in bath to house decorations and towels. the other 2 will be hung above desk to hose supplies. Both are backed with backed with beadboard as a stiffener.
Martha says
October 21, 2015 at 10:49 amI’m a quilter so I bought two of the cubby units and connected them together to make one large top for my cutting table. They are the perfect hight. But now I will add some trim and paint a pretty blue.
Loretta Cox says
October 21, 2015 at 10:17 amI would add the cubby to the top of a chest to make a higher display shelf. Finished in a teal distressed with white showing thru.
Lisa A. says
October 21, 2015 at 10:12 amLove the chunky feet you put on the cubby. I think I would have put a back on the unit and painted it a contrasting color or covered it with some vintage wallpaper.
chris aka monkey says
October 21, 2015 at 10:03 amgail adding trim and feet turned this into a classy looking piece, i would paint mine red to put in grandsons playroom to corral some of the mountain of toys xx
Shirley D says
October 21, 2015 at 9:59 amNice job! Spinning off your creativity I would like it cottaged up a bit with added tongue & groove wainscot for the back with a short spindle leg. And then there could be an industrial look painted gray & added casters, possibly added metal for a back. (corrugated or tin) Wow I need a Homeright Finish Max to make things happen!
Susan says
October 21, 2015 at 9:53 amI would have added doors and then added small pieces of wood to each door to look like a card catalog. Then painted the whole thing white, distressed and then used dark wax to age the white paint.
chris from midwest cottage and finds says
October 21, 2015 at 9:20 amwow!! I think I would have completed the project in black also using the Finish Max…..Black against a lighter wall always looks so classy! Great project Gail!! BTW –the feet–AWESOME!!
Gayle says
October 21, 2015 at 8:53 amI’d use the cubby as a shelf in a bath we are updating at our beach house. It looks to be the perfect size and would look great with the insides painted a different color than the outside pieces. I’m going with sea colors , so a sea glass blue on the inside and a sea green on the outside would look great with the towels and toiletry bath items. It could be hung or sit on the bath counter for easy access.
Carol S says
October 21, 2015 at 8:31 amNice job! I especially love the wood effects on the sides. I’m loving shutters and pallet wood right now. Probably would have made it rustic with a chevron design on the sides.
Amanda S. says
October 21, 2015 at 8:22 amThat turned out gorgeous!
If I had to do one I would have painted it yellow and put on some rounded feet.
stephanie wesztergom says
October 21, 2015 at 8:17 amI’m a little bohemian. I would use color: several varied. I love the feet idea, I may use lager or even legs. But I would most definitely apply/draw/use a mandala patterns here and there.
Wendy N says
October 21, 2015 at 8:10 amI would have painted this piece a blue color to put in our family room! Love how you added feet to yours!!
Jen says
October 21, 2015 at 8:08 amI am re-doing my playroom to a study room for the kids and would use it to spray this bookcase and two desks to coordinate!
dannie says
October 21, 2015 at 7:56 amWhoa. That’s looking pretty nice! I would use that attached securely to studs to use as a cubby for a mudroom / dog organizer that I desperately need! Less the legs, but that are cool on your project.
Joe says
October 21, 2015 at 7:47 amNice Job, Gail!
karen says
October 21, 2015 at 7:26 amI have sooooo many things that need paint! Dressers, a desk, a large shelf unit, drawers, a bed frame, picture and mirror frames, 2 fabric chairs, a fabric headboard, and a large old fashioned 3 piece sectional couch! I need a sprayer! lol
Sharon says
October 21, 2015 at 7:24 amI would add a larger piece of board to the top (longer and wider) to use this as a small TV stand for the kitchen or a bedroom. I would also add wheels at the bottom of the “feet” for easy movement. Otherwise I would use the trim just as you did because it’s a great project! Thank you for sharing.
Ann says
October 21, 2015 at 7:18 amI love what you did! The feet really make the piece. I would like to do something similar, but put the cubbies on their side to make it taller and thinner, then put a door on one or both sides.
Sara Eck says
October 21, 2015 at 7:15 amLove your project. If I was doing it, I’d have painted it with some fun colors and added some vinyl inspiration and used it for my kid’s toys.
Wendy Brown says
October 21, 2015 at 7:04 amI would love to see if I could turn it on its side, adding a cabinet underneath to create more of a hutch. As a lover of wine, I would add some diagonal pieces in 4 of the cubbies and create wineglass hangers in the remaining two.
Heidi G says
October 21, 2015 at 6:59 amLove this! Love your site & projects!!!
This would be perfect! I want to make my daughter a barbie house to use with my childhood barbies. I would add legs, a wall anchor, and create a rooftop party deck. Each of the wall areas can be covered by ‘wallpaper(scrapbook paper).
This would be a fun project and Christmas gift.
Christina in FL says
October 21, 2015 at 6:55 amWow Gail, the cubby organizer looks GREAT! Love the chunky feet. I’m all about things on wheels these days so I would like to beef up the bottom and put some oversize black wheels on it. 🙂 Maybe use the HomeRight to spray through some stencils 🙂 Thanks for the opportunity and inspiration! 🙂
Mary Burnett says
October 21, 2015 at 6:41 amI would have painted inside & outside of cubbie different colors (cordinating colors but different)
Sherri Mick says
October 21, 2015 at 6:10 amGail, I love what you did with the cubby! I just moved with a limited amount of furniture and am going to purchase one as soon as possible. I will beef up the cubby much like you did, but I will attach it to an old dresser I have and use it as a hutch on my dining room. I may purchase several and duplicate your for my living room and also come up with an idea for one in my bathroom with some additional long shelves on the bottom for towel storage and use the cubbies on top for toiletries and knickknacks. Love this project!!
Sherri Mick says
October 21, 2015 at 6:14 amI would paint living room one black, dining room one a green, bedroom one white with stencils and bedroom one black with stencils. I plan on doing 4 versions of it!!
Sherri Mick says
October 21, 2015 at 6:16 amSorry bathroom one white. My mind is buzzing with all the things I can do!
Gina Winkler says
October 21, 2015 at 5:59 amI would have added a hinged piece that could be raise as a table with hidden storage. Then used The Homeright to match the finish all around.
Janet McDonald says
October 21, 2015 at 5:55 amI love this project! I would love to be able to build a set of bookcases around my fireplace and be able to paint them to match the mantel.. Kewl idea for the legs. Who would of thought. Awesome job. And awesome color!
Lori says
October 21, 2015 at 5:02 amI love the color and the feet. I think I would need to add a back to it! I would choose some pallet wood sanded down but left natural. Some old tin roof might work well too, but then I would change the color – I’m on a red kick right now!
Cindy B says
October 21, 2015 at 4:35 amI’d like to paint that cubby a dark gray with turquoise on the cubby interiors!