Luggage Rack Side Table using a Cabinet Door

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I have the perfect project for this month’s Thrift Store Decor project! A luggage rack side table. I have had this luggage rack in the guest room for years. I thought it was time for the luggage rack to have a makeover, and while I’m at it, why not reinvent the luggage rack as a table? The makeover on the luggage rack is so incredibly easy, but there are steps to follow.

As I said, the luggage rack has been here for years. It is used when my daughter Jamie and her husband Andy visit from time to time. I can’t remember where I got it or how much I paid for it.

Clean Thrift Store Items

The first step to almost any thrift store project should be to thoroughly clean your project piece. You should not paint over dirt, dust grease and grime.

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Prepare project for painting

To prepare my luggage rack project for painting I had to remove the webbing. I used a screwdriver and pliers.

Remove hardware

To make this project easier to paint I opted to remove the hardware (screws). Separating the legs would make this job go smoother.

Sand rough areas

There were a few rough areas where I removed the staples and thumbtacks. Those places needed to be sanded.

Use a paintbrush to dust grooves

Using a cheap chip brush to dust the grooves of the luggage rack seemed like a no-brainer.

Apply paint to luggage rack

I used a clean paintbrush to apply the Heirloom Traditions Heritage paint in Cobblestone.

Allow paint to dry

I rested the legs of the luggage rack up against the workbench to allow the paint to dry. I ended up doing three very quick and light coats of the gray paint.

Reassemble the luggage rack

While I was working on all the other components I threw these webbing pieces into the washer. I really like the pattern and color so I decided to keep them. I used my stapler to secure the straps.

not shown: I reassembled the luggage rack by putting the two screws and washers back in place.

How to make a table top for your luggage rack using a cabinet door

Clean the cabinet door of grease and grime. Then paint both sides.I used Iron Gate from Heirloom Traditions to paint the front of the large cabinet door. The bottom side was painted the same color as the luggage rack.

Old hardware knobs make great feet for trays

While all the paint was drying I looked for an option to add feed to the cabinet door to make it a tray or table top.

I opted for these guys. I happen to have exactly FOUR of them. I’ve used knobs as feet before, drilling through the cabinet door. But I didn’t want to do that this time.

I placed the screw into the vice and used a hack saw to cut off the head.

Attach vintage cabinet knobs for tray feet

Using painter’s tape on the drill bit helps as a guide to keep you from drilling through the door.

Typically screwing the knob onto the threads would allow you to then turn the screw and secure it into the cabinet door. However these knobs seemed to be endless and the screw went deep into the knob and only slightly into the wood. I used needle nose pliers to twist the screw. That got to be a pain, so I searched that bucket for a more shallow knob in order to spin the screw into the wood. Then I removed the shallow knob and replaced it with this knob. Something that seemed to be so easy, suddenly became very frustrating. It happens!

Luggage rack with fresh paint makeover

Isn’t paint amazing? I love the new color of the luggage rack!!