The Speaker Cabinet

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As usual, this find has a story that began late last Fall at a yard sale.  When we walked up the driveway, I recognized the man holding the sale. You see, I'd met Mike before - twice.  He does sales for other people and this one was no exception. My husband spotted him first and started to laugh.  When Mike looked up and saw me, my husband announced, "She's back!"  
Mike responded with an unenthusiastic,  "I see that." 
You see, I drive a hard bargain, my husband has even called me 'ruthless', but, I get good deals.  This day was no exception..... 
 
I spotted this cabinet in the back of the garage and asked Mike how much he was asking for it.  
He looked at me and asked, "How much are you thinking?"
Dangerous question....The top wasn't even attached!
My response?  "I want it for 5 bucks."
He laughed. 
I smiled!
Long story short?  I picked up a few other items and ended up getting the cabinet for $8.
I know, Ruthless!  (She says with a big smile!)

So, what did I love about this piece of furniture?
The beautifully carved trim.

Those legs!

Beautiful speaker detail.

And those tiny little flower knobs!

Where to begin?  The inside.  It contained a pretty big speaker that was no good. 
There were screws holding it to the front and large bolts on the bottom.  After removing them I was left with several holes in the base of the cabinet. Wood glue and dowels to the rescue!  The glue was spread into each hole.
A dowel was tapped into each hole and cut flush with my hacksaw.
Later, with some sanding and paint, you could hardly tell they had been there.
Notice the light coming in on the left?  There's no back on this cabinet.  I'll address that later on.

It was time to give the outside some attention and as you can see from the close-ups, the finish on this cabinet was pretty rough. The good news was the veneer on all of the sides was in great condition - no chips, splits, cracks, or lifting!  After gluing and clamping one leg that was pulling way from the side and the cracked trim along the bottom. I started applying Citristrip to the sides.  After carefully scraping off the old finish, I found this beautiful wood veneer:
Sorry, this pic was taken after I started applying some stain.

A light coat of red mahogany stain was applied and I was loving the color.
This was taken outside and appears more red than it actually is - you'll see in upcoming pictures.

I used Citristrip on the legs and decided to finish them with a combination of paint and stain.  
The weather had turned cold and I was completing the finishing touches on the dining room table.  

To carry the gold through the piece, I added gold paint to the carving on the front and sliding doors.

At this point, it was time to put a back on the cabinet.  Since it was a speaker cabinet, it originally had no need for one.  I had other plans for it, so a piece of thin plywood was cut, painted, and attached to the back. 
Glue, clamps, and weight all played a part.
Which brings me to the subject of the top - the one that wasn't attached?  It was in very poor condition.
The finish was rough and the veneer was either missing, splitting, or lifting.  After much gluing, filling, and sanding, the top was painted black with chalk paint. I applied a gold stencil and sealed it with 3 coats of polycrylic, along with the rest of the cabinet.
It was time to turn my attention to the inside of the top.  You see, the intention was to have it on hinges so the inside needed to be pretty.  After painting the center white...
I attached some pretty fabric using Mod Podge.
Some pretty trim was added to finish the edges and it was done.
Two hinges were used to attach the top to the cabinet.
I can't forget those pretty flower knobs.  They were brought back to life with some polish.
Love them!
I ordered some vintage speaker fabric and used tacks to attach it to the inside.
This is where it really matters:
I love the texture in it.
Now I could declare this project done.
Isn't she pretty?


How to use it?
Filled with your favorite spirits and glassware, it's a bar. 

Or you could just fill it with those extra throws and blankets.  You don't really need a picture, do you?

My favorite idea involves a little light.  
Some battery-operated candlelight for some evening ambiance.  What do you think?

That's the story of the dirty, decrepit speaker cabinet from the back of a garage.  I just love a happy ending, don't you?


I hope you'll pin, share, comment, and follow.  If you click on those 3 little lines at the top left of the blog (on the Home page), you'll see where to find me...or click on the icon below to share.



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Comments

  1. This turned out beautifully! I love the color of then stain and all of the details are wonderful. What a fabulous find for that price!

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    1. Thank you, Beverly. This piece of furniture truly is special and I've never seen anything quite like it.

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  2. Oh wow! You did a lovely renovation job on this! I'd love to have the finished version in my home, but I'd also love to find something with so much potential for so little!

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    1. Thank you, Cheryl. I always look for the piece hidden away in the back - you never know what you'll find. I'm so glad you like it!

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  3. That's a very cool bar cabinet and exactly what I myself would use it for! Also, I love the use of the battery operated candle. (:

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    1. There are so many ways to use it - Choices, choices! Thanks for stopping by and I'm so glad you like it!

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  4. Ann, fantastic! can't believe you found one of these. My husband found the day he found our China cabinet on the road side. Ours needs tons of TLC too.

    Pinned

    Cindy

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    1. There it was, in the back of the garage, asking me to take it home! I look forward to seeing yours.

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  5. what a great job we once had one and turned it into a clothing storage for baby
    thanks for sharing come see us at http://shopannies.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you. There are no babies here, but that's a great idea!

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  6. What an amazing transformation! I had never seen a speaker cabinet before. Thanks for linking up with Hello Monday! Tanya - The Other Side of the Road

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    1. I had never seen one either, Tanya - part of the reason I had to have it!

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  7. What a beautiful makeover you did great job.

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    1. Thank you, Anita. I'm pretty pleased with it!

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  8. Beautiful job on this cabinet restoration, Ann!

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  9. The speaker cabinet turned out great. It's wonderful when piece can be rescued and repurposed. I love the idea of a liqueur cabinet and bar.

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    1. Thank you, Carol. This piece is truly special!

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  10. This turned out absolutely gorgeous! Great job!

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  11. You did a fabulous job resurrecting a decripit piece! You sure put a lot of hard work into it to make it such a beauty. I hope you have some pictures of it on your phone to show Mike the next time you run into him!

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    1. Thank you so much, Kathy. I do have pictures on my phone, but I'm not sure I'll show Mike....he'll want more money for the next wreck I want! LOL

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  12. Thanks for joining Bloggers pit stop- reusing a piece of furniture to such completion is so satisfying - Pit Stop Crew

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  13. You did an amazing job! The cabinet is gorgeous! Makes me wish I had one . . .

    I have a trunk that was my great-grandfather's. My husband is refinishing it for me. Isn't he sweet!

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    1. Thank you, Nina. You just never know what you'll find.....Old trunks are gorgeous and I want to see your Great-grandfather's when it's done!

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  14. All I can say is WOW Ann - you are a miracle worker!
    May your garage sale guy NEVER see what you do with his cast-offs or you'll never pick up a bargain again - lol!
    Congrats - I can't wait to share your cabinet makeover at Inspire Me Monday at Create WIth Joy #476! :-)

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    1. How sweet of you to say that! I'm not sure I'm a miracle worker, but I do 'listen' to pieces and they often tell me what to do...maybe I'm the furniture whisperer??

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  15. Oh good grief! It's amazing! I love all the little details that you saved and enhanced. What a thing of beauty!

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    1. Thank you, Julie....I'm pretty happy with it.

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  16. I'm featuring you this week! Thanks for sharing with us at the To Grandma's house we go link party!

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  17. What an amazing transformation !! You've got magic fingers Ann.
    Thank you for sharing with us at Meraki Link Party.
    Much Love
    Naush

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  18. Amazing transformation - it's absolutely beautiful. (viewed through Inspire Me Monday)

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    1. Thank you so much, Jen. I apprecaite you stopping by!

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  19. Beautiful. Thank you for sharing on the Classy Flamingos.

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  20. This is absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm. Pinned! xo Kathleen

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    1. Thank you, Kathleen. I'm happy to share!

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  21. What an amazing outcome, the speaker cabinet, saved, to show off again. Thank you for not painting it white. Those wood tones need to shine. I just have to feature this in our next Blogger's Pit Stop.
    Kathleen

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    1. Thank you so much, Kathleen. I only paint when I have to - wood is just too pretty!

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  22. You put a lot of work into this project and it just glows! Those dainty little flower knobs are a gem for the piece. Congrats on a job well done. Thanks for sharing it with us. #HomeMattersParty

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    1. Thank you so much, Donna. Those knobs really are the sweetest, aren't they?

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  23. This is a HUGE wow from me, Ann! I am an antiques dealer, along with two of my sisters. I have one sister who would tackle a job like you've done here and I know what kind of work it involves. You truly brought this piece back to life. It's amazing, and I love its repurposed use even more than its original! Bravo!

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    1. Thank you so much, Rita. I tend to look for the worst pieces and bring them back to life - I love a challenge! lol
      I'm so glad you stopped by - come back again soon!

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  24. Such a wonderful post. Thank you so much!!

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  25. Thank you for refinishing this great piece and not painting it. The wood is GREAT... Thank you for a great job.

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    1. I always try to restore wood when I can. I'm so glad you like it!

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  26. The person who originally got rid of it might recognize it, and try to get it back! Beautiful and very useful; I like liquor hidden like that, and on display only when you so choose.

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    1. If they do, they're not getting it! LOL

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  27. WOW! Truly stunning transformation.

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  28. Veneer is so fragile.You did a wonderful job with it. I did a close up of the cracked trim under the doors and you can't even see it! That takes skill. I really like how you used a glossy finish on the legs. And the gold trim just brings the project together perfectly. Now to turn you green: a friend tears down buildings and trailers for the metal. He gives me the wood. So far, two pianos, plenty of 100+ year old barn wood, a side table that I haven't touched. I turned one piano into my computer desk/keyboard station and the barn wood now covers a whole wall in my living room. Maybe you could develop a similar working relationship with Mike. You know nobody would have seen the potential in the speaker cabinet. Mike would have probably thrown it away and that beauty would have been lost forever.

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    1. Thank you so much. I always grab anything that can be reused/upcycled. It's my hobby and I love it. Your piano/desk sounds beautiful!

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  29. No she's not pretty. She's beautiful!!!

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