Commission: Reviving A Vintage Drinks Cabinet

Not only do we upcycle furniture for sale, we also offer a commission service to provide clients with exactly what they want to meet their interior design needs.

We were approached by a client called Wendy, who was looking for a large drinks cabinet for her apartment living room. So we got to work on discussing a brief and understanding exactly what she wanted. Here are the steps and the outcome of the project:

Finding the right piece

Sourcing the right piece of furniture was key to this project so we trawled the Facebook Marketplace to draw up options. Once we had identified the right piece of furniture, we met to discuss the brief, including colour options and any other features to be added.

Developing the brief

For this particular piece Wendy wanted a colour-way that matched to her interior colours, taking inspiration from her soft furnishings and curtains. So we picked out a grey and blue colour, using the Dulux Heritage range of colours to get a close match. The exterior we chose a pebble grey colour. The interior we picked a sky blue colour, matching the blue accent in her curtains but also to offer a contrast with the exterior colour, something that would be a real 'wow' factor.

Alongside this, Wendy also wanted interior lighting, mirrors and a glass rack.

Getting to work

So with the brief decided and the piece sourced and purchased, it was over to us to start getting the work done.

We started by stripping the old paintwork using Barrettine Paint Panther. This helped lift the old paint which was then scrapped off, using a carbide scrapper.

When this was done, the piece was thoroughly cleaned and dried. It was then sanded, removing all of the old varnish finish and scuff sanding to ensure paint finish would adhere correctly

Preparation is key, and I've found that by spending time here makes the painting much easier.

Two coats of paint was then applied, by hand, using a high quality brush. Here using long, consistent strokes ensures the best finish possible. The paint, by the way, was a Dulux Heritage Eggshell. This paint is very high quality. Its self priming and also hardens really well, perfect for furniture use.

Once the painting was finished, I recommend at least a day of drying before finishing the piece. This included fitting a light, mirrors and a gold coloured metal glass rack, which was a great match to the gold coloured retro handles and metalwork.

The result was a fully bespoke drinks cabinet, which the client was delighted with.

Are you interested in working with Hillcrest on a commission? Contact us at hillcrestfurnitureco@gmail.com to book a time to speak.