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Make A Vintage Armoire Out Of A Thrifted Cabinet

05/29/19 | DIY

Vintage and antique armoires, while beautiful, can get spendy. Here are some tricks I used to make a vintage armoire out of a thrifted cabinet!

small armoire painted in kilz juniper blue chalk paint, modern farmhouse black wall sconce, bamboo serving tray

Last week I did a post on how I  Arrange A Stylish Bookshelf  with all of the books we seem to collect around our home. While I love all of the storage our living room bookshelf provides, we still had a lot of books leftover to store even with all of the purging I did before we moved. Since we live in a two bedroom house, extra shelves in a home office or spare bedroom weren’t really an option. Enter the armoire.

Once we had things semi unpacked, I realized we had a little nook in our hallway just off of our laundry room that would be the perfect space for a bookshelf or armoire. I debated between both options and ultimately decided to look for an armoire because it would allow for storage besides books as well as being enclosed (which would keep things a little neater looking). And so the hunt began….

tv cabinet with wood veneer

Before

Make A Vintage Armoire Out Of A Thrifted Cabinet

We have exactly one furniture thrift store in our small town, which you would think would make it hard to find good stuff, but the opposite is actually true. Our area of Oregon is growing pretty rapidly, which means people are moving around a lot. Which equals lots of donated furniture!

Following the same guidelines I use when I shop at Goodwill, I popped into our little thrift shop once or twice a week for a couple of months to see if anything came in that would work for my armoire. It took a little longer than expected, mostly because I was looking for something with a very specific width that would fit our little nook.

Eventually I found the TV cabinet pictured above for $25 (minus the legs, we added those!) I’ve read a lot of stories about people finding fantastic solid wood furniture that’s this great antique or vintage find. This is not one of those stories. This cabinet was in decent shape, but it’s not quality. It’s made of particle board with veneers and had little to recommend it at first glance. But it was the right size and I knew painting it and adding some legs could do wonders.

farmhouse black wall sconce, penguin classics Emma book, homemade beeswax candle

How To Make A Cabinet Look Like An Armoire

There are a couple of things that I think elevate any cabinet and can turn it into an armoire (even if it didn’t start it’s life out that way 😉 ).

  • Paint – The first of these is paint. Paint can do wonders. It can cover ugly veneer or stained wood so that all someone looking at it sees is a beautiful pop of colorful furniture.
  • Adding Legs/Feet – I forgot to take a picture before the legs were added to this TV cabinet, but take my word, it made such a difference! Adding legs or feet to a cabinet instantly adds character and elevates the piece (both literally and figuratively, ha!)  I bought these wood feet for our cabinet.
  • Add New Hardware (if needed) – Adding new hardware can completely change the feel of a piece of furniture. I actually bought some new knobs for this cabinet, but after living with them for a couple of weeks decided I liked the old original hardware better. Hardware can make something feel more modern, vintage, country, you name it – especially once combined with paint. My favorite places to find unique hardware are  Anthropologie  and World Market.

small armoire painted in kilz juniper blue chalk paint, modern farmhouse black wall sconce, bamboo serving tray

small armoire painted in kilz juniper blue chalk paint, modern farmhouse black wall sconce, bamboo serving tray

What To Look For In A Thrifted Cabinet

Looking for a cabinet you can turn into an armoire is about seeing the potential more than anything else. I looked for a cabinet that had cabinet doors on top with drawers below. There are so many variations of this out there for furniture, so really all you need to do is look for this combination in the size you need. Paint, finish, hardware, all of that can be changed. You can’t change the size, so that should be your first priority.

As I mentioned above, this armoire was an old TV cabinet. It still had the outlet holes in the back as well as a bunch of hooks for electronics. Don’t get put off by that kind of stuff. Just remember all of that can be removed, patched, or painted over. We actually ended up adding shelves to ours so that the top part could function as the book storage I had envisioned. Don’t be afraid to make a piece of furniture work for your specific needs!

small armoire painted in kilz juniper blue chalk paint, modern farmhouse black wall sconce, bamboo serving tray

kilz juniper blue chalk paint on armoire

Lastly, remember that the whole goal of making over furniture is to make it look better than what you started with. When you think about it like that, it takes most of the stress out of a project. After all, making something that serves a purpose and looks good in you home should be fun!

Post Sources

Kilz Chalk Paint (Blue Juniper) // Chalk Paint Brush // Wax Furniture Sealer (clear) // Drop Cloth // Wood Furniture Feet // Black Wall Sconce

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

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armoire painted in kilz juniper blue chalk paint

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Comments

  1. Hannah Schlachter says

    at

    What a transformation! It turned out soooo great. My friend Katy and I just started a new link up. We’d love it if you would share your posts!. You can find the link here if you are interested. https://handmadeweekly.com/handmade-otherwise-link-party-week-1

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    • Tiffany says

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      Thanks for stopping by, Hannah! I’ll check it out!

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  2. Cindy says

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    Omgoodness! You did an amazing job on upcycling this piece! Isn’t it amazing what paint and new hardware can do?? I am always amazed! Well done!!

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    • Tiffany says

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      Thanks, Cindy! I am definitely always amazed at the power of paint!

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  3. Kim @Serving Up Southern says

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    Hi Tiffany!
    I’d say you gave this piece new life – particle board and veneer or not! I really like the blue color you painted it, and the legs are perfect! Your little thrift shop sounds terrific! I hope you’ll come back to Homestyle Gathering and share this makeover! I hope you’re having a great week!
    >>> Kim

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    • Tiffany says

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      thanks so much, Kim! I’ll be there!

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  4. Katy M. says

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    Looks great! Pinned! Thanks for sharing at Handmade & Otherwise- please join us again!

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  5. Crissy says

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    That color you chose is so fabulous, Tiffany! I really love it. Thanks for sharing at Tuesday Turn About! Pinning!

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    • Tiffany says

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      Thanks so much, Crissy!

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  6. Michelle | Thistle Key Lane says

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    Tiffany, I love the vintage appeal of this cabinet. You really know how to spot a diamond in the rough. Pinning!

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    • Tiffany says

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      Thanks, Michelle! I was pleasantly surprised with how well it turned out!

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  7. Julie Briones says

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    You did a bang-up job on this affordable cabinet, Tiffany! Love the color you used, as well… perfect for your little nook. Saved to my Furniture Makeover board! thanks for sharing on Tuesday Turn About!

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  8. Kim @Serving Up Southern says

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    Hi Tiffany!
    Just letting you know you are one of my features at Homestyle Gathering this week. Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful wardrobe.
    >>> Kim

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    • Tiffany says

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      Thank you so much, Kim!

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  9. Michelle Leslie says

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    Wow, what a beautiful transformation. I love the color you chose. Isn’t it amazing how a few coats of paint can change everything?

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  10. Dianne Gentry says

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    When I saw your post, I got excited to read it. You see, I actually work at a Goodwill store. I retired from owning my own business for 30 years, and wanted a part time job with no pressure and one that I would enjoy. I was hired to be a small wares sorter/ prices. I truly do love my job. The only down side is that as an employee, I am not allowed to buy from the store where I work. That part is disappointing, but they truly do want to save the best items for our customers.. I am saving all your posts because you really know your stuff. I am so amazed every day at all the donations we receive. Our store in Birmingham, Alabama (Brook Highlands) only opened about six weeks ago and is already one of the best stores in the company, thanks to the wonderful donations from our customers. Thanks for your interest in this industry.

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Trackbacks

  1. Homestyle Gathering 22 | Your Homekeeping Destination | Serving Up Southern says:
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    […] Make A Vintage Armoire Out Of A Vintage Cabinet || A Nod To Navy […]

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  2. Tuesday Turn About #3: Summer Decorating and DIY Inspiration says:
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    […] at A Nod to Navy showed us how to make a vintage armoire out of a thrifted cabinet. The transformation is amazing, and I fell in love with that shade of blue at first […]

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  3. Unique Book Storage Ideas For The Whole House | A Nod to Navy says:
    at

    […] If your home is short on bookshelves, or book storage in general, think about making your own free standing home library. The possibilities are endless, so it really depends on your space/style. We had an empty corner in our hallway that has ended up doubling as a home library courtesy of a TV cabinet we made over to look like a vintage armoire. […]

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Welcome! I'm Tiffany. I love renovating, decorating, and classic design with a touch of whimsy. I hope you'll join me as I share the little things that bring me joy! Read More…

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