As we approached the staging date for one of our homes in Prince Edward County, we decided to add a bar area to the home. PEC is well known for its many wineries, and we felt that adding a dedicated wine area in the home would pay tribute to the County, while also offering the new owners a great spot to unwind. We looked at adding a live edge piece to the room, but after bringing in some different styles, we decided it didn't fit the space.
We went to our storage room and found the perfect piece; a handmade maple cabinet dating back to the early twentieth century.
A bit of history: the cabinet was made by the historical Bell Furniture Company, which was based out of Southhampton, ON. The company operated from 1907 until 1937, when Fitton-Parker Furniture Company purchased it and took over power.
The first step in remodelling the cabinet was to remove the doors and drawers, while being careful to preserve the original hardware. Next, the whole unit had to be sanded down to remove the finish on the wood and allow the paint to stick. At this point, we decided to detach the top of the cabinet for easier sanding and painting. Hidden under the top was a cool surprise; someone left a Canadian National Railroad money order from the mid-twentieth century.
The last step before painting was removing the support between the original glass doors and refinishing the interior section. We replaced the original base, added a false back to shorten the depth, and added lips at the top and bottom to give it a built-in feel.
Finally, we reached the best part: adding the paint. For this piece we chose a charcoal grey, as the space where it went was quite light. We decided to leave the top unpainted, and stained the wine rack pieces to match. Once the paint dried, the wine rack pieces were installed, the doors and drawers were put back in place, and the original hardware was reinstalled.
Overall, this project was a lot of fun, and it was great to give life to an old piece while still preserving its original character.
Comments