Second Life

The Challenge:

The armoire used to be THE BEST solution for storing televisions in a neat and tidy way. It was great for hiding wires and even offered much-needed storage for DVDs, blankets, photo albums, etc. That was when televisions were big, bulky boxes. Nowadays, however, everyone is switching to the sleeker, thinner, but much larger flat-screen televisions.

Places like Pottery Barn and Ballard Designs sell console tables and cabinets designed especially for the larger flat-screen televisions, but they are very expensive and don't really offer that much hidden storage. I've seen them range in price from around $800 to nearly $3,000.

But here is a less expensive option that offers a stylish way to display your new flat-screen TV, but still provide the storage that every family needs.




I wish I had taken a "Before" picture of this piece when we bought it, but alas, I didn't have a website when I did this project. This is an old buffet that I found at the Salvation Army for $80. It was made from real wood, sturdy and had nice lines. It was a little scratched up and the finish was very dated, but it offered a whole lot of storage and a nice large surface to place a flat-screen television.

I painted it with an olive green paint and then went over the entire surface with an umber glaze. We kept the original hardware.

To Do This Project:

Keep an eye out at your local thrift stores and flea markets for an old dining room buffet with closed storage. I think the best ones have both cabinets and drawers. The cabinets are great for storing DVDs and CDs and the drawers are great for storing blankets, photo albums, games, etc. If you plan to paint it, don't worry so much about it's finish (because most thrift store furniture is in sad shape), just look for a piece that is made from real wood, sturdy and has the style you like.
It might take awhile before you find it, but don't be discouraged. The flea-market gods tend to smile on the shoppers who know what they're looking for.

To achieve a "factory finish" on painted furniture, take a few minutes to remove all of the hardware and sand out any scratches, nicks or dings with 180-grit sandpaper. Wipe it clean with a damp (but not wet) rag. Then go over the entire piece with 220-grit (very fine) sandpaper. This will give you a smooth surface to paint.

Clean off all remaining dust. You may need to use the upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner to remove dust from corners and crevices.

Prime the entire piece with a water-based primer and then paint. I have painted a lot of furniture in my day and I think you get the best outcome with a satin-finish paint. It gives you a smooth, wipeable surface but hides brush lines better than a gloss or semi-gloss.

You will also get a better outcome if you apply multiple, thin layers of paint rather than one or two thick layers. It takes patience, but it's worth it!

Between layers, use a 220-grit or even finer sandpaper to gently sand out each layer of paint. This will remove any inconsistencies or blemishes from the paint but also help the paint adhere more strongly to the surface of the furniture and make the finish more durable to everyday wear and tear.

Give the paint about 48-72 hours to dry thoroughly and then enjoy!

Estimated Completion Time: Approximately 2 days
Approximate Cost for Project: $80 for the cabinet and about $30 for paint, sandpaper and glaze
Degree of Difficulty: On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a 4.