Kitchen Cabinet Makeover: Painted White + Door Stencil

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As you all know, I am on Facebook Marketplace daily. Scoping out deals and freebies! Just a few weeks ago, I spotted this custom made kitchen cabinet. It was all wood and in great condition and the asking price was $20.00. The sellers were converting to open shelving and had the original cabinets for sale. This was the last one! There was storage space inside, so I knew it would make a great functional piece, in just about any room of the home. It just needed a few minor adjustments. This is how I repurposed a kitchen cabinet.

Kitchen Wood Cabinet
Kitchen Cabinet Before

1. Add Feet to the Old Kitchen Cabinet

For starters, the cabinet needed height.  I had these four furniture feet in my stash that I had found at the Thrift Store for $1.00 each, and they were unfinished.  They would be perfect for my project.

The Hubs drilled a hole in each corner of the bottom of the cabinet.  He then screwed the feet into place. It was a solid wood piece so it would hold the feet nicely without any wobbling.

Unfinished Wood Furniture Feet
Furniture Feet

2. Prep and Paint the Repurposed Kitchen Cabinet

I chose the paint color Drop Cloth from Dixie Belle.  I have fallen in love with this color!  My walls in the dining room are camel colored which would coordinate well.  I recently used it on my television cabinet repurpose project which you can see HERE.

A jar of Dixie Belle Drop Cloth
Dixie Belle Drop Cloth

The only prep work that was needed for my repurposed kitchen cabinet was giving it a good cleaning.  I used my vinegar and water solution to clean the cabinet thoroughly.  Half vinegar and half water proportions.  I did not remove the doors.  I normally do, but I wanted the hardware to be painted so that it could be distressed later. 

After the cabinet dried, I applied the first coat of paint using my Wooster silvertip paintbrush. I also painted the feet.  I had the hubs help me place the cabinet on my workshop table. It was easier to paint that way instead of having to work low on the floor.

Kitchen cabinet painted in Dixie Belle Drop Cloth one coat.
After One Coat of Paint

After allowing the cabinet to dry for about 3 hours, I then applied the second coat.  It only took two coats of the Drop Cloth for full coverage. 

Kitchen cabinet with two coats of Dixie Belle Drop cloth paint.
Repurposed Kitchen Cabinet After Two Coats of Paint

3. Distress the Repurposed Kitchen Cabinet

The next day, (I started late afternoon on this project) I took my 220-grit sandpaper and distressed around the edges, heavily!  I wanted a worn, chippy look.  After distressing, I also sanded the entire piece lightly to achieve a smooth finish.

Distressed edges on kitchen cabinet.
Distressing Edeges on Repurposed Kitchen Cabinet

4. Stencil on Cabinet Doors

I felt the doors needed some help.  They were plain.  I had this Americana Décor stencil that I had purchased off Amazon a while back. You can order your own HERE.  I have always been afraid of stenciling, but I thought, heck why not give it a try.  If I goof, I can paint over it. 

Americana Decor Stencil
Americana Décor Stencil

I used brown craft paint for the stencil.  To apply the paint to the stencil, I used a makeup sponge.  I read somewhere they are great to stencil with so I thought I would give it a try.  I used a paper plate and squeezed out a quarter size amount.  The sponge was dabbed into the paint and then dabbed a few times on a clean area of my plate until any excess paint was removed.

Dabbing paint on stencil with makeup sponge
Dabbing Craft Paint With Makeup Sponge

Then, I just simply dabbed ever so lightly up and down.  Almost like a light pounding.  I then went back over and dapped with my sponge just to make sure there were not any areas with too much paint. 

I removed the stencil once I had it all filled in.  A big sigh of relief!  It didn’t look too bad!

Stencil on Repurposed Cabinet Door
Stencil on Repurposed Cabinet Door

I did the other door using the same method.  Just be sure to use a ruler and line everything up so you don’t have one wonky stencil!

Once the stencil paint dried COMPLETELY, I used a piece of 220-grit sandpaper to sand lightly over the stenciled area.  Remember, I was going for the worn look.

Sanding stencil painted on door
Sanding Lightly Stencil Painted Door

Not too bad for my first shot at stenciling on furniture! 

I sealed the entire piece with one coat of Dixie Belle’s Best Dang Wax.

5. Choose New Hardware

The cabinet did not have the hardware. I found these two wood knobs in my stash that had a few dings!  They would be perfect!

Wood Knobs
Adding Hardware

6. Supplies for the Repurposed Kitchen Cabinet

Affiliate links are used in this post. I make a small profit if you order from my link at NO EXTRA cost to you. Thank you!

I loved the way my repurposed kitchen cabinet turned out! And for less than $30 bucks because I had the hardware and feet on hand.

Side shot of kitchen cabinet
Distressed Side
Top kitchen cabinet painted
Top View of Repurposed Kitchen Cabinet
After picture of repurposed kitchen cabinet
Final Cabinet

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Remember, “It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it will be.”

18 thoughts on “Kitchen Cabinet Makeover: Painted White + Door Stencil”

    1. Thank you Jody! Yep they are rough haha! Painting and sanding are horrible on the hands. But it’s okay, I am doing what I love. And it sounds like you love gardening, my mom loves it too!

  1. Hi Christina! The cabinet looks awesome. I have Drop Cloth but i haven’t used it yet. Adding the feet made alot of difference. I also have this same stencil! Haha. Have fun in St. Augustine. I love right down the street and right now it is cold and raining. Its always fun to shop in Old St. Augustine!!

    1. I hope by Monday the weather is better! Thank you so much for your kind words 🙂 If you have the Drop Cloth and the stencil, all you need now is a cabinet. It must be awesome to live in St. Augustine! We also shop there every time we go!

  2. Your work is beautiful!! Hope you enjoy your time in St. Augustine. Refinishing furniture is hard on the hands and nails. I ordered a jar of pure lanolin on Amazon and rub it on my hands several times a day and before bedtime. It’s amazing how it protects and heals my hands and nails.

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