Hello Danielle,

Fun project!! Yes, to all :) Mirrors would be very nice, but so would a simple white paint job. Whichever you want to take the time to manage. Here are a couple of great hardware options:

Love the semi-circle that completes on either side:


Oversized long linear pulls would work as well:


A clear or glass square knob might also work:


Best of luck with your decorating and please let us know if we can be of additional assistance,
Elizabeth Cabell, ASID, CID
Cabell Design Studio

If you have the chipped piece of veneer, you can glue it back on easily. If you don't, you can buy veneer edging tape at most home improvement stores and fill in the crack, then paint over it. I'd paint the whole piece a fresh coat of white using Behr Ultra Premium or milk paint for a smooth finish. Also, adding a small amount of Floetrol to paint gives furniture a creamier finish.

Great console, by the way! Well worth fixing and keeping.

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker

Also, modern brushed nickel pulls (not shiny chrome) would look great on this piece. Measure the length between the two existing holes before picking new pulls, so you get the right fit. Select pulls that have a large handle for a more stylish look.

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker

Awesome thanks guys!! I love all the hardware shown. I was actually also thinking silver pulls like mentioned! I did find silver matte pulls, but I'm not sure if they will fit in the existing holes. BUT I do like the half circles! Also thanks for the suggestions on how to fill the veneer! You both have made my day!

and I happen to love the wood doors.....could you just refinish them?

I'm not a huge fan of the wood doors, I tried to like them... I just don't!

Haha yeah I guess. I think possibly if we had different kind of furniture maybe I would like it but...it's really not my style.

Glad we could be of help -- please post a photo of the finished look! Refinishing furniture is an old hobby of mine, so I would love to see how your console turns out!

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker

Thanks I will! Gonna start this weekend. I want a high gloss finish. I've been told that oil paint is very difficult. Any thoughts?

We have a west elm parsons that sits pretty close to it and it has a high gloss finish, which is why I want a high gloss finish

I kind of like what she did wih the mirrors... http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2013/09/10-cabinet-makeover/. Hmm decisions decisions!

Hi Danielle -- The wood doors have a finish on them, so you'll have to get that off before you can paint. Since we don't know if it's been finished with shellac, varnish, lacquer or acrylic, it's hard to advise on the best chemical finish remover.

So, the best thing to do is just sand it off, which you can do by hand. Get sand paper with a grit number below 100 (the coarsest) Take the doors off the console, lay them flat and use a small hand sander to remove the finish down to bare wood. Don't over sand or rub too hard as this could alter the wood's surface. Then clean it with Murphy's Oil Soap, apply a wood conditioner and it's ready for painting.

Don't use oil paint!! Use a standard (wash with soap and water) latex paint in gloss or high gloss, which is what is used on furniture. Or, find a local wood shop to see if they sell Milk Paint. It finishes in a creamy, flawless look.

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker

Ok. Used high gloss latex and it makes horrible brush marks. I had a nice brush! You did give me the name of a product above that helps with brush marks

Danielle, try using Floetrol. It helps the paint dry smoother and will reduce those horrible brush marks. Also try this: Apply a coat of paint. Let dry. Sand the newly painted finish until it's smooth. Add Floetrol to your second coat of paint and apply. Let dry. You should see better results.

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker

Danielle; I always paint the first layer 0n horizontally, let dry completely. Then do your second and possibly your third layer of paint vertically.

Awesome thanks for the tip! I will paint horizontally and vertically!

I think I may have chosen the wrong first project, it needs all new hinges. The hinges on this currently are very antique, by that I mean rusted. I can't find anything similar at Home Depot. Will any hinges do? Do they have to be the same?

Side note: Also very glad I got a tetanus shot this week......

I always use a roller and not a brush for painting cabinet doors. Sand, prime, and lightly sand between coats.

Make sure you've really truly gotten all the old veneer off - you can get a power sander (SO much better than hand-sanding) and/or use the product Zip Strip (plus sanding). Then completely agree with earlier comment - paint, then sand each coat before applying the next coat. This is critical. Also dip brush in a bit of water regularly (but just to thin paint, don't over-wet) to keep paint thin as you are painting - this helps reduce the look of brush strokes.

I had to use the power sander to strip it, 4 coats of paint, plus 3 coats of semi gloss polyurethane on my parsons dining room table 14 years ago, but it still looks great today. Just takes a ton of prep / work.

Danielle, you're actually modernizing this piece, so don't worry if you can't replicate the hinges. As long as they're the same metal/color as the hardware/pulls, you're fine. When you have spare time, you can always go on line and locate the original hinges at a specialty store. So save the old ones so you can remember what they look like in case this is something you'd like to do later.

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker

Dbartley- luckily there is no veneer, It is all wood. I refused to buy a piece that wasn't all wood (which is why it took six months to find and was expensive).

Thanks Christi, I ended up ordering hinges from restoration hardware! They were cheap, even by restoration hardware standards.

I meant to put even by normal hardware stores standards!

Danielle -- great! Restoration hardware was a smart idea. Plus, I'm sure you'd like to complete this project and have nothing left to do but sit back and enjoy the piece and admire all of your hard work! :)

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker

That is the idea! finding out the top wasn't veneer made my day. Made sanding easier. When I bought it, they said it was all wood...I should have believed them....

If you got out of working with veneer, you were lucky indeed! Don't forget to post a photo of your completed project!

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker

Agreed! I was so clear that I didn't want anything made of veneer...once I got home and looked at it closer I thought I got duped and the white part was veneer...I was wrong! Yay. I will post picture of course!