DIY Makeover: From Sad Shelving Unit to Glam Bar Cart
Cheers! A discarded storage piece finds a glamorous new life storing spirits
Bryan Anthony
February 13, 2017
Upcycling furniture and decor is a great way to save money and the environment. These one-of-a-kind pieces add character, charm and style to many homes. We asked Houzz readers to share their own rehabbed projects. As part of our new Project Rehab series, we highlight this discarded shelving unit, which has been transformed into a chic bar cart for an Arizona home. Do you have a furniture makeover of your own? Please share it in the Comments section.
Project at a Glance
Project: Bar cart
Who did it: Nicole Bolin of Stencil Studios
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
Dimensions: 48 inches wide, 32 inches high and 18 inches deep
Cost: $11.06
Time: Seven hours
Project: Bar cart
Who did it: Nicole Bolin of Stencil Studios
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
Dimensions: 48 inches wide, 32 inches high and 18 inches deep
Cost: $11.06
Time: Seven hours
Before Photo
The hunt: Nicole Bolin says she found this old shelving unit online. “Someone was moving and giving this piece away for free. They were keeping it on the balcony of their apartment complex, so it had been subjected to the elements for a while,” Bolin says. “The wood was warped, the edges were damaged, and the laminate was peeling off in various spots.”
The process: Bolin removed the shelves and spray-painted the chrome frame in a rose gold-color. Next she replaced the full-length top shelf with a shorter board of solid wood that she stained gray. Then she cut a few inches off both sides of the two lower shelves, to remove damage and create shelves the same width as the top shelf. Next she decoupaged gray cotton fabric onto the two bottom shelves using Mod Podge. Finally, Bolin added wheels to the bottom and adorned the handles with jewels.
Cost breakdown
Stain: Bolin used leftover stain from a previous rehab project.
Paint: $5.88 for one can of rose-gold spray paint
Upholstery: $5.18 for 1⅓ yards of gray cotton fabric
Other costs: Bolin already had the wood board, Mod Podge decoupage glue, wheels and jewels, so she didn’t need to purchase any of them for this project.
Stain: Bolin used leftover stain from a previous rehab project.
Paint: $5.88 for one can of rose-gold spray paint
Upholstery: $5.18 for 1⅓ yards of gray cotton fabric
Other costs: Bolin already had the wood board, Mod Podge decoupage glue, wheels and jewels, so she didn’t need to purchase any of them for this project.
The challenge: After spray-painting the frame and screwing the wood board to the top, Bolin realized that the metal tabs from the old shelf were now visible. “I debated grinding them off with a disc grinder, but that sounded like a lot of work and would require me to redo my paint job,” Bolin says. “That didn’t sound like fun, so I thought about how I might disguise them.” That’s when she had the idea to conceal the tabs with jewels from her craft room. She chose hematite rings to cover the tabs and then topped them with metallic pearl beads. “I’m happy that I didn’t grind the tabs off because I think the jewels around the handles give the cart a unique look.”
The inspiration: “I’m inspired to recycle pieces to decrease the number of items ending up in landfills,” Bolin says. “I like to make beautiful, functional pieces from old, unwanted items. My original intent was to sell this piece after I refurbished it, but I fell in love with it and decided to keep it.”
Now you: Show us your makeover project in the Comments!
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Photo Flip: Bar Cart Bonanza
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Now you: Show us your makeover project in the Comments!
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Photo Flip: Bar Cart Bonanza
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Hi all, Nicole Bolin here from Blossom DIYsign. I just wanted to thank everyone for taking the time out of your day to leave such wonderful comments about my bar cart. I'm so glad you all enjoyed the piece.
amazing transformation! I love both of them, especially the one with the quartz top! you could also use these for a sink vanity, not sure if these are deep enough for 2 sinks, but the center section looks like it would fit a sink...
Love the Rehab series - enjoy the frugal while seeking the sublime!