Before & After: FREE Record Cabinet Saved from Dumpster

Out for a run one day, I saw this little gal sitting forlornly in front of a dumpster. I thought "How sad." Then I kept going.

I thought about her over the next two days. While it rained. I considered driving the truck over to see if she was still there, but I didn't know how badly she was wounded or what I would do with her when I got her home. But I finally decided to see if she had been picked up yet. I drove over, still in the rain, & there she was. A little worse for the wear. You see, this little record cabinet has a wood veneer. It does not play well with lots of water. I looked her over, looked around to see who else was looking, and when I saw that I was in the clear, I hefted her into the back of my truck. Sometimes I wonder if Vino sees me as the little kid who brings home injured birds & frogs in my pocket because they need "rescued". But he never complains. :) Here's what I did to this gal:

The veneer on the top was bubbled & peeling off. I peeled off the rest of it, and was glad for the rain that softened the glue. Underneath was the wood planks of the top.

All it needed was a good sanding, then some stain & poly. The rest of the body needed a little more work.

The veneer on one side couldn't be saved, so I stripped that off, too. It was stuck on good on the rest of the body, so I just patched the chips with wood filler. A coat of primer & a couple coats of creamy white paint, and she's as good as new! She is missing her drawer, but for a temporary fix, I'm just using a tray that fits the spot.

She is now living as a night stand in our guest room. Happy in her new home!

She & I are participating in some parties today. You should head over & check out the creative things that other bloggers are doing around their homes!