Repurposed Orange Dresser Into Farmhouse Pantry Cabinet

Cutting the frame pieces we did not need.

I decided that the pantry cabinet should have three shelves. I wanted one shelf suitable for taller items. The Hubs measured for the shelving. He used a spruce plywood we purchased from our local salvage store. After all pieces were cut, they were sanded until smooth using 220 grit sandpaper. He then attached the shelves inside using his nail gun.

He then went to work constructing a door. He used the same wood as the shelves. He used his Kreg jig to drill pocket screw holes to put the frame together.

Here is the door frame added.

Now my turn to put the finishing touches on the cabinet!

I decided the color that I would use for this piece is Dixie Belle’s Chalk Paint in Drop Cloth. It is a very pretty and neutral color. My plan was to stain the inside of the cabinet, the shelves, and the door in Minwax Dark Walnut.

I gave the entire piece a good cleaning with my Dixie Belle White Lighting Cleaner. I cleaned the outside as well as the inside.

I stained the shelving as well as the entire inside of the cabinet. I was a little worried how the stain would take because some of the inside was not real wood. But it stained perfectly. I also stained the door frame as well.

I allowed the inside and the shelves to dry completely overnight so the stain would not be sticky. The next day, I applied one coat of the Dixie Belle Drop Cloth. I allowed it to dry for about 3 hours, and then applied a second coat.

After allowing the paint to completely dry, I distressed HEAVILY using 220 grit sandpaper. I wanted the piece to look worn, like it had been passed down from generation to generation. Keep in mind, you may need to change your sandpaper quite often because the chalk paint can get into the little grooves. If you continue to use it without changing it out, it will scratch. I distressed on the edges, as well as the sides and the top edges.

After I finished distressing, I gave the entire outside a good sanding with a clean piece of 320 grit sandpaper. This gave it a smooth finish! I then used a piece of tack cloth and removed all the sanding dust!

I used Dixie Belle’s Best Dang Wax to seal the piece. I used it on the shelves as well as the door frame. While I was waxing, the Hubs was nice enough to attach the chicken wire to the door, isn’t he just the sweetest?  (Sorry about the sunshine).

He then attached the door to the cabinet using hinges I found at Hobby Lobby for 50% off! I also found the knob at Hobby Lobby too. I painted the knob using Dixie Belle Caviar (black) to match the hinges. He also added the back piece. This was a piece of faux wood paneling we used for another project that we had left over.

And here is the finished piece! I am super happy with the way it came out. This piece has so many potential uses! And I was super excited that it SOLD the same day I posted it!

Happy Repurposing!