Repurposing and Painting Old Furniture

I found this piece of furniture on the side of the road during our morning jog. 

I didn't know what I was going to do with it, but it was such a unique piece of furniture. You aren't going to find this at IKEA! I am not opposed to IKEA, but it is nice to have real wood sometimes, ya know? Don't you just love the pull on the drawer?!  

I begged Dave to get it for me. I normally do have to plead with him. He is not in favor of my projects because it normally takes me too long to get them done. Sometimes he humors me anyway.  

First, we had to cut away the bottom and top panels and add a couple shelves in their place. We used MDF. I like MDF because its surface is so smooth, and it accepts paint so well. 


Next, I painted it with Zinsser primer. I used the Zinsser Bullseye 1-2-3. There were parts that bled through, so I should have used the Zinsser Cover Stain (it is oil-based.) Since I was painting it black, I didn't bother repriming it with the Cover Stain. I used Valspar Signiture paint in a satin finish. 

 I chose the color Cracked Pepper.
 It is ok, but I think I will pick a different black next time. I still have to put a water-base poly on it to help seal it from scratches etc... I used the little foam rollers because they leave a rather smooth looking finish on the paint. 


I really like the finished project. It has found a home in Luke's room. He is using it for his media center.