Drinks with a cabinet twist

Upgrade a plain cabinet with dash of yesteryear charm.

Whether your preferred tipple is a kombucha cocktail or classic martini there’s something so appealing about mixing it using a retro-style drinks cabinet. As well as providing a handy place to stash glassware and other breakables, display cabinets add an eye-catching feature to a living room or dining space. With fresh coats of Resene paint and the simple addition of painted metallic panels you can turn a plain old cabinet into something truly fabulous.

Styling Sarah Heeringa. Photography Amanda Reelick

You will need · medium-grade sandpaper · gloves and cloths · medium paint brush · Resene Testpot Roller Kit window scraper · tape measure and scissors · wallpaper glue · 1 litre Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel in Resene White Pointer · Resene Anaglypta 2020 Wallpaper · selected base and topcoats from the Resene Metallics and special effects chart.

Step-by-step

Step 1 Prepare the cabinet by giving all paintable surfaces a light sand and wipe clean. If you need to give the surface a more vigorous clean use Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner.

Step 2 Paint all surfaces, except the back panels, with an even coat of Resene Lustacryl in a colour of your choice. I used Resene White Pointer. One option is to use a small roller, such as the Resene Testpot Roller Kit, on the top and main outer panels for an extra smooth finish. Allow to fully dry, before using a window scraper blade to carefully remove any excess paint from the glass. Or use painter masking tape to protect the glass before you start painting.

Step 3 Cut panels to fit the back of the cabinet using a tape measure, scissors and Resene’s textured paintable anaglypta wallpaper. I chose pattern RD0671.

Step 4 A basecoat is recommended for all Resene Metallics and special effects colours. The basecoat Resene Chicago and topcoat of Resene Pure Pewter creates a lovely mellow silver look. For extra depth and a mixed silver and gold effect, I added a little paint from testpots of Resene Rose Gold and Resene Proton. Use a dry brush to dab small amounts of paint onto either the raised or lower surfaces of the paper. Blend it in a little with a dry brush or cloth.

Step 5 Allow to dry before gluing the panels to the back wall of the cabinet.

Step 6 Fill the cabinet with your best glassware vintage collectables.

Metallics Use Resene FX Metallic Rose Gold and Resene Proton to create a vintage effect and extra depth.

Before Transform a plain old cabinet into something truly fabulous. Check out your local secondhand furniture store for cabinets to upcycle.

Sarah is a contributing editor for Good and author of two books. Her latest title is Upcycling With Style.