A New (Old) Sideboard for My Dining Room

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After searching for more than a year, I finally have a new, well old, sideboard for my dining room. Today I’d like to show you what I found.

A bit of backstory: Last year I did a major kitchen remodel, which affected my dining room as well. The changes in the latter space included refinished hardwood floors, new French doors, three new windows (which were not there previously), and a handful of other things. Because of these updates, I decided to start fresh with furnishings and decor.

I was (and still am) taking my time in developing this space. There has been no need to rush to get it done. I’m OK with the space feeling/being incomplete for now.

Well, that’s the backstory.

A New (Old) Sideboard for My Dining Room

Flash forward to almost a couple of months ago, when after a year-long search for the “perfect” sideboard, I found a beautiful vintage cabinet on Facebook Marketplace and knew immediately this could be it.

I had envisioned a painted piece because my dining room already had a lot of wood in it with the table and floors. However, anything can be painted, so I was more open-minded in my search.

And here’s what I found:

A New (Old) Sideboard for My DIning Room #diningroom #sideboard #buffet #decor #decorating

A New (Old) Sideboard for My DIning Room #diningroom #sideboard #buffet #decor #decorating

A New (Old) Sideboard for My DIning Room #diningroom #sideboard #buffet #decor #decorating

Isn’t she a beauty?

Now a few notes about the sideboard…

  • The size was ideal. I wanted something to sit underneath the window trim, and this was perfect
  • This piece is not painted like I originally envisioned, but it’s darker than the surrounding wood tones so it doesn’t get lost. Of course, I could still paint it if I desired. But for now, I like it as is.
  • It’s rougher than what I had in mind. I’m assuming someone made it for a garage or workshop. It came with that “workshop” smell. The insides of the drawers were also dirty and stained with oil.
  • Although it’s a tad rough, it’s well built, solid, and heavy. Those are characteristics I like.
  • One of my favorite aspects is the asymmetrical drawers. If you’ll notice, the drawers on the right are not as wide as those on the left and in the middle. I love this because it means it’s one-of-a-kind.
  • Other details that I like: It still has all of the original drawers (which can be rare in old cabinets). All of the hardware is the same. And with 12 drawers, there’s a ton of storage.

Before I could start using this piece, I needed to do something about the dirty drawers. My first thought was to line them with wallpaper, but that is a BIG project, and I don’t have the supplies on hand. So, I decided to paint them instead. I figured that this would give me a clean surface and lock in all of the dirt and oil.

A New (Old) Sideboard for My DIning Room #diningroom #sideboard #buffet #decor #decorating

I used my go-to craft and furniture paint: Fusion Mineral Paint. I love this stuff because it doesn’t require a primer coat or a topcoat. However, I later learned that if there are oil stains, a primer should be applied. Oops!’

I had a quart of Fusion Mineral Paint in Lamp White on hand (though I did end up having to order another quart), so I went with that. After a thorough cleaning, each drawer got two coats of paint. And then I went back and applied a third coat to the areas that had those oil stains coming through.

A New (Old) Sideboard for My DIning Room #diningroom #sideboard #buffet #decor #decorating

A New (Old) Sideboard for My DIning Room #diningroom #sideboard #buffet #decor #decorating

The paint did exactly what I wanted it to do. It locked in all the old dirt and freshened up the drawers. And even though I didn’t use a primer on those stains, the paint ended up doing a great job covering them up.

Only a few are still slightly visible, but that’s part of the charm of a vintage piece.

A New (Old) Sideboard for My DIning Room #diningroom #sideboard #buffet #decor #decorating

A New (Old) Sideboard for My DIning Room #diningroom #sideboard #buffet #decor #decorating

Once the paint was dry, I was able to start loading up my new sideboard.

I was so looking forward to this moment since for the past two years all of my linens, extra flatware, and other entertaining items have been packed in totes in the basement. They finally got a proper home.

A New (Old) Sideboard for My DIning Room #diningroom #sideboard #buffet #decor #decorating

A New (Old) Sideboard for My DIning Room #diningroom #sideboard #buffet #decor #decorating

I love these containers from The Container Store. (You want the 1.8 qt oblong container.) They perfectly fit a flatware set for a serving of four. I assume many of you don’t have multiple sets of flatware, but if you do these containers are great for storage.

A New (Old) Sideboard for My DIning Room #diningroom #sideboard #buffet #decor #decorating

I’ve filled about half of the drawers so there’s still plenty of room for more goodies. Once I organize things a bit more, I’ll give you a full tour.

My sideboard purchase also inspired me to finally order a rug for the dining room so I’ll have to update you on that when it arrives. I have a couple of other decorative storage solutions in this space that I’m excited to share with you, too. Stay tuned for those.

A New (Old) Sideboard for My DIning Room #diningroom #sideboard #buffet #decor #decorating

A New (Old) Sideboard for My DIning Room #diningroom #sideboard #buffet #decor #decorating

I hope you enjoyed this look at the new (old) sideboard in my dining room and are digging it as much as I am. (Frankie says, “Hello!” too.)

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66 Comments

  1. I’ve seen this post before but seeing it again today, just WOW! What a amazing piece! You are a very talented man Michael and I just love seeing everything you do.

  2. Michael it is a perfect find. I love the Rustic look of it. Crisp white inside was a perfect choice. Great job. Love the new entry/hall way paint too.

  3. Hi Michael. I love your new sideboard. It is so practical, rustic, and pretty. It is a very good looking piece of furniture. I was wondering whether you had used primer before painting the inside drawers? This may have help the oil from seeping through.

  4. Perfection!! I can’t imagine a more perfect piece for that space. Your ideas and creativity are so loved by everyone! I’m a sucker for cloth napkins too. 😉😊

  5. What a great feeling to visually in your head know what piece of furniture you want and then to find that piece, put it in place and put it to good use. Looks great. Sort of reminds me of an old library card catalog only on a larger scale.

  6. Really like seeing all of your pretty things in their new home. That piece is a stunning addition to your home and I know you will style it up so well. Great find!

  7. Michael what a wonderful piece. You did such a wonderful job restoring it.
    But most of all I hope you had a wonderful hiatus and time to find your peace.
    I pray every day that I find peace in my life. So glad you are back.

  8. I LOVE IT! I have an apothecary chest that still had some intact labels (including cannabis). I made labels for leashes, gloves, etc and stained them with coffee to match.

  9. My heart be still!!!! First, your cloth napkins drawer made my heart flutter. I use ironed, cloth napkins at every family dinner 🙂 Second, I LOVE your new sideboard and your use of paint in the drawers instead of lining them is perfect!

  10. I can’t stand it! That piece is a perfect fit! Painting the inside of the drawers is genius too! I think some times the thrill of the hunt can lead us to pieces like this that might be a little unexpected but end up being so perfect. I simply love it and pretty much everything you do. Thanks for being you Michael ❤