Cupcakes and Cashmere

Credenza Makeover

October 18th, 2012

A few weeks back I visited my friend Cristina’s condo that she had recently purchased and sitting outside was this worn-down credenza. The shape was great – with a clean top, ample space, and an intricately shaped underside, but she didn’t have room for it in her current place. Instead of selling it, I convinced her that we should set up a sort of sisterhood-of-the-traveling-credenza situation. So I took it home and spruced it up, full well knowing that in a few years she might take it back and re-do it in a bright yellow. But for the time being, it’s filled a much-needed void in my office (which you can see here) and now holds miscellaneous supplies that didn’t have a place. Here are the simple steps I took to repaint it and how I incorporated it into the room.


Before.

I painted it three coats of glossy bright white with dark navy trimmed drawers.

I chose gold hammered knobs, since they felt slightly nautical without being overly thematic.

A souvenir from my bridal shower: a spray painted tiger – Rachel’s classy way of not decorating for a crazy cat lady.


I added several framed photographs that my husband and I’ve taken – this one’s from the roof of our hotel on our honeymoon in Rome. Also included: miniature pumpkins, Diptqyue’s “Figuier” candle, white hydrangeas, a stack of design books, and a Doloris Petunia necklace.


Some shoes are too pretty to keep stowed away in the closet, including my sparkly heels from our wedding.

Lastly, I lined the drawers in a fun bicycle print (it’s just paper that I secured with double-sided tape) to keep odds and ends, like my (excessive) collection of colored twine.

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  • http://40tasks.blogspot.com Alison

    Love the idea of displaying shoes…why do I have my wedding shoes packed away?

    http://40tasks.blogspot.com

  • http://debralynnmejia.blogspot.com/ Debra

    Amazing transformation on the credenza! I’m surprised your friend didn’t ask for it back right away!

  • http://www.chroniclesofkingbigbear.com Christine

    Great color scheme. King Big Bear loves color. If you’d like drop by and leave him a comment.

  • http://www.evokela.com Brittan & April

    Love how the dresser turned out! It looks amazing and the gold detailed knobs work perfectly.

    Xo, Brittan & April
    http://www.evokela.com

  • http://www.chroniclesofkingbigbear.com Christine

    Ooops, I forgot the King’s address: http://www.chroniclesofkingbigbear.com

    thanks

  • http://www.candystilettos.com Jamie

    I agree that beautiful shoes should be works of art.. dont hide them away in a closet!! xo
    Jamie
    http://www.candystilettos.com

  • http://www.lildeli.com lil deli

    The sparkly shoes from your wedding are so fairytale-like. I’m glad you don’t stow them away in the cupboard; they should definitely be seen :)

  • http://trysomethingoldandsomethingnew.blogspot.com/ Sonja

    This is just great! I absolutely love this credenza transformation and I’m planning something similar on my own. Those little pumpkins are adorable…

  • http://www.iammilyna.blogspot.com Milyna

    Emily who makes your weddings shoes?

  • Heather

    Hi! I love how the photos are framed in a simple yet elegant way. Where did you find the frames and settings? Thank you! :)

  • http://www.stylelifefashion.com Kimberly West

    Love it, Love it, Love it! What a great idea and very stylish to display original items

  • http://TesoriBelle.com Deana

    Gorgeous credenza! I love what you did with it!

    Deana
    http://www.TesoriBelle.com

  • Kaitlyn J.

    You always make the simplest things so beautiful. I love the revamped credenza.

  • http://pinklemonincrystal.blogspot.com Michelle Lee
  • http://friendsarefashion.blogspot.ca/ Friendsarefashion

    lovely!!

  • http://www.gigikkitchen.blogspot.com gigi

    what a great way to take a plain piece of furniture and turn it fab! xx gigi. food and beauty blogger @ http://www.gigikkitchen.blogspot.com

  • http://www.70percentpure.be Stephanie

    I love the idea of putting out your wedding shoes so you can see them every day – kind of like a pretty reminder of a beautiful day.

  • Carrie

    The dresser looks great.
    The yellow tape you used to protect the trim would have been a great color to do the trim as well.

    http://ruelamarr.blogspot.com

  • http://www.onestilettoatatime.com Abby
  • http://wearitbetter.com Andrea

    Ah you’re so crafty! Everything you put together always looks so nice. Perfect, really.
    ~Andrea
    http://www.wearitbetter.com

  • http://www.abreathofgemini.blogspot.com nujie

    I love the dresser – its retro but with a very classic, beautiful style!

    http://www.abreathofgemini.blogspot.com

  • http://www.trashtotrend.blogspot.com Kelsey

    This is a great restyle project. I love your wedding shoes! Where did you find them?

    Xo, Kelsey

    http://www.trashtotrend.blogspot.com

  • http://charliesandharrusdaddy.blogspot.co.uk james

    New follower look forward to yout posts

    http://charliesandharrusdaddy.blogspot.co.uk

  • Wendy Coral

    You did a wonderful job! I love that Paper Source bicycle paper.

  • http://www.cashmereinstyle.com Mariann

    Ahh what a creative and great idea. And those wedding shoes…<3 Hugs from Hungary

    http://www.cashmereinstyle.com

  • http://blog.honeydewintimates.com/ jaymi

    The hammered handles are the perfect touch. And, I am slightly obsessed with the way the necklace draped on the frames calls out the colors from the houses in Rome. Amazing!

  • http://beautymovesme.com Beauty Moves Me

    I love the new look!! You did a fabulous job! I have been thinking of repainting our coffee table and now I feel more inspired to “just do it”! Thanks for the inspiration!

    http://beautymovesme.com/

  • http://MouthfulofStyle Nina

    I love the idea of the lining! I am definitely using this idea to redo my drawers.

    And please check out my blog – fashion and styling mixed with luxury business insights. Would love to know your thoughts!
    http://mouthfulofstyle.blogspot.co.uk

  • http://heartbodymind.wordpress.com Toby

    I am loving this credenza makeover and I have been thinking about it since you posted it! Can’t wait to do something like this in my home. Thanks for the inspiration!

  • Rachael

    It looks incredible! I can’t believe how quickly you got on top of this project. How sad it will be to see this go someday.

  • Katya

    I love the makeover. Where did you get the bicycle paper? Or where could you recommend I find a fun print like that? Thanks.

  • http://www.cottontrendy.com Melissa

    Love the idea of having your beautiful shoes on display! Cant forget that Channel book!

    I would like to invite you to visit my blog….where we talk about lingerie and all things feminine.

    http://www.cottontrendy.com

    http://www.pinterest.com/cottontrendy

    xoxo,
    Melissa

  • http://Seelark.wordpress.com Knivesliao

    Beautiful transformation! I just love a good makeover! You have given me ideas on how to style my dresser…

  • http://luxorlivingandstyle.com Stephanie Dawn Sjoberg

    You did an amazing job on the credenza! The knobs were a perfect choice! LOVE IT!

  • http://thefamilystandardblog.com Adriana

    Absolutely beautiful and I love the lining paper! What a great idea!