How a Less Than Perfect DIY Project Can Still Look Pretty Darn Cute

Anyone else have a hope chest growing up?

My mom was given one by her mother when she turned sixteen, who gave it to me when I turned sixteen. 

Here she is in all her 1980’s glory.

She may not be the hippest girl on the block, but she still smells wonderfully of cedar.

I decided it was time to bring this ole gal into the twenty-first century.

Note:  I am not a total emotional monster.  I double-checked that Mom was okay with me making some changes to the chest before I started, and she gave her blessing.

I looked at inspiration pictures for forever until I finally found this gorgeous desk makeover.

That dark navy, those gold handles, the stained top.  Swoon.

I had a lot of apprehension about painting the cedar.  Wood purists are probably tsk tsking right now.  But this piece is only priceless to our family.  It also seriously needed an upgrade to mesh with the rest of our home’s aesthetic. 

So I went for it.

Side note: Does anyone else try to tackle major projects right before an event is schedule to be held at their home?  Like repainting the master bedroom, pregnant, three days before a Halloween party in which no one will enter said bedroom?  Or sanding, staining, puttying, and painting a piece of furniture a week before a two-year-old’s birthday party?  Just me?

Needless to say this project did not get completed before guests arrived for A’s party.  Nor did it get finished in the months (yes months) that followed.

The poor thing sat in our garage for four months before it was finished.

Drew even accidentally hit it with the car at one point.  Well, he says it was an accident.

It was also a less-than-perfect diy experience.  This was a very, very bumpy ride.

I don’t have a full tutorial, but here’s a run down of what we did to the piece.

1. Removed old hardware.  Strip every screw used on the hinges.  Use pliers to twist them out.
2. Discover that existing hardware is not a standard size.  Decide to reuse hinges and only replace the screws.  Pick out beautiful gold bar pulls for the front.
3. Putty the hardware holes on the front since new holes will have to be drilled.
4. Sand sand sand the top.  Poor thing had two different white heat spots and several dings and scratches.  She’s lived a hard life.
5. Discover the top and the bevel of the lid are slightly different colors.
6. Apply one coat of paint and hate it.  It’s not dark enough.  The party is tomorrow.
7. Shove the chest to the side of the garage for 4 months. 
8. Return to Lowe’s and ask them to retint the paint.  The saint at the paint counter gives me a whole new can.
9. Apply second layer of paint. Hate it.  This one is too green.  (A very pretty cyan color but not the deep navy I wanted.)
10. Return to Lowe’s again.  Finally just show the paint saint a picture of what I’m trying to recreate.  He picks out several shades that all look perfect.  Buy sample pots of the four best shades.
11. Test each shade on the back of the chest.  Pick a favorite.  Apply two coats.  Dance around the kitchen proclaiming how beautiful the color is.
12. Apply stain to the top.  Decidedly less drama than paint.
13. Add two coats of sealer.
14. Carefully measure and mark the placement of new holes for the hardware.
15. Break a drill bit drilling the first hole.
16. Ask husband to help with the rest of the drilling.
17. Discover that wife is incompetent at not only wielding a drill but also a ruler.  All the markings are off center, spaced wrong, not level, or all the above.  Also, the wood splinters on almost every single hole.
18. The best husband in the world tries to fix all the mistakes and finishes installing the rest of the hardware.

Ready for the big reveal?

Perfect? No.  Vastly improved? Yes.

I think she’s lovely, flaws and all.

She’s now living her best life, storing linens for our pull-out sofa bed.

Have you had a project not go as planned?  What happened?  Where you happy with the outcome in the end?  Do you have a fool-proof trick for drilling hardware holes?  Share in the comments!