An old cabinet made by my grandparents gets new life as an entertainment center!

This old cabinet has had the job of several duties over the years. My mom thought it had been made by her parents for my brother though I had a vague recollection of it spending some years in my childhood room as well. Where it really spent most of its time was in her old house’s entryway/closet doing miscellaneous storage duty of tools, hats and anything else you can think of. When it was time for her big downsize she was at a loss as to what to do with this big cabinet.

Then it dawned on her: She needed an entertainment center! She would be leaving both of the big and bulky entertainment centers and their giant tvs in her move so, she needed one. So, I got to work!

Upon seeing my bedroom set (here and here) in all of its glorious black shininess, she requested that her new entertainment center be painted black too.

Did it hurt me at all to paint this solid pine piece of furniture that my grandparents made? Not really, you must remember that I live in northern Minnesota and am totally surrounded by knotty pine, unfinished furniture, walls and everything else you can think of.

No, painting pine doesn’t bother me at all.

Besides, the top of this piece is actually particle board beneath a very very very thin fake wood veneer. It had suffered lots of spills over the years and the veneer was basically gone, showing the bubbly particle board so there was absolutely no refinishing or “saving” the top of the cabinet, it had to be painted.

I added the shiny knobs that I’ve put on just about everything but kept the drawer handles because they were solid and shiny chrome already. With the drawers pulled out and my work beginning on this old piece of furniture I noticed something that absolutely stopped my heart.

In fact, this piece was made for no one else but me when I was just 8 years old. My grandparents made it for me, and left me a little note to remind me of how much I have always been loved. This is why every old piece of furniture deserves to be saved, they all carry a story and they all carry love.

Upon seeing the note mom had a strike of conscious and thought I would want to keep this old piece but I had no place for it and was so glad that my mom could us it. It is absolutely fabulous when it comes to storage actually.

She has more storage then she could ever fill and I think the black is a nice contrast in the room to the storage towers she has on either side of it. And this little cabinet it just so happens to fit her new flat screen tv perfectly.

I love that my grandparents’ left us a note and am reminded to do the same if I ever build anything for anyone. Mom loves her “new” entertainment center and we all love that my grandparents made it!