Before & After: My Wardrobe

I'm so excited to finally be showing this project to you. I've been working on it for weeks (not weeks solidly, just weeks because I can only ever seem to snatch an hour at a time without someone needing a snack or some paint or a referee...). I found it on eBay and it was about the third one I bid on but somebody kept beating me to the punch! This one thankfully didn't get away, and I'm very glad now the I was saved from the others. She's a 1930's solid oak number in reasonable condition. She hasn't been doted on and is quite dry in areas but once I'm finished with her she'll smile once more. Now I should warn you, if you're a purist you may not love or even approve of the transformation that has taken place...

 

What do you think? I absolutely love her. She's come up every inch as stunning as I'd hoped. I was so fortunate her mirrors are original and they are pristine in their bevelled elegance. I chose to paint her after taking on board some good advice from my clever friend William, and I'm so glad. The black Feast Watson Prooftint stain that I used without diluting has let her retain her gorgeous grain. Two coats did the trick and I finished her with a matt Danish Oil by Cabots. The delicious black and white pinstripe wallpaper (which I've only used half a roll of and you'll be seeing it on another project soon) is by Moore & Moore - they only just launched and have a stunning range of designs all with an Australian flavour.

So, down to tin tacks - how much? The wardrobe was a steal at $109. Stains, wallpaper, paste and oil came to $255. I still need to put new drawer pulls and a new door knob on her but haven't been able to find exactly what I want yet so add about another $50 for those... $400ish. Not bad for a piece I'm besotted by. To find anything like this in a store would be near impossible and if I did I'd expect it to cost a lot more than $400! Plus, she's mine. I made her. And that satisfaction is beyond value.

Please, tell me what you think of her!