DIY project, renovating a huge old school cupboard

Over the years I have bought a few items of old school furniture from the 1950s.  Solid, wooden cupboards designed to withstand the heavy use in a school environment, disposed of by the schools as being out-dated, to be replaced with MDF or chipboard furniture which just doesn't stand the test of time.

This large specimen has been used as an overflow larder in the guest room, in fact my daughter used to refer to sleeping in the pantry when she came to stay!  It stands 7' tall, is 5' wide and 18" deep - like I said, it's large!  It was covered in several coats of paint, which all needed to be removed to reveal the wood beneath in order to transform it into an object of beauty, rather than simply a functional item.

The renovation project is now underway.  It's taking a long time to do, burning off paint, then using chemicals to remove that paint stuck in the fiddly places.  David has removed the cornices and other trim where necessary to clean away paint that had built up in the joints, hence the apparent crenellations on the top!



 The bright blue is particularly fetching, don't you think?  this is at the base of the unit.

 I took the doors outside on a sunny day to burn off the vibrant yellow - isn't the wood a glorious sight, unseen for decades!

This is part of the side of the unit having been sanded, by hand.  Still more work to do though - watch this space!