Seriously? I Would Have Never Seen This Potential!

Adri and Jeremy of Dream Book Design have been one busy couple, turning their fixer into a keeper!

And this project of theirs is insanely fabulous.

"A couple of months ago J bought this massive card catalog from Craigslist. It is from a closed down old Phoenix Public Library. It was so incredible, but yet we had no idea what the heck to do with it. It sat in the garage for a good four months until one day my hubby had a "light bulb" moment and decided he would take it apart and transform it into the most beautiful buffet ever...really, ever!

This is what we started with..."

And this is what they did:

1. All 72 drawers were removed and numbered with tape {so each could find its way back home later!}

2. The outside plywood casing of the original cabinet was also removed.

3. Next the four sections of 18 slots that were stacked 4x1 were taken apart from one another and reattached side by side.

4. Then two 4'x8' sections of oak plywood, cut to size at Lowe's, became the new top and base. The original casings were used for the sides to preserve the character of the piece.

5. Eight legs from Lowe's were attached to the base sheet of plywood in a diamond pattern to support the weight of the card catalog.

6. 3/4" trim was used to edge the new base.

7. Everything was sanded, re-sanded, and sanded some more to really smooth things out.

8. All 72 drawers were painted with Primer-in-One from Home Depot and Behr Premium Plus Ultra paint in Rhino.

9. Stain, Minwax Dark Walnut 2716, was then rubbed all over with a small brush and a few rags to give the antique look, followed by a little more sanding and then a layer Minwax wipe on polyurethane to seal it.

10. Finally, the original hardware was reattached to each drawer.

I'm exhausted just thinking about this project...but completely and utterly impressed!

If you haven't been by their blog, here's the link to do so.

{Thanks Adri for letting me share your project on my blog today!}