An old Victrola is the life of the party once again!

Now that fall is in full swing we have been having so much fun creating fall decorations such as burlap wreaths, cute little mummies made from mason jars, candy corn lamp votives and windows and signs inspired by autumn and Thanksgiving . 

But I think I left you last time with the promise of the story behind the latest repurposing project my husband and I tackeled a few weeks ago. We were grateful and thrilled to come by this unique old Victrola. It belonged to my shop's landlord who ever so kindly pulled this gem from his storage unit and after trying to sell as is with no luck, he asked if I could do anything with it...ummm YES, please!

When he brought it over, I was giddy with excitement that it had all the original parts; the turn table, needle and arm and of course the cool crank on the side! It did however have a cracked grill and was no longer in working order. The finish was also scratched and dull. But all in all just as neat!

And so, it sat the day with me in the back room while I worked on other pieces.  I'd walk by it thinking about all the possibilities. Maybe it could be used as a side table with a cool lamp atop it or an entry table to hold your keys inside and a magazine rack in the lower cabinet. And then as I walked by for the hundredth time I saw it...as a wine cabinet! Now being the impatient girl that I am, I of course started disassembling it. After about an hour later and a handful of screws and bolts around me, I realized I'd better wait to share my ideas with my partner in life and in business, my wonderful husband.

So on a Friday evening, which was suppose to be our date night, I know how romantic right, we finally got a sitter, and decided to tacked mission old Victrola turned wine cabinet!

We, and by we I mean Kevin, my other half, took out all of the lower wood dividers that once housed the records. He also took out the "speaker", if you will, and cut out a piece of shelf board to replace it. This now is perfect for holding up to 8 wine glasses.

He then put just two of the six dividers back into the cabinet vertically now, rather than horizontally bracing them with strips of wood. Next, to make a rack to hold the wine bottles.  For these, he cut doll rods in half and secured them to the original shelving allowing storage now for 9 bottles!

Now that the cabinet was built, it was my turn to come up with just the right color combo. I wanted a color that was both bold and fun but classy all at once. For this I chose Miss Mustard Seeds milk paint Tricycle, a vibrant red.  I also wanted a soft color for the inside to play off the Tricycle. I thought about off white or a soft taupe, but finally decided on a pretty shade of gray by Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® Paris Gray. 

After painting the inside and out, I wanted to finish the piece off by using the  original components in keeping the cool look of the original Victrola. After turning the turn table over and peeling off the felt, I then sprayed it, along with the arm and needle and crank, in a oil rubbed bronze.

Glass knobs were added for a touch of class and the original brand name was put back on the inside which I made with my Silhouette cutting tool. 

We were very please with our repurposed  little red cabinet. It will now be enjoyed once again by a family during dinner parties and holidays. And that my friends is what it's all about!