Before & After: Credenza

*Singing* “Isn’t she lovely? Isn’t she wonderful?” I know she’s not a pageant winner, but that song often pops into my head when I look at my new kitchen credenza. (Yes, furniture makes me sing.) It’s a (stinkin’ heavy) office credenza I found on Craigslist for $40. It sat in our garage for eight months (while my car sat outside, getting a daily dose of bird poop) until I finally decided to quit being a perfectionist, and just go for it. I was inspired by this Amy’s how-to over at Apartment Therapy. First, I used an electric sander with 220 grade sandpaper, then two coats of primer, and three coats of red. I’d still like to finish it with a coat of polyurethane to get that lacquered look, but I’m pretty happy with the simple fact that it’s red now! My other favorite feature is that the primer was a pretty grey, which I think looks lovely on the inside of the cabinet. (See how I wound up decorating my credenza here.)