Bar Cart
I had so much fun transforming this old dresser into a nifty bar. If you have been following my blogs this dresser was part of the same bedroom set that the headboard bench was part of as well. Here is how I changed this piece.
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Supply List
- Plywood for Shelf
- Pine Wood Siding
- 2 - 1 x 12 x 8
- 4 Pulls for Drawers
- Black Latex Paint
- Grey Latex Paint
Part One
The top part of the dresser took on the main transformation for this piece. This particular dresser was originally a 5 drawer dresser but I only left the bottom 2 draws in for storage. First thing I did was take out the gliding guides for the top 3 drawers, the guides were screwed in and were easy to remove. The front supports for the top 2 drawers I had to cut out with a jig saw. I left the front support of the 3rd drawer in for the shelf I added. After all the other supports were removed I sanded down the edges where the front supports were and used wood filler to fill in where it was needed. Then sanded again once the filler was dry. It was then time to put the shelf in!!
For this part I used a sheet of 3/4 inch birch plywood and cut it down to size with my Skill Saw. Once I had it cut to the right size, I put it in place and tacked it in with brad nailer. Next I used a brad nailer to put pine siding into place on the inside. I then used my Mitter Saw to cut 45 degree angles on the ends to make the 90 degree angel for the corners. To get a great fit and look, I started at the bottom on the self and worked my way up the back side first. After the back was done I then worked on each side, again I started at the bottom on the shelf and worked my way up to the top. After the pine siding was in it was time to start on the divider and the X for the wine rack as well as the wine glass hanging rack.
Part Two
I was not the best at geometry when I was in high school many years ago and remembering what I did actually learn in class now was definitely put to the test on this part of the project:)- The divider and X were made out of two 1x12's cut down to the sizes I needed. The divider was very straight forward, I measured the inside of the opening form the top down to the self. Once I had my measurement I used the Mitter Saw again and cut the 1x12 down to the right size. I placed the divider in its place in the bar to mark where it was going to go and set it aside. It was then time to measure for the X. I measured diagonally form the lower marks I made for the divider to the top right side of the bar and cut the 1x12 accordingly. I did the same for the second piece but this time I measured form the top left side where the divider mark is to the lower right side of the bar. Now its geometry time!! It was then time to figure out the angle I needed to cut to get the X to sit in the bar correctly. This was when I phoned and friend for help and called in my husband for backup. To be honest with you I'm not entirely sure how he did it but he stacked the 2 pieces of 1x12 on top of each other at the right angle and marked the outline of each piece of wood on the side of the other piece. This gave me a guide to set the proper angle to set the Skill Saw. I then measure in 5 and 3/4 inches to the middle of the board and drew lines for the angles on the side of the boards as a guide for my cuts. I then lined up my Skill Saw with the marks and prayed! [Not really :)- ] Once I had both lines cut to my 5 and 3/4 inches in line I used the Skill Saw to make a few more passes on the inside of my cuts to cut away the wood that I needed to get rid of. Once most of the wood was cut out I used a chisel to clean up the inside edge of the cut. I did the same process on the other piece of wood. Now that both pieces where cut, I slide the to pieces together to form the X. Once the hard part was done, I set them aside and moved onto the wine glass rack. The wine glass hanging rack was made from extra birch plywood that was left over form the shelf and the gliding guides from the top 3 drawers. I cut each piece to the width of the inside and screwed them to the birch plywood. I then needed to add some spacers so that the birch plywood was flush with the top edge of the opening of the dresser, I used 2 2x4's to accomplish this. I screwed the 2x4's onto the birch plywood and set it aside. It was time for the color!
Part Three
The outside of the bar I chose to paint grey with a black glaze. But on the inside of bar where we just put all the beautiful wood I didn't want to cover it up with paint. I decided that I would do a washing technique with black paint. This washing technique shows the grain of the wood like a stain but with paint instead. I took a bucket with some water in it with an old wash rag and rang it out good. I then dipped the rag in the paint and wipe it on the wood. You can wipe as much paint off as you would like to achieve the look your going for. As the paint dries the color darkens a little too. You have to redip the rag in the water from time to time to rinse it and also get it wet again. I used this technique on the birch plywood, siding, wine glass hanging rack, divider and X. I also washed the inside of the 2 drawers with the black paint, I like doing the inside of drawers to add a little extra to the piece. When the washing was done, I then turned my attention to the outside of the dresser/bar. I lightly sanded the piece to scuff the old finish and then painted it with a couple coats of light grey. After the grey paint dried I put a quick coat of Polycrylic by Min Wax on the outside to get the piece ready for glazing. It was then time to mix the glaze medium with the same black paint I used to wash the inside with. I glazed the outside and waited again for it to dry, which doesn't take long. After the glaze was dry, I put 3 coats of Spar Urethane by Min Wax, a clear coat that is good for indoor or outdoor use, over the entire piece. I was then time for the hardware to be put on.
Last but not least Part Four
I added new pulls to the drawers, they came from Hobby Lobby. I wanted this piece to be mobile for whoever ended up with it so I added casters to the bottom. And you can't have a bar without a bottle opener. It is then ready to add all the mixings for your favorite drinks and enjoy!
Hope this has inspired you to turn something ordinary into a special piece but if you don't have the time to make your own, contact me for a custom piece and let me bring you that A Rustic Rose you've been looking for.
Thank you for spending time with me and until next time....
Addie
revised 6/18