Mid Century Modern Bar Cart Makeover (Facebook Marketplace Flip)

Fun fact about my house: nothing is level, and this includes the dining room floor. A bar cart on wheels was not conducive to this environment. My old bar cart was also very ‘farmhouse’ which is not the style I am going for at all in this home. However, I did not want to settle for something I didn’t love to replace it, and I made a new years resolution to buy secondhand if possible. I got super lucky in January to find this bar cabinet on Facebook Marketplace for $140 and I jumped on it.

My roommate and I drove an hour and a half on a Saturday morning to pick it up from Washington, NC, and it was so worth it. The previous owners estimated it was from the 60’s, and it had some minor damage to the intricate detailing on the front, but nothing I couldn’t handle. We got it home and it lived in my dad’s garage while I figured out what I wanted to do with it.

I had almost splurged on this $800 bar cabinet, but decided I’d rather try to find something vintage, but this one became my inspiration. My dad was ready to take on the challenge of painting the detail on the front because it meant he could buy a new paint sprayer. I chose Boothbay Gray by Benjamin Moore, which is the most perfect cool gray color. My dad used a paint sprayer to get even coats on the entire cabinet and after 3 coats it looked amazing! I chose to get the paint in the glossiest finish possible to give it a lacquered look without the cost. I also decided to change all the hardware out for something brass and more contemporary. My dad finished the cabinet for my 27th birthday and surprised me with it, and I am so happy with it.

There is an ironic/funny story about this piece though. I bought it thinking it did not have wheels and was a stationary cabinet. My roommate and I even picked it up and carried it to my car the day I bought it (and it is a hefty piece). When I took it to my dad’s house a few days later we got it out and found out it did in fact have wheels, which was the biggest issue with my previous one. Luckily this bar cabinet does not roll down the dining room, so no harm no foul.

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