A 70s Style Hoosier Cabinet Refurb

Introducing the first of our new regular posts here on the Inkabilly Blog; Vintage Restorations. We will be featuring both professional furniture restorers and DIYers, (as long as it has a sufficient amount of retro cool, we will gladly show it off!). So here we go, kicking off with the talented ladies at Copper Knobs Interiors and their fantastic 70s style refurbished Hoosier Cabinet.

Claire has very kindly given us a behind the scenes look at it's transformation from neglected wallflower to super new 70s cool! ...

The most common response when we show anyone photos of this cabinet is, ‘Oh wow my nan had one of those’. Everyone loves them and everyone has a story about what treats were kept inside.

Some friends bought a dilapidated Hoosier cabinet as a refurbishment project and a mutual friend suggested they give it to us as they would never get round to doing it. We met to have a chat about it and when they said they wanted orange and cream gloss with 1970s wallpaper inside we were so excited we may have squealed a little bit!

Our first steps were some repairs to the wooden back and feet. Then we sanded the top layer of old, flaky paint, gave it a coat of primer, a first coat of cream gloss, then second coat of cream gloss, removed the doors and removed the door furniture. Then it was time for the exciting bit - the fabulous contrasting orange on the drawers and doors - that was a real joy! The hinges and handles were cleaned up and replaced and then it was time to start wallpapering for those fabulous 1970’s finishing touches.

It was one of our earlier jobs and we were still learning a lot as we went along so trial and error was the order of the day. We refined our foam roller technique, learnt to put all the hinges and handles in separate envelopes, found out that B&Q cut wood to size, worked out that nail varnish remover gets gloss off etched glass and finally discovered that you can fall out with a piece of furniture in a heartbeat and fall back in love with it just as fast.

It’s wonderful to see it in use in its new home where it works perfectly as a drinks cabinet.

About Copper Knobs Interiors

This cabinet was refurbished by Copper Knobs Interiors, the venture of two friends, Claire and Becky, who enjoy transforming furniture and bringing homes to life. Started two years ago in a falling down shed at the bottom of the garden Copper Knobs has recently become a full-time passion for Claire who has taken the plunge of self-employment (also offering decorating) and is a part-time passion for Becky (also offering fabrics). Exciting times ahead!