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Check List for the Dining Room Cabinet

Did you see what was delivered this past week? Our cabinet for the dining room was delivered on Tuesday. If you missed it, you need to read this post. I shared the history of this massive cabinet, as we know it. Also… what we planned on doing as far as repairs, etc. Upon further investigation once it arrived, there are a few more to-dos than we initially thought. So… we have made a check list for the dining room cabinet and I wanted to share. Because I will use this as a “list” to keep us on track.

Punch List for the Dining Room Cabinet

As I explained in the previous post, this cabinet is massive – approximately 9′ tall and 10′ wide. It is in 2 pieces which will make things a bit easier as far as getting it into the house. We had it delivered to the cottage so that we can work on it in there. As you can imagine, one could get pretty overwhelmed with a piece that big.

Where do you even begin?

If you watch social media stories, you may remember this story. I shared it a long, long time ago. It was when we lived in the old house. In the midst of several projects going on at the same time, the drain pipe broke off in the wall. So we hired a guy to dig up our yard so that we could have that pipe repaired. It was a huge hole.. maybe 4′ deep by 6′ wide.

The man sadly passed away in the middle of our job.

Deb and I decided to fill the hole ourselves. It was summer. It was beastly hot. And we had so many other projects going on. So we made a vow. Each of us would throw 10-15 scoops of dirt back into that hole every day. And that’s what we did. It took awhile, but when we focused on small sections, it wasn’t so overwhelming. I will never forget the last scoops.

We will be taking this same approach….

We will focus on getting the bottom completely done and then move on to the top. That way we can get the bottom in place in the house and out of the way in the cottage.

Checklist for the Bottom of the Cabinet

* Strip the rest of the paint from the top, the one side, and the bottom trim.

* Remove the metal to reveal bead board. Upon investigating, we realized the back of the bottom was lined with metal. By removing that, it will match the top.

* Sand the entire cabinet. The previous owners had some of it stripped but it needs a good sanding to remove the rest of the paint and old varnish.

* Paint the entire inside white.

* Address issues with the doors including removing paint from the old hardware.

* Repair the one side. It was a built-in on one side. So Deb will add a few pieces of trim to match the finished side.

* Seal the outside. I am not sure what I am going to do yet, but I may simply seal it to showcase the oak wood.

Checklist for the Top of the Cabinet

* Strip the rest of the paint from the top and the one side. I believe we will try to remove all of the details at the top and let it soak in stripper. We did that with our headboard and it worked out well.

* Sand the entire cabinet, outside and inside. Again, the previous stripping job was a little rough.

* Paint the entire inside white to give it a clean look.

* Paint all of the individual shelves that came with this cabinet. And make any repairs.

* Address issues with doors and get them in working order… which also means cleaning the hardware really well and remove any paint left.

* Replace the glass in the wide panels. The glass is pieced together so we will fix that.

* Seal the entire outside like we do the bottom.

* Address the “window” in the back. I have no clue what it was for. BUT.. I say leave it. Number one, it’s history. Number two, we are painting the inside the same color as the walls of our home. You will never even notice it when we get it in the house and I fill it with my treasures.

As you can see, we have our work cut out for us. And, our approach of one thing at a time will be best. LOL It can get overwhelming looking at the entire thing as a whole. If you are on social media, make sure to follow along. If you aren’t, I will be giving periodioc updates once we complete each piece. I am so excited to get going on this project.

Danelle Harvey

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View Comments

ellen says:

March 19, 2023 at 9:42 am

It's going to be beautiful. I can't wait to see it completed with your lovely treasures.
Anonymous says:

March 19, 2023 at 9:48 am

Could you maybe find or commission a piece of stained glass for the “window” on the top section?
Nancy says:

March 19, 2023 at 12:20 pm

Can't wait to watch! Luv you two!
Jeanne says:

March 19, 2023 at 4:09 pm

So much work to be done but doing it like you plan to, bit by bit, will make it easier and much more fun to do ❤️ Looking forward to watching the process!
Kathleen says:

March 21, 2023 at 6:32 pm

I thought that window part was a mirror. Can’t wait to see it all done. Reminds me a lot of Natalie’s.
Holly says:

March 21, 2023 at 7:46 pm

I am so in love with that giant cabinet. I dream about finding one. I was wondering about covering the opening in the back with one of your leaded glass windows and reworking the shelves around it if need be. Would be beautiful with your wonderful lamps glowing in front of the window and lighting your beautiful treasures. I just love your home! So beautiful and so well deserved. You two work so hard! I find myself looking at items in my home and wondering WWDDD-what would Deb and Danelle do?🤔😆😉👍
Maureen Blair says:

March 21, 2023 at 9:01 pm

I wonder if you’ve considered additional structural supports in the bottom. The top, loaded with all your wonderful treasures, will be so heavy. What a magnificent piece. I can’t wait to see it finished. ❤️
mary says:

March 22, 2023 at 8:27 am

What an absolutely amazing piece. I can not wait to see the progress and the finished piece
Jo Ann says:

April 7, 2023 at 4:46 pm

I believe the comment above may be correct. Be sure the bottom is strong enough to hold the top loaded.

Also you may want to get your cousins to help move and position the top.

It will be a showpiece when finished! Anxious to see!
- Danelle Harvey says:
  
  April 10, 2023 at 7:40 am
  
  Yes, Deb is going to attach it to the wall when I am done painting it and it's perfectly in place.