This Brunswick phonograph cabinet probably started life looking like this photo from O'Gallerie, but someone had replaced the door already and gutted the record player parts. They had put in a shelf and probably used it for storage. But there was just a loose board sitting over the hole left when the turn table was removed.
TLC Vintage, stockist for Annie Sloan's amazing and original Chalk Paint®, used beautiful Burgundy as the base coat for this piece. The lower interior of the cabinet is Old Ochre so it would not be too dark. Then over most of the framework we used Graphite and wet distressed after the first coat of Clear Soft Wax.
Inside we retrofitted a metal wine glass rack we purchased new and a wood two-tier wine bottle holder that we had in our box of "someday we may need this" junk! The lower part of the cabinet was left empty to hold hard liquor and old-fashioned glasses.
Inside the top, we used a couple of stencils to fashion some wine and drink names for interest when the lid is left open.
The door was also stenciled using a large champagne label from Maison de Stencils. We love their work and carry a wide variety of their stencils at TLC Vintage. We also had the original key and fashioned a little key chain with a bottle connected so the small key would not get lost!
When the top is open it can serve as a mixing stand, but we love how this 1950's vintage tantalus set looks with the piece. Or you could have a marble cheese platter inside or just corkscrews, swizzle sticks and other useful items. Tantalus sets were common in offices mid-century -- think "Mad Men!" They have a tiny padlock so the help wouldn't get into the liquor while on the job!
We hope you love the transformation as much as we do! But as happens whenever we fall for a piece, it was sold before it was finished to one of our customers. This is the benefit -- and downfall -- of having a working studio in our shop! People see what we are transforming and want it before we are finished. But now we are on to our next project.....converting a treadle sewing machine into a wine and cheese station!
