Tags
bar, before and after, decor, diy, estate sale, estate sales, great find, inspiration, Pinterest, project, table, trash to treasure, upcycle
I’m addicted to Pintrest. Seriously, I can spend hours looking at recipes, home decor, fashion, diy ideas, etc and completely waste my day pinning ideas that I’ll probably never get around to trying. But…occasionally, I am able to make pinspiration a reality and want to share my latest achievement.
A few months ago, I found this DIY Bar Tray project. Something about the black and gold caught my attention and never let go. I wanted a black and gold bar tray (never mind that I don’t drink liquor or really have a need for a bar) and I was going to find a way to get one. (You can find the original inspiration here: Honestly YUM)
A couple of weeks ago Lainey and I got some unplanned estate sale-ing done. I was so excited to be back out there with my friend, I didn’t care that we didn’t really have a plan and hadn’t poured over the sale pictures to figure out our stops before-hand. I was just going along for the ride and hoping for the best. We hit the jackpot the first sale when we walked out to the backyard and found this hidden gem (only $20!!).
This butler’s tray and stand was the perfect shape and size for my version of the bar tray. I love the patina on the brass and thought with some new paint that it would really pop! This tray and stand just needed a little work and it would be ready to display decanters and glasses (or maybe picture frames and estate sale finds).
To fix this baby up, all I did was a little sanding to smooth out the surfaces. If I was going to stain it, I would have needed to make sure I got all of the old paint off and down to the bare wood. After everything was smooth enough, I wiped down the surface with some soap and water to get rid of all of the sanding dust (vacuum with nozzle attachment works great too).
For the paint, I wanted something super glossy so I went with Glidden’s trim and door paint in deepest black. I also used some painter’s tape to protect the brass, a couple of small paint brushes, and a drop cloth (so this project could be done indoors, away from the Texas heat). Besides a few touch-ups, this paint went on thick and covered really well (it also is drip resistant which is nice).
I’m so happy with how this project turned out. The black is the perfect amount of shine and contrasts beautifully with the brass. I’m almost sad to cover it up!
A lot of times my attempts at Pinterest projects end up as Pinterest-fails. I’m so happy how this one turned out and it makes me want to host a party just so I can show it off!
What are your Pinterest success stories?
~Emily
the Attic Birds 
The nice thing about a bar cart/table is that it CAN be used for so many things. Your transformation is fab!
Thanks! I’ve had to move the glasses to higher ground to protect them from the tail of a very happy dog. I think versatility is so important in taking a good piece of furniture and making it awesome!
Em- nice job. what a good find.
Thanks!
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