CURIO CABINET ROUND-UP + A DIY

I think some people might see cabinets as purely vessels for storage, but I see them as beautiful additions to the styled your home. There are so many beautiful ones out there that can elevate the feeling of a room that you should never just settle with the first one that you find. Want one with glass doors so you can style the items in there? Done! Want something industrial, modern, rustic? So many options!

When I started this DIY I started looking for inspiration and ended up realizing how many amazing styles there are out there. I’ve included a bunch of those finds below, but also want to give some tips as to the best ways and places to use them.

SHORT

TALL

If you’re in a super small home or apartment, then obviously storage is probably a struggle, but I would reconsider a tall cabinet. If your ceilings aren’t that tall and a large piece of furniture will just enhance the smallness of your space, then I’d go with an alternative; something like short consoles or a sideboard. That can be easily disguised with beautiful artwork or table lamps so it just looks like something decorative, but in reality you’ve got that thing loaded with stuff you needed to put away.

This DIY was a labor of love, I mean, all of them are, but I absolutely loved this challenge! I got a small curio cabinet for $35 from Facebook Marketplace and immediately went to work. Here is a quick rundown of the steps I took to make it into the beauty it turned into!

Took apart the top as much as possible and filled in any holes that weren’t needed (old hardware).
Spray painted the hinges to match the new handle that I got and painted the outside black.
I got beadboard panels from Home Depot to create a new backboard and painted it black.
I built a sturdy base with these boards, painted them black, and connected them to the original cabinet. This is where you get to customize the size, but also could be creative to make the base sturdy. I was thinking of putting a shelf a few inches from the bottom to make it sturdier and give it a bit extra opportunity to style, but ended up not.
Luckily the original cabinet already came with a pretty brass interior light, but you could always add if yours doesn’t! Maybe a pretty puck light or find a small portrait light?