We are excited to share with you this corner cabinet makeover! This project was all about turning a dated and worn corner cabinet into a beautiful piece of blue painted furniture. Its blue teal hue definitely adds a pop of color and personality to any room it is placed in.

We’ll go through each step of the makeover process and provide helpful tips along the way. Instead of getting rid of a perfectly functional piece, why not give it some freshening up and a whole new look?

photo of corner cabinet before the makeover

Corner cabinets are a great addition to any space, as they make use of otherwise empty or often neglected corners. Of course, they are also functional storage spaces to keep your everyday essentials or display cherished mementos.

However, like any furniture piece, they can get a bit dull and outdated over time. Or maybe you’re just looking to update it to match your evolving style. Whatever the reason may be, this corner cabinet project is an awesome way to breathe new life into an old piece.

So how did we create this transformation?

Table of Contents

Supplies Used for Corner Cabinet Makeover

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Electric Screwdriver
Krud Kutter
Damp Rag
Plastic Wood Filler
Kwikwood
150 Grit Sandpaper
Medium Foam Pad (attached to a sander) (Use code RAY10 to get 10% off your order)
Festool RTS 400 REQ Sander
Heirloom Traditions Paint in Mediterranean
Wagner 595 Paint Sprayer
Paint Filter
New hardware

Removing Corner Cabinet Hardware

The first step in this makeover project was to remove the door pulls from all four doors. We used an electric screwdriver for a quick and easy removal process. Then we pried off the back plate that was held on with tiny nails.

removing hardware using an electric screwdriver

Next up, we took off the glass and metal decorative trim from each glass panel. It was a breeze to remove the rubber gasket that sat around the glass from inside the hutch, just a quick pull.

photo of removing rubber gasket and glass panel

After that, we carefully and gently put aside the glass and got rid of the not-so-pretty metal trim that just sat in the opening. Yes, we were actually glad to toss away the trim for good!

Cleaning the Corner Cabinet

After removing all hardware and glass, we cleaned the entire cabinet with Krud Kutter and a damp rag.

This helped to remove any dirt and grime that had accumulated over the years. We then rinsed the cabinet with a clean damp rag to make sure it was completely clean and then we just let it dry.

Cleaning furniture before painting should not be skipped as it helps the paint to adhere better and creates a smoother finish. You really need to prepare furniture for painting to get the best results!

Filling Knicks, Holes, and Dings

With any old piece of furniture, you’re bound to find some knicks, holes, and dings. No worries though, you just have to fill them. If you’re not sure which filler to go for and when to use them, we got you covered with our post on the best wood fillers!

So, what we did was use plastic wood filler to fill in these imperfections. And for those drawer pull holes, we filled them with Kwikwood. You can learn from our tutorial on how to use KwikWood if you’re not familiar with this product.

filling in surface imperfections and drawer pull holes

We could easily switch out the hardware for something new by using Kwikwood, but there are also other ways of filling holes when replacing cabinet or furniture hardware if you’re interested. Luckily, the cabinet pulls were just one hole each and perfect for new knobs.

After using the fillers, we sanded them down with 150 grit sandpaper and a medium foam pad attached to our Festool RTS 400 REQ sander. You can learn which sandpaper for furniture painting is best by reading our post.

We’ve also actually done a detailed review of the Festool RTS 400 REQ sander over here, so you can check it out if you’re also in the market for the best sander for furniture.

We also gave the rest of the cabinet a light sanding with the medium foam pad to lightly scuff the surface and make it easier for the paint to stick. And then we removed the dust.

Painting the Corner Cabinet Blue

We chose to use the Heirloom Traditions Paint in the color Mediterranean for this corner cabinet. If you haven’t tried painting furniture with Heirloom Traditions Paint, this could be the perfect opportunity to do so!

pouring all in one paint into sprayer container through a paint filter

You can also read our Heirloom Traditions Paint review and look into Heirloom Traditions Paint before and afters for inspiration.

To help the paint spray on smoothly and evenly, we thinned it with 20% water. Doing so helps the paint flow better through our Wagner FLEXiO 595 paint sprayer. Here’s how to thin paint for a Wagner FLEXiO sprayer so you don’t end up with a clogged sprayer and uneven finish.

If you do get into issues such as clogging, our Wagner paint sprayer troubleshooting guide will come in handy.

Once the paint was prepared, we sprayed two coats of blue paint inside and outside the cabinet. These two coats were enough to get full coverage and a smooth finish. We love this teal blue color too much!

spraying two coats of paint with wagner paint sprayer

But of course, you can choose any color that suits your style and space. You can check out our post on the best painted furniture colors to get some ideas.

Since Heirloom Traditions Paint is an all-in-one paint, it already has a built-in topcoat, which means there’s no need for a separate one. So we went ahead and added new hardware to give the cabinet a more modern look that also complements its blue color.

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The new knobs were an instant upgrade from the old ones and they really make a difference in the overall appearance of the piece. We have a whole post on how to change hardware on furniture if you need a step-by-step guide.

This is how it looks after the makeover!

With just a few simple steps, we were able to transform this outdated corner cabinet into a stylish and functional piece of furniture. Isn’t a beautifully revamped corner cabinet like this just what every home needs?

So next time you come across a neglected piece of furniture, don’t be afraid to give it a makeover and add your own personal colorful touch.

If you’re a visual person, check out our YouTube video below to watch the whole process!

close up view of furniture after makeover

More Before And After Makeovers

Click any of these “before” photos below to view the “after” of that makeover.

close up view of blue painted cabinet with gold knobs after makeover

Don’t forget to check out these other awesome before and after furniture makeovers from my Furniture Flipping friends!! (Click the links below the photos!)

collage of old wood furniture before paint

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Painted Hutch Makeover from Confessions of a Serial DIYer