My latest before and after project was salvaging this old, dilapidated Victrola. It was really in rough shape – deep cracks, missing a door, broken hinges. But, the label on the bottom said it was made in 1924, so I could not resist trying to salvage it!
Step one was cleaning the entire piece (it had many, many years of “I’ve been sitting in a garage” grime).
My good carpenter friend helped make a new right door and found a vintage hinge online that would fit. Once the new door was in place, I realized that I wouldn’t be able to just sand a restain it – the cracks on the body of the piece were too deep, and I wouldn’t be able to easily color match a new door. So, I opted for paint and moved forward with priming the piece. I chose a gorgeous gray paint and accented with bronze metallic paint (from Martha Stewart’s line at Home Depot). Added new hardware, reconnected the crank, and voila! A gorgeous record cabinet! Plus, as a bonus, the turntable actually still works. I imagine some industrious person could find a new needle and actually make it play. Currently, I am selling this piece for $375. More information at www.facebook.com/encorefurnishingsnashville.
The Paris [Avenue] House 