Midcentury Modern Shelving Unit, Restored and Updated.

Another project that I finished recently: the complete restoration of a lovely shelving unit from the late 1950s in solid pinewood.
Not only did I stripped it off the ugly layers of paint that covered it to reveal the fine grain of the wood underneath, I also added four tapered legs in solid beech wood -taken from another vintage cabinet- and a new back panel that I decorated with handmade paper that sports a fresh pattern in green and white.

Check the pictures below and the detailed 'Making Of' section for further details.

Measures: 42 x 24cm, 144cm high.

And here is the detailed step-by-step MAKING OF process: The shelving unit, prior its transformation, and once stripped off the layers of paint (had work!)

Filling the gaps with wood putty, and sanding the vintage solid beech legs.

In order to attach the legs to the structure, I had to trim their tongues

I painted the legs white, to match the paper that would cover the back panel, and sealed the whole structure with several layers of clear varnish.

I distressed the legs, then varnished them as well. Then, I cut a new back panel to measure, and decorated it with handmade paper in green with a small, cute white flowety pattern.

Once the back panel was nailed to the structure I rounded the edges. Almost done! The last step was a thorough polishing of the structure, to obtain a smooth, satin finish.