I decided that I would try to make-it-over into an old painted chest by adding a bit of stain, paint and hardware. Here is the result...
First I sanded it with 100-grit sandpaper. I then applied a drak walnut stain to the surface. Once the stain dried, I painted the chest with two coats of cream colored paint - "sandbar". After the paint cured, I used my palm sander with 220-grit sandpaper and sanded the entire chest to removed some of the paint allowing the dark walnut color to show through. After removing the sanding dust, I rubbed more dark walnut stain over the surface, removing any excess stain, to give the piece an aged look.
I bought the galvanized hardware for $20.00 which included 2 handles, 8 -3/4" wide corner brackets and the latch. I applied a spray primer to the hardware and then applied rubbed oil bronze paint. I attached the hardware to the chest, first measuring for placement.
I still felt it was missing something so I scrounged through my husband's scrap metal buckets and bins and found this...
I have no idea what it is but I liked it, so I gave it a coat of rubbed oil bronze paint and secured it through the latch.
I think it looks like a heart lock. Anyway, I think it finishes off the chest.
Now I will be using it as a coffee table in our apartment!
Just an update...my husband and I are relocated to Grande Prairie, Alberta. We are keeping our current home in BC and renting a 2 bdrm, 1 bathroom apartment in Alberta. I am going from 2300 sq. ft. to 825 sq. ft.! Needless to say, I am only taking personal items and a few furniture pieces from our home...this chest being one of them! Anyway, I guess I will be posting about my decorating adventures in an apartment! Should be fun!!
Have a great weekend and thank you for stopping by...
Lesa