First things first, I had to get the top of this cabinet smooth. The only thing that was going to do that job and do it well is a chemical paint stripper. I picked up the harshest one available and let it sit for about 20 minutes. I then used a paint scraper to scrape all of the paint off. It took 3 coats of stripper to remove all of the paint that was on the top of the cabinet.

Next, I took an orbital sander and finished removing the rest of the finish on the top of the cabinet in order to get the wood smooth and even for staining.

I used a mineral paint in the color "Hollow Hill" to paint the base of the cabinet. This was a dark green color and I am OBSESSED with it! It took two coats of paint for full coverage.

For the top of the cabinet, I used a foam brush and Rust-Oleum's Varathane stain in "provincial" to stain the top. I brushed this on evenly then immediately wiped off with paper towels. The color was exactly what I wanted so I went ahead and started sealing. I ended up deciding to use Varathane's water based Polyurethane because I wanted minimal yellowing and water based tends to yellow less or "amber". I used my foam brush to apply this as well, doing three coats on the top with ample time to dry inbetween and one coat on the rest of the base. Before I sealed the base, I applied a dark wax in some spots for an aging effect as well as sanded along the edges and spots you would typically see wear for a distressed look.

My original plan was to install a curtain rod and some mini curtains to hide the inside of the cabinet but since it was going in my toddlers room, I purchased some locker baskets instead and they ended up being the PERFECT fit! I purchased new pulls from D Lawless Hardware as well and installed those on the drawer. The drawer now serves as the perfect diaper/wipe storage and the bottom boasts many of my toddlers toys yet make it so easy to pick them back up.

The original plan was to resell this piece but we ended up loving the transformation SO MUCH that we kept it and gave it to Ryan. What do you guys think of the green?! I'm eager to hear!

Bold Green Toy Cabinet