Instead of Keeping This Old China Cabinet Brown, He Sprayed It Flat Black and Added Gold Hardware
Dark brown wood covered this large china cabinet from its crown molding to the lower drawers, with four curved glass doors, narrow decorative columns, and brass handles. The cabinet offered plenty of storage, but its traditional finish gave it a look the owner wanted to change.
Reddit furniture refinisher u/kingoptimo1 took on the transformation, replacing the brown finish with flat black urethane and swapping the original hardware for longer gold handles. The curved glass stayed, preserving one of the cabinet’s most unusual features.
The refinisher used a four-stage Apollo HVLP sprayer and Chemcraft Chemlife 24 urethane tinted black. The completed project cost the client $1,500, according to the creator.
Brown Wood and Curved Glass Defined the Original Cabinet
The original cabinet had four tall glass doors framed by warm brown wood, with raised molding across the crown and brass handles mounted near the center. Shelves remained visible behind the bowed glass, which distorted reflections of the surrounding room.
Below the display section, central drawers sat between two enclosed storage compartments. Carved drawer fronts, narrow fluted columns, and tapered legs gave the large piece its traditional character.
Viewed from an angle, the cabinet’s stepped profile becomes more apparent. The central glass doors project forward from the narrower end sections, creating a breakfront shape that extends through the lower cabinetry.
The original finish had a warm reddish-brown tone, while the curved glass reflected windows, furniture, and ceiling lights across its surface.
The close-up shows the bowed glass extending beyond the flat plane of its wooden frame. Rather than replace these panels with flat glass, the refinisher chose to preserve them.
The Glass Doors Came Off Before Painting
The upper display cabinet sits in the workshop without its doors, exposing the shelves and interior compartments. The original wooden structure remained intact, including the curved front profile and molding along the top.
Removing the doors provided access to the frames and protected the glass during preparation and spraying.
The creator explained that narrow wooden retaining strips secured the glass from behind each door. These strips could be removed to release the panels before refinishing.
The Lower Cabinet Was Prepared for a New Finish
With the display section removed, the lower cabinet shows its broad top, three central drawers, and open compartments on either side. The doors and hardware have been taken off, exposing the surfaces that required preparation.
The drawer fronts show the original recessed molding, bare mounting holes, and lighter strips along their upper edges. The existing decorative profiles were retained rather than replaced with flat panels.
Preparing these surfaces was important for the new coating, since old finishes and residue can interfere with paint adhesion.
Flat Black Urethane Replaced the Brown Finish
The finished cabinet now has a flat black surface across its crown molding, door frames, drawers, and lower compartments. Gold handles stand out against the dark finish, while the original glass reflects the surrounding windows.
The refinisher used Chemcraft Chemlife 24 urethane in a flat sheen, applied with an Apollo four-stage HVLP sprayer. Unlike chalk paint or a brushed furniture finish, the sprayed coating produces an even surface across the cabinet’s broad panels and carved details.
Long vertical gold handles replace the shorter pulls on the glass doors. The lower section combines smaller gold knobs on the outer drawers with horizontal bar pulls across the three central drawers.
The new hardware changes the proportions of the cabinet’s front without altering the original drawer and door layout.
The Curved Glass Was Reinstalled After Painting
Seen from the opposite side, the four glass panels retain their bowed surfaces, producing curved reflections across the display shelves. The dark frames make the glass more prominent than it appeared against the original brown finish.
The creator described the piece as a bubble-glass breakfront and explained that replacing the unusual glass would be difficult.
Instead of hammering the retaining strips back into place beside the glass, the refinisher used a pneumatic brad nailer to secure them after reinstallation.
The Same Cabinet Now Has a Different Character
The before-and-after comparison shows the original brown cabinet beside the finished black version. Its crown molding, four glass doors, central drawers, side cupboards, and tapered legs remain in place.
The change comes from the contrast between flat black urethane, long gold handles, and preserved curved glass. The cabinet retains its traditional construction while taking on a more contemporary appearance.
The refinisher charged $1,500 for the project, which included preparation, spraying, hardware changes, and reinstallation of the glass.
Project and photographs: Reddit user u/kingoptimo1, r/FurnitureFlip.