Wood scraps, paint and beeswax helped transform a worn-out cube unit into a cabinet styled as an apothecary chest.
The project
I’m always given free furniture from my family, and this cube unit had seen better days. I decided to transform it into an apothecary cabinet with fake draws. I started with the unit and built a frame for the base. This gave me somewhere to attach the legs.
I used nails and Liquid Nails to attach as the laminated surface would not allow wood glue to bond.
All the timber I used was recycled or offcuts from previous projects, so I did cut and paste pieces together. Let’s call it the rustic look. I added a timber frame to the top and bottom and also to the sides. I used plywood to cover the sides. This not only added a little more thickness to the frame but also allowed me to paint the surface.
Once the frame was built, I cut some MDF panelling I had, and used this for the doors. Some panels I had were just slightly shorter, but this added to the rustic look. To achieve the multiple false drawers, I cut some 120 x 120mm plywood and glued it with liquid nails. I made a template and drilled holes for the placement of the handles.
I made the mistake of purchasing overlay hinges and figured out what was wrong after three hours and some tantrums. If you make the doors sit inside like I have, you’ll need to purchase inset hinges. A mud cake made by my son and a cool drink later, I glued the inside of the cube unit with some old fabric I had. You can choose to use adhesive film or just leave it if the unit is in good condition.
The cabinet top was made from discarded wood which I laminated together with wood glue and clamps. I added a ply backing to stop the cube unit from too much movement.
To decorate the cabinet, I made a decorative bowl using curtain rod wooden rings and macrame rings and hot glued them together. To form the shape, I glued them over a bowl I had covered with cling wrap.
The cabinet base is painted with a semi-gloss paint in all black and the top is stained in sepia. I have also applied a natural bees wax to the top to protect it. And there you have it, one very rustic-looking apothecary cabinet made from a cube unit.
