The Fine Line Between Fixer-upper and Firewood

 Another day, another project.  Again, this is one from my local Facebook yardsale page.  I got this one home and I've got to tell you I was a little nervous.  Scratch that... I was a lot nervous. I've heard of buyers remorse and I'm pretty sure I've had it a time or six, but it hit hard when I stood in the basement looking 

at the holes.

But it's so unique with the drawers inside and I didn't have much to lose at this point since it was 

pretty far gone. 

 

There was already some repair work done to the inside of the door as well.

I used my jigsaw to cut a piece of 1/4 inch Birch to fit down into the recess on the side.

If there had not been a recess in the wood panel on the side I don't know how I could have fixed it.  I turned it on it's side and set paint cans on it while the Gorilla Glue dried.  

Then I started on the doors... Yep, those are doors.  I know they could easily be mistaken for firewood.  Got to tell you, when I looked at this piece the first time the seller asked me what I thought I'd do with it.  I frequently get asked this question when I buy things, because to get good deals I buy what no one else wants.  So I quickly told her my idea of "popping out the panels" etc.  I said "popping".  Boy was that the wrong vocabulary!  There was no popping.  

There was only hacking, peeling, pulling and praying.

I kept stopping and going back upstairs so I didn't get to frustrated with it.

Here it is with all the repairs and ready to be painted.  I'm trying the Annie Sloan brand chalk paint for the first time on this piece.  You'll see the result in a day or two. 

I've got to ask... Has anyone ever started the project that you thought could probably only end with a 

match and some lighter fluid?