DIY Mid Century Modern Credenza Upcycle
We went dumpster diving in a recent video where I picked up a mid century modern teak cabinet that was originally made to hang on a wall as a cupboard. However, I saw some crazy potential in this piece, so thought I would try upcycling it into a credenza! Here’s how I did it:
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Upper cupboard
Knobs (or use the ones installed)
4 legs
4 leg plates
Sander & sandpaper
Teak oil (or stain/paint of choice)
Cloth or rags
Screws
Dowels
Mallet
Circle saw
Circle drill bit
Wood glue
BEFORE
First up, I wanted to repair the colour of the wood on this cabinet since it had worn over time. To do this, sand down your wood really well and if it’s teak like mine, use some teak oil to bring out the natural colour of the cabinet. If you want to change the look, you can stain it a different colour and seal it with varnish, or even paint it if you fancy!
Once the wood is dry, install your legs on the bottom using legs and leg plates from the hardware store. I installed mine angling out, but you can place yours whichever way you like! Once the plates are installed in the proper places, stain/paint the legs to match the cabinet, and let dry.
To add in the cross features on the legs, cut your dowel to size between the legs lengthwise and widthwise. Stain them the same colour as the cabinet and legs, and let dry. Then drill two circle holes on either side of each leg that are the diameter of the dowels, which should make a 90 degree angle. Add wood glue into each of the holes.
Then take your dowels and use a mallet to gently tap them into the holes you just drilled. This should complete your mid century modern credenza, but you can always swap/add new knobs or paint the existing ones if you want!
AFTER
I can’t wait to show off this piece in my home, and make sure to check out the video below for a more in depth look!