This DIY Metal Cabinet Makeover is part of the project mayhem going on around here. Now that we are solely concentrating on the projects in our garage, we are getting through them pretty quickly. We will be having a HUGE yard sale in the beginning of October so I have been a mad woman cleaning out all the things that we don’t love or use anymore. That includes our garage. After this fall yard sale, we will be parking both of our cars in the garage and not looking back. Matt and I have agreed that we need to find storage space for future projects. I don’t know if that means we will rent a storage garage or what, but we are going to change how the process looks around here.
Now, to the latest makeover that happened from the garage stash.
I picked up this metal cabinet because of the drawers. Anything with a lot of drawers or cubbies will always come home with me. Not only did this metal cabinet have a lot of storage, but it had all of the label handles still on it (we removed the top one before I had a chance to take the before photo). The size of the cabinet is also great. It is small enough to fit in any space and yet big enough to give you ample storage.
{Affiliate links are used in this post. You can read my disclosure HERE.}
The piece did have some rust. Rust never scares me. It wasn’t horrible on this cabinet and I knew I could work with it.
I was really excited to get started on this metal cabinet makeover.
Supply List For This DIY Metal Cabinet Makeover:
“BayBerry” from Fusion Mineral Paint
HomeRight Finish Max Paint Sprayer
Rustoleum Flat Black Spray Paint
The first thing we did was remove all of the handles from the drawers.
Then, we used 400 Grit Sandpaper all over the rust spots on the metal cabinet.
The sandpaper really smoothed out the rust and made the metal cabinet ready for paint.
I really wanted to paint this metal cabinet in “BayBerry” from Fusion Mineral Paint, but I didn’t want to use a paint brush because I knew the strokes would show up on the metal. So, I tried something I have never tried before. I stirred in a little Metal Bond From Latex Agent in the paint and put it in my HomeRight Finish Max Paint Sprayer.
The mixture worked perfectly and the sprayer put the paint on it like butter.
Is that a thing?
If not, I just made it a DIY thing.
I love it when a DIY plan comes together when you haven’t tried it before.
As soon as I saw the green color on the metal cabinet, I was swooning. It looked like a brand new piece already.
I spray painted the handles with Rustoleum Flat Black Spray Paint.
The black hardware was a great compliment to the green metal cabinet.
Hasn’t this cabinet come a long way?! I am thinking it is staying in my office. With the other piece I added for more organization, I have no excuse to keep everything in its place.
It is funny how a new piece like this can make me want to be in my office getting tons of things done.
For me, it is the simple things every. single. time.
Would you have rescued this metal cabinet?
Don’t have time to search for a metal cabinet? I found some similar pieces that fit the bill.
Pin This Post!
If you liked this Metal Cabinet Makeover, check out more of my furniture makeovers!
Back To School Organization For Mom
Piano Bench Turned Farmhouse Bench
Furniture Repair: How To Fix A Broken Dresser Drawer


WOW so neat, love your fire-pit area too, the plants are great, looks like a good family area
Thanks!!! 🙂
this looks great Lindsay! LOVE the green and the label holders. I will definitely keep my eye out for an amazing cabinet myself!
Thank you!!!
Hi, Lindsay.
I’m writing about your children growing up too fast. Warning: it doesn’t get any better. My granddaughter turned 14 in June. Ouch! It doesn’t seem that my daughter should be more than a couple of years old! And to see my granddaughter start high school this year….!!!
Enjoy every minute! No matter how hard I pray, the Lord doesn’t give me any “do overs”. (Now see what you’ve done! I’m leaking tears!)
Your children are beautiful! And I bet they are as proud of their mother as you are of them.
Have a blessed day.
BJ
Thank you so much for this! I know!! I wish I could slow it down! It makes me teary eyed too!
I LOVE how this turned out. Great job. Love that color combination.
Thank you so much Chelsea!
Most definitely I would of rescued this metal cabinet. It turned out beautiful! Love the color, and glad to hear that it found a home in your office. I have a small file cabinet that I dug out of the garage the other day when I was trying to clear out some things. I am wanting to repaint it and use it in my craft/office, but haven’t started yet because I’m afraid I’m not very good at spray painting. I get in a hurry and it runs everytime. Guess I need to just jump in and do it.
Yes! Just do it. The more you do it, the better you will be. Practice on some cardboard or scrap wood first.
That is beautiful and such a great addition to an office. I guess Ill have to get rid of the “basket organizers” because I cant find anything after I’ve filled it in the basket. LOL
Exactly! I was doing that too!
I am so glad that I checked out your Pinterest post about refinishing a metal cabinet. How neat! The colors are so crisp & clean looking. I have a cabinet very similar to this that has rust & I wasn’t sure what I could do with it. Well I know now. Thank you for including all the steps to what you did. I’ll be refinishing mine soon.
YAY! Thank you so much for letting me know! Good luck!