A little paint and paper make a huge difference for this little Painted Entryway Cabinet! 
Why are entryways the hardest possible place to keep organized?! We’ve been in this house just about a year now and we still haven’t got a workable system down. We mostly use the back door which opens directly into the kitchen. And I would say 80% of the time it looks like a complete disaster. (Unless I know you’re coming over and then I straighten it up.) It is less disaster prone in warmer months when we need less gear but still, it’s just not working. And this is all compounded by the fact that our house has no coat closet. Yep, seriously. No coat closet. Where did the Victorians put their coats? So a few times a year we have to swap out outerwear and store what we don’t need down in the basement. It’s a pain. Not to mention there’s nowhere on the main level to stash things like a broom.
We do have hooks at both the front and back doors, and a bench in the kitchen with baskets underneath that are supposed to corral shoes. But since I’m the only one who ever puts their own shoes away, that’s only sort of effective. Even so, I’d say our primary problem has been accessories and small clutter. Things like sunscreen and mittens and hats were either sitting on the window sill or clogging up the hooks so nothing else fit. Aa started talking about some kind of serious custom built cabinet solution for the whole wall (which would have taken a lot of space away from the kitchen) and that could work. But it sounds expensive. And that’s when I remembered we had this unpainted cabinet sitting in the basement next to the dryer. Ah ha!
We inherited this little cabinet from my father-in-law when he moved out of his house. I have no idea where it came from but I’m going to guess Hobby Lobby. It’s not the sturdiest thing ever. But it was FREE! My favorite word! So I dragged it upstairs and got to work.
Painted Entryway Cabinet
1. First, give your cabinet a light sanding. And if necessary, a coat of primer if it’s been previously stained or painted. Mine was bare so I skipped this step.
Now, I’ve been painting furniture for a really long time. And I know there are a ton of tutorials and tips out there. A lot of people really recommend latex paint. But if I can be completely and totally honest with you, I have had better luck avoiding chipping, peeling and scratching with just regular old acrylic craft paint. It’s also easier to get, sticks better, has a million color choices, is less stinky and is easier to clean up! The downside to this method is that for a larger piece of furniture you might end up needing 4 or more of those little bottles. But usually they’re under $2 a piece, less if they’re on sale, so even then, it’s not so bad. (And you didn’t ask, but if I had my choice, I’d use this paint in satin for everything. In my opinion it has the best coverage and colors, but that’s just me.)
NOW, that being said, my favorite MS color of all time is called Cloud and it’s a totally perfect robin’s egg blue. A light blue gray with a hint of green. But it’s definitely not baby blue. I already have something in the living room painted this color and I wanted to repeat it for this cabinet, but they were out at two stores I went to. So I stumbled across this paint at Target. And the Horizon color is almost exactly the same as Cloud. Maybe a little bluer. But it’s latex. At least it’s no VOC though, that helps. I liked the way it went on but the jury’s still out on how it holds up, I’ll have to keep you posted on whether there’s any peeling or scratching.
Then I used the side of a pencil to rub along the edge of the door panel, which gave me a perfect tracing of the panel shape. 
Then I taped this tracing to the back of my wrapping paper and using a sharp knife, carefully cut it out. It was a thousand times easier than measuring, measuring, measuring! And it fit perfectly! 
I applied the paper with some Matte Mod Podge. I waited until it dried and then topped it with another coat to protect it. I prefer the matte finish (which actually has a very slight sheen, similar to maybe eggshell wall paint) over the glossy formula for most things because it won’t show up if it gets somewhere it shouldn’t, it is MUCH better at hiding brushstrokes, and it hides any imperfections, wrinkles or bubbles way better. When you use the gloss, especially with paper, you can see every bump and wrinkle (and not in a good way).
Then I decided the inside needed a little something. I didn’t really want to paint the entire inside (although if I had unlimited time and energy I would have painted it white) so instead I painted the top surface of each shelf a dark charcoal.
Then I added a layer of my favorite Lace contact paper. I seriously bought this roll 4 years ago, have used it for multiple projects and I still have a ton left. But I figured, the white on black floral pattern would kinda go with the paper I used on the front and it’s always nice to have some added protection from spilled bubble solution or wet winter gear. 
I also swapped out the knob for one I just happened to have in one of my drawers. And it just happened to totally match the hinges. Don’t you love when that happens?! 
I am so in love with how it turned out. The added storage is such a huge improvement. It’s the perfect size for O to be able to put his own things away, and it fits just between the windows in the kitchen! 
If you liked this, you may also like some of my other posts…
- Learn to Knit – p3tog (Purl 3 Together) - September 12, 2024
- Alternating Rib Hat Knitting Pattern - September 10, 2024
- Learn to Knit – How To Use a Pom Pom Maker - August 29, 2024
PattyV says
Love the tall storage cabinets, perfect for storing fabric, supplies in my sewing room. I could sure use this one. Lots of possibilities with this guy.
Cassie May says
It really is a great size, and to think it was sitting empty in the basement for almost two years! What was I thinking?!
ET says
Love your website, Cassie!
Cassie May says
thank you!