Repurposed HiFi Radio

Recently my Aunt gave me my late grandparents old Motorola Hi-Fi Radio to refinish and sell.

I am slightly obsessed with 1950's style and design so this piece was right up my alley.

Luckily the radio had already been removed by my Grandfather when it stopped working and he  lined the interior with cedar wood for my grandmother to use as a blanket chest.

Here is how it looked when I got it home. I really wanted to do something fun, and a little different than most of the pieces I've done in the past.
I started out by priming the piece then chose I light and bright color green to paint it.

Since the inside had been lined with cedar wood I would have had to remove the pieces to get the front speakers off, so I just put fabric right over it using spray adhesive.
(The fabric is actually a better homes and gardens table cloth)
I used some white rope that I had on hand for the trim.

It was a neat feeling working on a piece that I my Grandfather had once worked on as well so many years ago.

I replaced the hardware with new ceramic knobs from Hobby Lobby and painted the front panels blue to coordinate with the fabric.
Finally, I distressed the piece and put a protective coat of wax over the whole piece.

Here is the result:

I'm so happy with how it turned out! I cut the fabric to fit around the Motorola emblem to keep one little piece in it's original state.

This would work well as a buffet or console and has plenty of room for storage.

It wasn't until the H-iFi was painted that I really noticed what great lines the top and bottom had.

There is a good chance I will be keeping this piece for my Dining Room. That also means the hutch that is currently in my Dining Room will be for sale, so stay tuned :)

~Kim


Linking to: