Wednesday 30 September 2015

Coat Rail Makeover with Mini Door Knobs

You may or may not already know of my love of bringing new life to old furniture. Sometimes I take it to extremes, taking something that really doesn't have a lot of potential, hidden beauty or any other redeeming features and making something out of it. The Bavarian despairs of me when I refuse to throw out what most people consider rubbish. In the particular case I am going to show you today, the object in question is a broken coat rail that the previous owners of our house left in the cloakroom.

It was the kind of coat rail you can find in any DIY shop for a few quid, made of cheap pine. Of the original six wooden pegs, only four were left. One was very loose. The other three were well secured still. Why bother keeping it? Well, the simple answer is beacuse it might come in handy. The truthful answer is that I cannot accept that something that is not completely irreparable should be dumped because we don't definitely need it right now.

So the rail sat in the cellar for four and a half years until one day in a full-to-bursting trinket shop in Dachau of all places I found the *perfect* knobs to replace the three missing ones. And so the make-over could begin.

To transform my coat rail I needed:
White undercoat suitable for use on wood
Cream satin finish paint
Three small dooor knobs
A drill
A paintbrush

First of all I gave the rail a good cleaning with a damp cloth. It had been in the cellar, so a fair amount of dust and cobwebs had gathered on it.

After that, the whole thing got a coat of white undercoat, knobs and all. After the undercoat had dried, I applied two coats of cream satin finish paint, letting the first coat dry overnight. 
During the painting, the holes for the screws to attach the rail to the wall had become clogged, so these needed drilling through to unclog them. The holes for the screws of the mini door knobs also needed widening, so the drill was used for that job too.

Once the holes has been cleared, the project got to the good part - adding the unique touch. This is the part of renovation projects I love most, making the item my own. 

In this case, I had already selected the knobs. Now I needed to arrange them in the order I wanted. I chose to put the flat-topped knobs to the left and right and place the round-topped knob between two of the original wooden hangers.
Here you can see the rail and knobs in a bit more detail.



Hung on our pale green bedroom wall, the rail has become very handy for scarves, chains or handbags. I am so happy thatit has finally make it out of the cellar and avoided the bin.




Home Etc

17 comments:

  1. What a brilliant little project! I love the little door knobs! Xxx

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    1. Thanks Catherine. Aren't they cute? I couldn't resist them in the shop.

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  2. I do love a good makeover!! What a great idea too, to use it in your bedroom, I would never of something like that and yet I have endless scarves that keep falling off the back of the bedroom door because there are too many. Love the pretty knobs too X #HomeEtc

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    1. Once it was done I had to think where to put it and then it struck me that the green on two of the knobs would work well in our room. It is a great solution for scarves and necklaces. Plus it keeps them out of the children's reach :)

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  3. Great project! I'm so glad the rail finally came in handy and has a new lease of life. Whenever I do a makeover on a piece of furniture I take ages picking handles/knobs, there are so many to choose from these days! #HomeEtc

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    1. Oh yes, it can be so hard to decide, can't it Gemma? I have found myself many times agonising over which knobs to buy, even when I don't have a particular project in mind. Mix and match or go with one type? How many to buy? Large or small? I could be there for hours!

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  4. You are amazing, that looks gorgeous. The new knobs make all the difference, it does look lovely against the green wall xx

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    1. Thanks Lisa! They do transform it, don't they? And it is such a bonus that it comes in handy in our room. x

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  5. Well done from saving that old coat rack from the bin! I am like you, if you think you can save it, you will, even if its going in storage for a few years! It's looking really stylish now, love it. Sabrina xx #HomeEtc

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    1. Thanks Sabrina. I#m a bit of a hoarder but mst things get made over in the end.

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  6. Great little DIY project. I fancy myself sanding and painting old furniture. I know it would make me really proud, but I just never find the time (or space or energy!). I'd really love to get an old bureau in a charity shop and give it a shabby chic look with my magic wand! x

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    1. Ah Mel it is SUCH fun and so rewarding. A bureau would be fantastic. Just swap the magic wand for a paintbrush :)

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  7. Love these knobs! What a neat idea - and makes it look far more interesting and quirky! lovely :) Thanks for linking up and sharing :) Much appreciated. Jess x #HomeEtc

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  8. What a lovely idea!! We've got loads of random little knobs — from various projects! It would be a great way to use them all up!! Looks amazing :) Thanks so much for linking up to #HomeEtc

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    1. It definitely would Caro. The more the merrier!

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  9. That is very clever how you were able to save something most would see as junk and turn it into something new. Most people do not take time to see the value in things if they're not complete. It takes someone with a keen eye to see the potential in everyday objects.

    Christine @ Pop-A-Lock of Albuquerque

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