Grandfather Clock Repurposed

I picked this grandfather clock up from Craigslist for $10 and repurposed it into a bathroom storage cabinet! It was a simple and moderately time-consuming project that took me about 10 hours spread over the course of a week. The clock was in non-working condition and wasn’t very high quality to begin with; but it had good enough bones to work perfectly for this project.

The clock was easy to gut (especially after gutting a piano, this clock was easy peasy). I just had to remove a few screws and all of the hardware, hinges, chains, etc came right out. Next I cut a few pieces of scrap wood to make the shelf bracing, nailed them in place, and also cut 3 shelves.

The door was a little more complicated. I used wood that was 1/2″ thick. My original hope was to use my Kreg Jig to drill pocket holes. Theoretically, you should be able to do it, but I failed miserably when I tried. So I took the easy way out and used wood glue at the edges, and mending plates. Mending plates do not create as strong of a structure or look as nice as pocket screws, but I think it is good enough. I am a big proponent of doing things “good enough” 🙂 Ain’t nobody got time for anything else.

The next step was painting. I used Zinsser primer that bonds to almost anything. You don’t even need to sand or strip furniture first!

Then I painted it with an interior latex paint that matched the trim in my house. Of course, no project I do is ever complete without a bit of antiquing! This is when you brush a darker color into the cracks and details to give the illusion of a built up patina. For this project, I used a dark grey interior latex paint. Working quickly and in small sections, I brushed it into the cracks and then wiped away the majority of the paint with baby wipes. This left behind just enough detailing to make it pop and add dimension.

I have been eying these decorative metal sheets at Lowes for a long time now and was so excited to finally incorporate it into a project. The sheets are thin and easy to cut by hand with a pair of tinner’s snips. I bent under the cut side a bit to hide the sharp edge and used 3/8″ staple nails to attach it to the inside of the door. It would have looked better if the nails matched were white instead of black, but it was another “good enough” moment and I moved on.