What Would You Do With This?

I need a furniture makeover!

On today's WWYD with this Wednesday, I'm asking for your advice on updating some of my furniture. I just got a new TV cabinet, and I want to turn the old one, a cheap pine armoire into a cabinet for my sewing supplies. I'm planning to install a pull-out shelf inside for my sewing machine for quick mending, but I'm trying to figure out what to do with the outside. I'm tired of the aged pine and it's getting pretty beat up. 

 I also have another smaller cabinet near this one that needs some updating as well and I'd like to make them match.

 

  

What would you do with this? What kind of finish would you do? I have a pickled finish on my faux fireplace which is on the other side of the room, so I've thought about matching this:

 

But then I also like the finish on my new TV cabinet:

When you collect your furniture at thrift shops, you get a hodgepodge, but I love it. You can see that the mirror above the smaller cabinet has a cherry finish and I did a faux cherry/mahogany finish on my built in hutch, so maybe I should do that?

One more thing. I have two 20-year old lamp tables in the living room that were wedding presents and it's time to update them. The finish is ruined on one. Maybe I should make them match the cabinets since they all live in one big living room, dining room, bonus room space. 

 

 

I know, that's a lot to process! Now can you see why I'm overwhelmed with the decision? So what would you do? Which kind of faux finish would you do on the cabinets and the lamp tables? I'm pretty good at creating faux finishes once I have the idea. And I've stripped and refinished furniture too, so toss as many ideas as you want to. I can handle them!

 

Tell me your idea in 250 characters or fewer on the MckLinky tool below. And feel free to include a link to an idea that you've already done on your own blog, or just link up to your blog so we can check out your other great ideas. I'll name a WWYD winner next week based on the idea I like best. 

Sorry, I can't afford prizes, but I'm happy to tweet your name and send you some blog traffic! 

3-9-2010 Update: Contrats to Jill S. for the winning idea. I think that the lighter finish would keep the large pieces from feeling too heavy in the room. I'll be priming with black, painting with white and then sanding to distress. Honorable mention goes to The Prudent Homemaker for the great idea of replacing the knobs. I forget how much of a difference that can make. Thanks everyone!