Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Kitchen Cart Makeover


Hi everyone!  Some of you may remember the kitchen cart I got at Goodwill a few months ago for $7. Well I really needed it since there’s so much produce to preserve these days and I don't have a whole lot of counter space. I also don’t have space for a permanent island in my kitchen. So when I saw this kitchen cart at Goodwill I grabbed it since it would be easy to roll out of the way but give me just a bit more flat surface space when I need it. Of course  I had to spruce it up a bit!
cartbefore 
I added a piece of wood on the bottom to 1)raise it up to a level that’s comfortable for me to work with and 2)I had to replace the casters since one was hanging on by a screw and one didn’t roll anymore.  I had the wood cut to size at Home Depot and just nailed it into the existing feet.
Newcasters
Then I screwed on some new casters that I bought at IKEA. Which I think were $9.
Cart1
I also used 3 cans of leftover spray paint (they all had a little bit left) and painted it black and distressed the edges a bit (by using sandpaper to let the original color show through). I re-used the knobs that came with it. Check it out!
After
Before.
cart_thumb[1]
I don’t need the wine rack, but the bottom shelf will come in handy.
drawers
It has two drawers which I have some dishcloths and potholders in.
dishtowels
The sides have places to hang towels and there’s a knife block (which I doubt I’ll ever use). It’s already come in handy when I chopped up some red bellpeppers to freeze.
choppedpeppers
They were on sale at my local Mexican supermarket so I bought a bunch to  chop and freeze. Why are red and yellow bellpeppers so crazy expensive anyway? I cut them into little cubes and flash freeze them on a cookie sheet. When they’re frozen I put them in a freezer baggie. That way they don't stick together and you can just take out what you need. They soften when they defrost but I use them when I cook omelets, fried potatoes, casseroles, soup etc. I wouldn’t use them in a salad. Just a little frugal tip from me to you~smile!

I think I've now used all the things I've found thrifting over the last few months!

Thank you for visiting with me today!

70 comments:

Kim @ Home Is Where The Heart Is said...

Looks great, Manuela! Love the color :)

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

It turned out great, Manuela! I love it black and that you left the top stained. Great size, too. That's about what I would need for my kitchen as I don't have room for a big one. I'll bet you find a use for the wine rack portion as a holder for something else. Nice job!

Mary Ellen said...

Love it!

Mary Ellen

Damaris said...

LOVE!! LOVE!! LOVE IT!!

Christa said...

Now that is beautiful! It looks like a very expensive piece. I can't believe you bought that for $7.00 at Goodwill.

Christa

Stephanie @ La Dolce Vita said...

Great job!! not bad for $7 a little paint and elbow grease! This looks like you easily spent over $150 for it!

Connie said...

WOW, what a difference, chickee. You gave it a new life and it looks terrific and like it fits in very well with your decor. Nice job.
xoxo,
Connie

Brenda said...

I am working on the bedroom that my grandchildren sleep in when they are over and I also keep my computer in an Armour in that room. So the computer is in my husbands office and I just spend a little time checking out everyone's blogs in the evenings after he is done for the day. I love how your kitchen stand turned out! I am painting all the furniture that I have collected over the last two years for this same room I have emptied out. I hope to get some carpet installed and have it all done by the first part of next month.

Brenda@CoffeeTeaBooks said...

I love it! You've turned it into a thing of beauty.

Hehehe, I see the wine rack with "S" links attached to hang herbs to dry from. Can you tell I have herbs on the mind?

This is one of your best projects. I have a small chopping block island with wheels and I find I use it much more as an extra place to "hold" things (like you did here) than to chop.

Patty said...

That's great!! I have one kind of like that that gets used a ton since I had like zero counterspace in this kitchen. I've never liked the color though, but you have inspired me. I may be buying some spray paint this weekend! Thanks!

Terri Steffes said...

Manuela, I am not sure why, but this little project has really sung outloud to me! I love it! You might be able to use the wine rack to display some pretty jars. Just make sure they are long enough!

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

Manuela, that looks great. I love it black and distressed in your cute kitchen,

Susie Homemaker said...

Wow Manuela...that is gorgeous. You are so inspiring.

And, all the fabrics of your dishtowels really strike my fancy too...

Have a wonderful evening,
Susie

Happy@Home said...

What a beautiful transformation. You really have a talent for this and I'm so glad you share it with us. Great tip on freezing the peppers too.

Unknown said...

We grow green peppers and flash freeze them too, works great on pizza, etc. Good tip! Sue

Julie said...

Woo Hoo. over the top. What a deal turned into an outstanding makeover. You are too much. I like it. Fantastic post. You go tool girl! :-)

Melanie said...

You have done a great job and I love the black:)

Priti Lisa said...

I Love this SOOO much!
And your idea for peppers...it's a good one, I do that too :)
xo

Darlene said...

That little cart is FABULOUS with a Manuela re-do!!!! Thanks for the tip about the peppers....great idea!

Unknown said...

Is a fantastic transformation!!!

Glenda/MidSouth said...

Love what you did with the the cart! Know what you mean about the price of the peppers. :(

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

It turned out great! I love the color and the wood top. Do you grow bell peppers? I tried red and yellow ones this year. One plant each. I think I planted them a little late. So far we have had one yellow pepper. There are 3 red peppers that are still green but growning. I think next year I will plant them a little sooner and plant more of them...
Hugs,
Penny

GlorV1 said...

Oh it came out beautiful Manuela. I love it. You are so dang twifty. :) I do the same with my home grown green bell peppers. I've tried growing the red, yellow, but I just don't get enough of them. I just shreaded some zuke for later use and I made two zuke breads. Have a great Thursday and Friday, oh and the weekend too. :)

Theresa said...

Beautiful Goodwill find transformed! I love it! Great piece and useful too! Good job Manuela!

Have a blessed day my friend! HUGS!

Vee said...

It looks great! I bet that you may actually find that it stays around more than you previously thought. Once one has an island, I don't know how she gets along without it. Must be that triangle rule for kitchen dynamics.

Ally's Corner said...

It's beautiful!!!! And yes peppers are way to expensive.

Little Penpen said...

so very pretty... you have such an "eye" for great things. I would love to have a roll away cart like that.

Stacey said...

Amazing! I love the way you painted your new cart. It is always wonderful to have another surface to work on.

I do the same thing with red peppers. They are often so expensive. Love to grab them when they are on sale.

A Southern Rose said...

I think it turned out great! It looks so much better painted black. That was a bargain too.

Hugs,
Lee Laurie

julie - eab designs said...

One of my favorite makeovers to date. I would love to have some extra counter space! LOVE it!

Denny said...

Excellent find Manuela and you have done it up beautifully!You do come across some fantastic bargains.I love that rooster mat too.

Unknown said...

I LOVE it! That would look terrific in my kitchen - or living room, ha!

Adrienne said...

What a great find! And you made it so much better and usable - good job, my friend!
~Adrienne~

All That Glitters said...

It looks wonderful!!!! I'm having a giveaway and I would love for you to enter!!!
Take care!
~Jennifer

Anonymous said...

Manuella! There you go again making wonderfulness! I love your portable island and how you made her work for you! It's gorgeous and I can see how handy it will be for you! Love it black with the wood top!! You're so good.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Bonnie@Creative Decorating said...

It turned out so great! I am just amazed you got it for $7! Awesome job!

The Tattered Cottage said...

Hi Manuela -
Love your new kitchen cart! It looks great black and I like that you added the shelf on the bottom.
Toni ♥

Melissa Miller said...

Manuela it came out beautiful! You really had a good idea for it and the rich colors are great.

Are you Mexican? My Mom is that is why I ask.

Have a good week.
~Melissa :)

Kathleen Grace said...

So cute and handy! What a great little piece of furniture for $7!

Mary in AR said...

The cart looks great! You have really inspired me to look at things for their shape and possible uses, b/c everything can be painted!

I also really like the ruffled dish towel. Another bargain?

Heather Anne said...

You did a great job transforming the cart into something both beautiful and useful! I hope you'll enjoy it for many years to come. Extra counter space is always a blessing during busy kitchen times - I'm sure it will come in handy for your next big family gathering too!

Angie said...

So cute and perfect in your kitchen!

Ann On and On... said...

Another amazing project! I didn't know you could freeze peppers like that.... Thanks for the info.

Lemon Lane Studio said...

It really turned out nice. Looks good and functions well, what more can you ask for. I had never heard of flash freezing. Great money saving tip. Thanks for sharing, Patty

Mahek said...

FANTASTIC!!!!It looks so good!!!
I love the dish towel too , how do you keep it so clean?

Katy said...

I love it! It looks absolutely fantastic! :)

Sharon said...

Good Morning Manuela!

I love it! You did a wonderful job and it looks so cute in your kitchen :)

I recently found Red, Yellow and Orange Bell Peppers on sale too and froze some like you said and roasted the rest. Yum!

Have a great day and thanks for sharing!
Sharon

Yvonne @ StoneGable said...

Manuela, The small cart is a fabulous find!
Who knew there was this wonderfully chic and useful island hiding out in the white cart!
You did a wonderful job. The original hardware works perfectly with the new color... brings such interest to your makeover!

I am working on having the eye to see the swans in ugly duckling pieces. It is exciting to see a piece done so beautifully and with a useful purpose.
I always leave your site so happy!
Yvonne

Ribbonwood Cottage said...

Hi Manuela! I love this cart. It turned out so good. And it is perfect to roll in and out or out of the way. I have a little table/cart where the sides go up for more surface to work on...and then you put the sides down and it is a small table. It is perfect when we have guests over and I need a place to serve drinks...except it does not have rolling legs...hmmmm...I may need to solve that.
Blessings,
Debbie

Bonita said...

That's a terrific transformation! And it goes so well with your decor. Nice work!

Laura said...

I love it! I want to get one of those as well...
Thanks for the "Pepper tip"! I may do that myself.

((Hugs))
Laura

Susan Freeman said...

Beautiful job!

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo

Susan Freeman said...

Beautiful job!

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

Fantastic! Love the way it turned out. You have the greatest ideas that are seemingly simple. You are welcome to come paint a cupboard in my kitchen and bookshelves in the bedroom and tv room. So many things I want to revamp. So many other things I should be doing (like continuing to organize and put away all we brought back from our trip to the States). Hope you are having a beautiful day! :) Tammy

The Old Parsonage said...

Well aren't you just a handy- dandy girl:)

Love it and it looks terrific in black!

Leann

Victoria said...

Thanks for the tip on the red bell peppers! What else do you usually get at the Mexican supermarket??? I haven't checked ours out in awhile.

LOVE the red and white bedspread! It is gorgeous.

I don't know Manuela, at least the desert is dry, right? :) The humidity is killing me! I have been getting up early some to walk and if I go at 6:30am I am okay. By 8am I can't handle the heat and humidity!

Thank you for your sweet comments on our blog!

Kristi said...

I remember the cart and it came our FANTASTIC!!! Looks awesome! I have the same little rooster rug in my kitchen!!!

And thank you for the tutorial on the peppers!! I am growing them in my garden and never know how to freeze them! I always thought I needed to blanch them first. I'm going to try this! :)
Kristi

Cindy said...

Great job, Manuela! Your new cart looks beautiful and useful, now. I love the paint job, it looks like it has been in use for a long time, now.
Hugs, Cindy S

Anonymous said...

Cute, cute, cute! Where did you find the darling tea towel with the gathered trim? Thanks, Angela

Unknown said...

You could roll up cute dishtowels and put it where each wine bottle goes. Just an idea. I use a wine rack in my house for magazines. I'm not a wine drinker.

Wendy said...

Super find and wonderful transformation! That is exactly what I need for the "new" home! Black looks great and it is the perfect size!! Love your decorating style!

Marty said...

So glad I found you while hopping today!! Love the cart=)) Can't wait to check out more of your projects=)

Brenda Pruitt said...

You are so industrious! And frugal and smart to boot! I love it. Envious of your new drawers. Will come in so handy.
Brenda

Richella Parham said...

Manuela, your cart looks WONDERFUL! I know you were excited to get that bargain--and you've made it a great addition to your kitchen!

Thanks for the tip on flash freezing red peppers. I don't buy these very often because they're so expensive, but I do love them. . . and I just hate to let one of them go bad! Now I know what I'll do any time I have leftovers! :)

Gumbo Lily said...

I really like your new kitchen cart. I would like to find something similar for my daughter's kitchen. She has little counter space and a roll-away kitchen counter would be perfect.

Red & yellow & orange peppers are more expensive because they are ripe. It takes longer to ripen them than the usual *green pepper.* I love the ripe peppers since they are so much sweeter.

Jody

Anonymous said...

Love your "new" cart! Turned out great.

Thanks for the tip about the bell peppers. Now that Hubby and I are almost empty nesters we always have too much of everything. I love to freeze and not be wasteful but didn't know peppers could be frozen. My mind instantly goes to Spanish rice and how good just a bit would taste. Yummy!

I just froze 28 pounds of blueberries last week. So worth it because there is a U Pick a 10 minute drive from my home and they cost only $1.50 a pound! I know, what a deal, and they are organic. I felt like I won the lottery.

Christina said...

Manuela,

This is inspiring. I don't have room for a permanent island either, but I have a little table that might would work in a similar fashion as yours. Hmmmm. I need some casters now.

Katie said...

Wow I can't believe the amazing makeover you did! It looks fabulous, so glad you could see the potential in it. Thanks for the tip on the bell pepper too. I cook a lot with them in the colder months, when they are most expensive. I should definitely freeze some! Plus now that I have my new fridge I can actually fit a cookie sheet in my freezer. Thanks!

Miss Janice said...

The cart is gorgeous! Love it. We like so many of the same things. I have that same little half round rooster rug!

Unknown said...

I have one of these. Mine is a light maple or something like that. I never thought about painting it, but your looks so cute I'm inspired. I can see red in my kitchen. I've got several things I want to paint, it's just getting myself to do it. I always procrastinate the first time I do something, because I'm not quite sure how to get started.
Linda