DIY Greek Key Console - SimplySwider.com
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DIY Greek Key Console

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Jason Carter

DIY Greek Key Console

I have been really digging all the Greek key lately. I love that it’s a simple and traditional pattern and therefore won’t date itself too quickly. I also love that it’s super easy to add a little of it almost anywhere. You may remember that I already added some Greek key trim to the curtains that were hanging in our living room at our first house. Well, the second I saw this dresser on Pinterest I knew I had to replicate it somewhere in our new house. We had decided to put our old entertainment center in the kid’s new playroom, so I decided that a new TV console was in order. I wanted something with a mid-century look that I could snazz up with the Greek key. I had played with the idea of converting my current dresser, but it was a little high and I would still have had to buy a new dresser. So, off to the thrift store I went, and on my very first shot I found this beauty…..

Greek Key Console

I thought I was looking for a dresser, but it wound up that the thrift store had just received a whole shipment of the TV consoles from a hotel liquidation. Who would of thought? I actually found a genuine TV console! I love that the drawer fronts were completely flat, that the drawers were on casters, and the the whole piece was solid wood. Oh, and I got it for $30!

Here’s the story of how an old and outdated hotel TV console became a beautiful sleek console with Greek key trim with mid-century flair.

Greek Key Console White

First, we took off some of the decorative aspects of the console including the decorative plinth, the back splash, and the hardware.

Greek Key Console

That left us with a much more sleek and modern looking piece of furniture.

Greek Key Console

Next, we filled in the holes from the hardware and from where a TV used to be mounted on top with Spackle and let it dry before sanding it all down.

Greek Key Console

Finally it was time to attach the Greek key. We used 1.5 in primed yellow pine lattice for the trim. It took us 13 ft to do both drawers. At .72 a foot from Home Depot it was 9.23 to to all the trim. We used a chop saw to cut the pieces to length. We really just eye balled how long to make the pieces based on the pattern we were trying to achieve.

Greek Key Console

We attached the pieces to the drawer fronts using a pneumatic air gun although you could also use wood glue.

Greek Key Console

Here’s what the trim looks like all complete.

Greek Key Console

Next, we caulked all the edges to give it a seamless look.

Greek Key Console

Because of the threat of rain we had to move the whole operation inside for the painting. The thing weighs a thousand pounds so it was not a fun experience.  For some reason I didn’t take any painting pictures but here is what I did: Before painting I sprayed the whole console down with All Surface Prep to remove the shiny finish. This stuff is awesome and will keep you from having to sand every nook and cranny.  Next ,I primed everything with a coat of Zinnser Cover Stain using a foam roller. In between each coat of primer and paint I did a light sanding with fine grit sand paper to ensure an extra smooth finish. I used Behr oil based semi-gloss enamel in bright white for the paint. I did two coats of the paint waiting a full 24 hours between sanding and re-coating. To save my roller and brush I wrapped them in a plastic bag and put them in the freezer in between coats. They won’t dry out and you won’t have to clean them.

Unfortunately, we had 2 disasters while painting. First, my mom’s dog ran into the room, straight through the paint and onto the carpet and sofa. It’s a good thing I had nothing better to do than spend 30 minutes with paint thinner cleaning the carpet…. About an hour after cleaning up after the dog, Lizzie somehow reached the paint try that I had placed up way high and decided to do her own painting, You can see her work below. It was almost enough to make me write off oil-based paint completely…almost.

Mess on the floor

Luckily, the finished product was so amazing it blew our minds! I apologize for the overly bright pictures and poor staging, but we are still in between houses and living with my mom. I promise to post new pictures once we get into our new home.

Greek Key Console White

Greek Key Console White

Greek Key Console White

The knobs are from Home Depot. I love the art deco look of them!

Greek Key Console White

And in case you forgot how it looked to begin with here is one more before and after shot!

Greek Key Console

I have to say that this was one of my favorite projects to date. I just love turning something old into something new and wonderful. Now I can’t wait to get this sucker into our new house and start decorating around it!

Update: Here it is in our new house complete with our engineering prints!

Wood Frames

Pssst….. the family room is finally done!

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