I have been swooning over a $2,200 Black Cane Cabinet I came across during a late night shopping session. I knew it would be the perfect addition to my dining room to contain my husband’s bourbon collection. But at $2,200 PLUS $200 shipping, I knew I would be dreaming a little while longer on that one. Then I happened upon this gorgeous, solid wood, mid-century modern, cane door cabinet on Facebook Marketplace (of course) for only $180. And it was decided. I would attempt to make my own bar cabinet. I ran over to scoop it up on my lunch break and began the search for a carpenter willing to take on my mini project.
FROM THIS… 
…TO THIS
First, I sketched out a design similar to the black cabinet I had been eyeing. I loved the look of the open legs and the ability to display items in the open shelving on the outside shelves while being able to conceal the liquor I was planning to store in there. I was able to find a fabulous carpenter who was willing to bring my idea to life.
It was important to me to have something that was made out of solid wood so that I knew it would be strong enough to withstand the weight of the bourbon collection. Since it would be top heavy, we decided to add a shelf in between the legs that will allow for extra storage and add some weight to the bottom of the cabinet.
The carpenter began creating the legs I designed for my custom bar cabinet, and I was eager to see the final product! Finally, I got the call that he would be bringing the cabinet over. It would need to be painted as individual pieces and attached once it was painted.
Immediately, I began priming and painting the cabinet. I chose to go with Sherwin-Williams Black Magic because it matches the solid wood buffet table that I previously wrote about.
After two coats of a tinted primer, I began painting each piece. This took 3 coats to get the deep, smooth look that I was going for.
Once I was finished painting, we moved the legs into the dining room where. My carpenter came back over to attach the bottom to the top and add oversized brass handles to the cane doors as well as soft close hinges.
The cost for the custom legs, rework of the top part of the cabinet, and attaching the doors with hinges was approximately $500. All in all, this custom bar cabinet cost me approximately $700 (including paint). I saved about $1700 by designing and creating my own custom bar cabinet. And I have the peace of mind that it will be sturdy and substantial enough to hold the weight of a liquor collection.
BEFORE 
AFTER
Overall, I am extremely pleased with how this turned out. It was so much fun to see my vision come to life! Have you ever made a custom piece of furniture? Post your pictures below!
