Industrial Armoire

I wanted a storage unit near my front door in an industrial style similar to "Restoration Hardware" but couldn't wrap my head around spending $4000.  So this is what I came up with for $75 and a little elbow grease.  It started with a craigslist find with "some cat scratches" for $15, a little stain, some metal strapping and random connectors from the decking section of my local big box store. Obviously, you won't be able to replicate it exactly but hopefully the technicques I used might inspire your own creation!

Supplies:
Driftwood stain from Rustoleum
Ebony Stain from Cabot
Polyurethane
60 grit and 120 grit sandpaper
Lightweight metal connectors from the decking department
framing tabs
various washers, acorn nuts, screws,
handles
Dark gray metallic paint for "aging" the metal connectors, framing tabs, washers etc.
tight mesh fencing similar to chicken wire
Casters
3 inch number stencils or stickers

Tools:
Orbital or palm sander
power screwdriver
T-shirt rags, foam brushes and/or Q-tips :)
wire cutters

I removed the moulding which was a little too ornate for the look I was going for and then sanded the entire piece down to bare wood using an orbital sander and 60 grit sandpaper. I applied a number sticker to the top right of each of the doors and drawers.  Then I wiped on the driftwood stain and immediately wiped on streaks of the Ebony stain.   The 60 grit had left the wood a little rough which made the stain absorb unevenly.  This actually ended up adding  to the industrial look but after the first coat I thought that I had really messed up and it was going to look like a streaky mess but I perservered!  I let the first coat dry and then added more layers of each of the stains until I was satisfied with the look.  While waiting for the stain to dry between coats, I unevenly dabbed, streaked and wiped on some dark gray metallic paint onto the metal connector pieces to make them look older.  I used Martha Stewart Gunmetal but other brands would probably work.  I also painted the inset part of the doors a flat black to make them recede.  I just painted over the number stickers I had applied and then peeled the sticker away when the paint was dry. 

After applying polyurethane (in a matte finish), I screwed the metal connector pieces onto the armoire.  I used thin long pieces on the very top and very bottom to look like strapping and secured it in places with wood screws and large washers.  I used the corner connectors to cover the cat scratches that were on my piece but you can use different parts to cover up whatever flaws your piece has.  I used door handles from the gate/fencing department because they looked more industrial than anything in the drawer hardware department.  I attached cleats (normally used for securing a rope) as the drawer pulls.  I cut and placed the wire mesh fencing material into the door inset and secured it using the tabs from the picture framing department.  I removed the bun feet and replaced them with casters.  Then I wheeled my industrial, Restoration Hardware, rustic armoire into place.  Send a pic of your next creation if this instructable inspired you.