Vintage Cooler Cabinet
My wife and I found an old sewing machine cabinet at a flea market and decided to turn it into a cabinet to hold iced beverages on our patio. Although the cabinet was in bad shape cosmetically (much of the veneer had peeled off) , it was structurally sound. Someone had already removed the sewing machine which was fine, since we didn't need it for our purpose.
Preparing the Cabinet
The first thing I did was to finish removing the veneer that was barely hanging on. Using a scraper, I simply ran the scraper blade under the veneer and that which remained came off easily. The veneer on the top and the lid was still tightly attached, so I re-glued a few loose edges to keep it from coming loose in the future (photo 1).
The next thing was to build a platform for the cooler to sit in. I selected two boards from my scrap pile and screwed them into the bottom of the cabinet (photo 2).
The next thing was to build a platform for the cooler to sit in. I selected two boards from my scrap pile and screwed them into the bottom of the cabinet (photo 2).
Making the Cooler Fit the Cabinet
The cooler I used was an old metal ice chest from the '50's. The outside was rusty, but still sound, and the inside was still in very good shape. I was initially going to sand and repaint this old ice chest, but my wife preferred the rusty look, so that worked for me!
Using a jig saw, I enlarged the opening at the top of the cabinet (photo 2) so the cooler would fit.
Next, I measured the height of the cooler and made a pair of risers out of scrap wood (photo 3) to lift the cooler high enough so the lid would open (photos 4 & 5). When the cooler is not being used, the risers are removed and stored inside the cooler to allow for the lid of the cabinet to be lowered. Photo 6 shows the cooler in its lowered position.
Using a jig saw, I enlarged the opening at the top of the cabinet (photo 2) so the cooler would fit.
Next, I measured the height of the cooler and made a pair of risers out of scrap wood (photo 3) to lift the cooler high enough so the lid would open (photos 4 & 5). When the cooler is not being used, the risers are removed and stored inside the cooler to allow for the lid of the cabinet to be lowered. Photo 6 shows the cooler in its lowered position.
Painting
I painted the cabinet with an outdoor paint. This will be used on a covered patio where it will not be rained on. But since it will be exposed to humidity, I painted both the outside and inside of the cabinet. I also painted the risers, and put some rubber pads on the top of them to keep the cooler from scratching through the paint.
I painted the inside of the folding lid (and the top of the main cabinet) a contrasting color, which is shown in the next step.
I painted the inside of the folding lid (and the top of the main cabinet) a contrasting color, which is shown in the next step.
Add Some Trim
I purchased a couple of pieces of decorative wood trim, and painted the trim and the original knobs with a contrasting color. I used this same color on the inside of the lid and the top of the cabinet.
Ready to Party!
The final step is to set the cooler inside the cabinet and have a party!