Old Cedar Chest Makeover

I got this chest for $20 off of Craigslist about a year ago. I was looking for a cedar chest in which to store dress-up clothes and costumes. While this one didn't have as much storage as we were looking for, the price was right, and I saw some fun potential in it.

It was in pretty rough condition, though. It took most of the year to convince my husband that it is ever OK to paint wood. He had plans for this piece, but refinishing it would have been tons of work, so it remained the eyesore it has been for the last year.

Just a couple of weeks ago, my husband found a nicer, bigger cedar chest--in much better condition, at a garage sale down the street for $35. It took over the purpose of the old one (no painting required...at this time), so I felt at liberty to do with this one as I saw fit. And I saw fit to sand it a bit (although I let my husband do that) to even out the surface, and paint it a pale blue to go in the nursery/guest room. My husband had to replace some missing hardware to get the lid to function properly. I think I will use it to store blankets, or more likely all the clothes my child is growing out of every week!

QUESTION: Does anyone know what can be done to the inside of a cedar chest to freshen it up and release it's wonderful fragrance? Cleaning, sanding?

Here is the after:

I thought I might distress it a bit (it has a lot of it's own natural distressing), but don't think it is right with the style of this piece. I could be way off, but I'm guessing it is from the early 1960's? At any rate, it is kind of a vintage contemporary piece (is there such a thing), and I think the contemporary lines would look a little out of place if they were overly distressed. That being said, the top still shows signs of abuse, despite the sanding and painting. If anyone has any great ideas about how to disguise that better, or distress in an appropriate style, I'd love to hear them.

A close-up before:

and after:

I love how the trim and details stand out when painted!

I was going to cheat and throw in a picture of my adorable baby on top of his new quilt, on top of the chest, but he hasn't been my most cooperative photo subject, so I'll just leave you with this sneak peek at what his nursery will look like, if I ever get it put together!

I don't have time to tell you about my adventures as I took 5 (yes, 5!) children--including my newborn--into Home Depot, by myself to buy the paint and roller for this project. By the time we left, everyone in an orange apron was just shaking their heads, and laughing at me. The things we do for DIY and blogging!

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