So my friends, it’s official. One room in our house is D. O. N. E. done! It’s our dining room and the last item that I crossed off of my to-do list was lining the back of our built-in china cabinet:


As you can see from the “before” pic below, our china cabinet is very simple, has some New England charm, and didn’t necessarily need to have anything done to it. But the crystal and white china stored inside faded into the white background and I wanted to add a backdrop that would allow them to stand out more while also adding some warmth and decorative interest to our room.

I’d been planning this little project for months and was originally going to use barnwood to line the cabinet back. I found a great barnwood source, spent over an hour going through all of the wood to pick out my pieces, and then had the guy total my cost up only to find that it was going to cost over $200. So I left empty-handed.
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I also changed out the small brass knobs on the glass cabinet doors to 8″ oil-rubbed bronze pulls (Restoration Hardware Lugarno pulls):


It’s about time that I finished off at least one room – can you believe that we moved into our house a year ago as of next week?

Cassie @ Primitive & Proper says
i LOVE this idea! it looks sooooo good!
Carrie Davis says
simply beautiful
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
Thanks so much Carrie!
Simply LKJ says
What a fantastic idea! I love the new look, especially the new handles.
Kathleen says
What a great idea! Very creative and beautiful!
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
Thank you Kathleen!
3kidzmama says
It’s beautiful and creative.
Kim @ Savvy Southern Style says
Wow, Kris, I love that. You are one smart cookie for thinking of using the Pergo.
jennifer says
Very clever! It makes your china really stand out.
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
It may have been more cheap than clever but I’m happy with how it turned out 🙂 Thanks Jennifer!
Calypso In The Country says
LOVE it! Such a cute idea and it adds so much depth to the cabinet.
-Shelley
therelishedroost says
The dining room looks fantastic you must love it!
Anonymous says
What a great idea….
marty (A Stroll Thru Life) says
I love this idea. It definitely adds tons of charm to the cabinet. Very pretty.
Erika Williams says
What an AMAZING idea! Love!
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
You’re so sweet Erika – thank you!
cindy hattersley design says
I love a great piece of barnwood but I think your selection is much more sophisticated and fitting for your lovely cupboard. Love it!
Burlap Luxe says
Love the outcome. I too look for materials that finish a design style! I backed a unit with outdoor siding T1-11 then painted and distressed it, loved the effect it gave a kitchen cabinet.
Your piece has the right dramatic rightness!
Xx
Dore
Lisa @ Fern Creek Cottage says
Loooooove it!! It adds texture to the room and makes your white dishes pop! It really ties in nicely with your chairs too!
pam {simple details} says
Perfection, my friend!! I love the textured look, and your china and gold accessories really come to life, such a beautiful backdrop for your awesome styling! You need a dinner party! 🙂
dennyb31 says
Fabulous!!! Love the look and the thriftiness (is that a word?). Looks great, Kris, as always! I have a china hutch waiting for a backsplash treatment and still haven’t found the right thing – I’ll probably go with a semi-permanent wallpaper…
Denise Greenwood says
Wow Kris! What an awesome update!! Love the rustic look – and the bonus of no sanding or splinters 🙂
Sarah @ 702 Park Project says
I love it! It adds so much to the room without really sticking out. Beautiful! 🙂
Vel Criste says
It’s a whole new cabinet Kris!!!! LOVE IT!!!!! I have a huge RH china cabinet that’s overcluttered already and needs lighting, that’s what I really need to add to it. But glad you’ve got one room done… for now! 😉
Charlotte says
WOW…the cabinet looks fantastic…Great job.
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
Thank you so much Charlotte!
Lisa @ Texas Decor says
You were pretty clever to think of using Pergo! It looks great and I love the new pulls too. 🙂
Patty Day @Pattys Epiphanies says
Fabulous idea. Genius!
Debbie J. says
Looks fantastic, really made a huge difference. Your china and crystal looks beautiful, too. I really love the chandy – is it from R.H., please?
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
Debbie, I got the chandy from the Ballard Designs Outlet – it’s still a current item in their catalog!
Elizabeth @ The Little Black Door says
What a smart idea!!! The whole room looks beautiful!
Jennifer@decoratingdelirium says
What an amazing idea! It makes such a difference and totally makes your china pop. I have a similar cabinet and was going to line it with wall paper, but I really like the look of this. Also, it looks pretty easy to remove in case you change your mind (you never do that, right??)
Anonymous says
Great idea, looks fabulous.
Linda
Tracey Bradshaw says
Love it – has given me some great ideas for updating some bookcases that need to be “de-orangified” and I want the inside backs to be a different finish to the shelves. I can’t believe how much the genuine barnwood was – makes it extra special to know someone tearing an old bard/building down these days!
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
Thanks Tracey! I was shocked at the barnwood prices too – I’m sure there are places out there to get it cheaper but I didn’t have any luck after calling around in my area. Who knew?!
Tracy Laverty says
What a clever idea! The room looks fantastic. I can’t believe you moved in a year ago and your home looks so done! We moved into our home over a year now and I know I have a lot more to go. Great job Kris!
Our Pinteresting Family says
It looks gorgeous! What a great idea! 🙂
Summer Hogan says
This is fabulous Kris!!! I absolutely love it!
Krystine @ www.KrystineEdwards.com says
Fabulous idea!! I’ve been drying out old pallets to do this, but NEVER thought of pergo- LOVE it!
Joanne BrDley says
Great effect and brilliant idea!
Elizabeth says
I love this idea!! Affordable and can be changed in the future if you want. The dining room is absolutely beautiful!
Kris Jarrett says
Thank you so much Elizabeth!
Barbara says
Looks fabulous!
Question- did you then have to trim the cabinet shelves to fit the new depth due to the Pergo thickness? Thx