Romantic Vintage Armoire

Patricia
by Patricia
5 Materials
$50
3 Days
Medium
I found this lovely piece of furniture at a thrift store the day before Christmas 2016. Here it is eight months later and I'm just now finishing it up! It looked great from a distance, but in reality it was a hot mess.
Upon closer inspection there were multiple problems with the cabinet. So many in fact that I left the store without it. But I kept thinking about it so I went back the day after Christmas and lugged it home.
One of the wheels was completely broken off and the others were in poor condition, there was a long gouge going across the front of the beautiful doors, the key was missing, and the locking mechanism inside was broken.
The cabinet was originally built as a chifferobe, but the interior was gutted. (A chifferobe is a type of armoire with one side used as a closet/wardrobe and the other with shelves or drawers). Instead of rebuilding the interior I decided to add a new clothing rod and upcycle it into a clothing armoire.
In process
I initially painted it in Old White for a classic and traditional look. Although it looked OK I felt it was too plan and just wasn't happy with the finish.
I wanted a soft and romantic look, so I decided to add some romantic details. I shopped around for furniture appliques and found some lovely pieces, but they were so expensive! So I decided to make my own.
I used paper clay and silicon molds. First I dust the silicon mold with cornstarch with a small paint brush. Next I take some of the paper clay and press it into the mold. Then bend the mold to release the clay.
After the clay flowers were dried I glued the flowers on with E6000 glue. The glue doesn't dry instantly which is helpful while getting the placement just right, but I was afraid that gravity would work against my placement while the glue dried, so I laid the cabinet on its back for this part.
After the glue had dried completely, I painted a coat or two of Antoinette Pink over the white. Next I lightly distressed the pink to allow some of the white to show through. I sealed the paint with soft clear wax and finally I added a white glaze to soften the pink tone.
I added a new clothing rod that spans the length of the armoire.
The rosette swag at the top added the touch of romance that I was looking for.
I also added an oval of flowers on each of the doors.
New wooden wheels and a replacement key finished the project! If you'd like to see more photos or learn more about this project or other projects I'm working on then please stop by my blog The Black Sheep Shoppe. I'll outline the products I used below, but I have a full supply list on my blog.


It took me about 8 months to finish the project up, but if I worked on it all at once it would probably take a good 2 to 3 days (excluding repair work).
Suggested materials:
  • Annie Sloan Chalk Paint products
  • Silicon molds & paper clay
  • Corn starch
See all materials
Patricia
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 6 questions
  • Kiki Allan Kiki Allan on Nov 19, 2017

    Did you clean outside of cupboard before painting? If so with what?

  • Katness Katness on Apr 19, 2018

    Dis u consider turpine and linseed ok to clean the piece 1st? I restore I dont paint something with this potential.

  • Joni Sassone Joni Sassone on Mar 08, 2019

    Beautiful job! Love it!!! Where did you get the new casters? Or are they old? They fit perfectly!

Comments
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2 of 50 comments
  • Kat Rogers Kat Rogers on Feb 07, 2019

    Oh, I just L💖VE what you did, and as Others have stated, The🌹 Are The "Piece De Resistance"~ OK, WE ALL KNOW WHAT I MEAN... I just can't Spell In French! LOL Yeah, don't SPEAK IT either.


    In any case, It's Beautiful.

    *Kind of funny side note: I just looked at a Re~Do Where She Glued & CLAMPED Wood Hexagon~Shaped Wood Tiles... I said I'd figure out a way to Lay It Down On Its Back, as I don't have any clamps... OR THAT KIND OF PATIENCE.


    Enjoy & Thanks For Sharing!


  • Donna Donna on Feb 10, 2019

    I absolutely love this. It fits my personality very well and this is the very first comment I have ever made about any project on this site. You did an outstanding job here

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