How to Give Your Piece of Furniture a Bit of Subtle Elegance

Deer Run Revamps
by Deer Run Revamps
7 Materials
$45
8 Hours
Medium

I had this antique lingerie chest for a few months and when i first saw it, i fell in love! The dainty legs, many drawers and the detailed konbs made this piece move to the top of my project list! I really wanted this one to be unique. I decided to do a design on the drawer fronts and keep it very feminine.

Clean! Always prep your pieces because you put so much time and effort into painting, you want it to last a lifetime! I cleaned this piece with 0000 steel wool and a mixture of vinegar and water, then wiped down with just straight water. Once dried, using 220 grit sandpaper, I did a scuff sand over the entire piece. Then again, wipe with a wet rag to remove all of the dust.

I painted the entire piece a mint green color that was a mis-tint at home depot. Not sure of the name but it truly is a beautiful and feminine color!

For the drawers, I painted them the mint green, and then using a sponge brush, I covered all of the fronts with diamond dust decor wax by Redesign. It's somewhat translucent when doing a thin coat, so some of the green still peaks through. This wax is A-MAZING! The texture is like silk and a little goes a long way! Then I used my stencil and sponged on the mint green paint. I wanted just the lines of the stencil to be the subtle gold.

The drawer pulls were boiled in water with a splash of vinegar for 20 minutes to remove all of the stick on dirt and grime that accumulated over the many years. Once dried, I covered them in autumn gold and antique gold by rub-n-buff. This stuff is also A-MAZING!

The entire piece, except for drawers, was then sealed with wax. I added valspar glaze, that I tinted black, into the grooves to highlight the details, especially in the legs. But the drawers are certainly the focal point on this piece!

Suggested materials:
  • Sandpaper   (Home depot)
  • Valspar Glaze   (Home depot)
  • Re-design decor wax on diamond dust   (Amazon)
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  • Jerri Jerri on Nov 28, 2018

    Beautiful. I so want to paint like this and have sooo much to learn. Quick question. Does the stencil paint adhere well on the wax or do you need to be careful it doesn’t smudge? I always thought wax was the final step. Would you please share? Thank you

  • Juliana Blitzer Skraps Juliana Blitzer Skraps on Jan 06, 2019

    Is the wax like polyurethane?? I want to do this on my rental house but afraid if they put glasses on it they will mark.

  • Rebecca Platt Rebecca Platt on Jan 08, 2019

    This is beautiful but where's a full shot pic? Would love to see it.

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