Hello, friends! It has been a minute since my last post, but I am really excited about this one. I actually just shared this same exact cabinet back in December, but the paint I used was not doing it for me. I did not like the finished result and while I love to use black for a moody contrast, I knew I needed a different paint. I always have white paint so I decided that I would repaint it in my favorite paint where I knew that I would love the finish. I also wanted it to be a bit more dramatic than just plain white, so I used black wax as a decorative feature.
Green | Black | White
This cabinet has gone through some transformations in its lifetime, that’s for sure. I found this sweet cabinet at a thrift store for………TWELVE DOLLARS! I know, right? I was so excited. I was literally standing next to it making sure to guard it so that no one else would take it. I didn’t care for the green, but knew that I could make it beautiful again. Some love, sanding, paint, and wax made this piece of furniture look drastically different. Also, reading this paragraph makes me sound so old. Like, I’m literally excited about an inexpensive cabinet because I know I can paint it. I’m in my twenties but I guess I have officially crossed over into boring mode. 😂
Anyways, my first attempt at transforming this cabinet was to use Fusion Mineral Paint in the color Coal Black. I didn’t care for the finish of the paint on the cabinet, so I wanted to try something else. I used my favorite paint line, Jolie Paint, and used the color Gesso White to get a creamy white tone that I could then use with black wax.
As I stated above, I used a creamy white and some black wax to finish off the look. I really love how it turned out. Colored wax can add so much depth and dimension to chalk paint and just furniture paint in general. Wax can be tricky to navigate, but if you’re patient enough, it can turn out beautiful. I actually taught a chalk painting and wax class last year for some sweet ladies and discussed how fun and creative colored waxes can be. I hope to be teaching another class soon, but for now, I’ll be sharing my tips and tricks here.
I have learned a lot about painting furniture through youtube videos, retail shop owners that sell furniture paint, and through simply trying it out for myself. I have used clear, black, brown, and made my own white wax. It’s really simple to make your own wax, all you do is mix a little bit of paint with clear wax and voila! Maybe I’ll do a blog post on that soon.
I think this cabinet transformation is perfect for the space I am putting it in. Painting furniture is a great way to update your pieces, especially if you’re on a budget. And even if you’re not, sometimes a budget friendly option looks better than buying brand new anyways. I always love to see how my pieces start out and what I can do with them. People have been so generous and have given me several pieces of furniture to refinish and sell, and even keep. Since my goal is to do something in life with interior design, even if it’s not my main career, I love to practice my skills and that is partly why I love the idea of refinishing furniture.
I hope this post inspired you to start painting and imagining what something could turn into. I hope to have a blog post all about paint colors very soon, but for now, start designing that project in your head and get to work! It is so fun to see your ideas in real life.
For more tips, follow me on Instagram and Facebook @prettyinplaids.
With love, Em
