Custom armoire in toasted marshmallow

From Gilded to Grounded: A Standing Jewelry Armoire's Dark Moody Transformation

Sometimes, a "bright and airy" makeover just doesn’t fit the vibe. I found this standing jewelry armoire after it had already been given a white and gold facelift by someone else, but it felt a bit too "glam" for many people. I knew it had the potential to be something much more sophisticated, mysterious, and—of course— moody . In this tutorial, I’m taking you through the process of retaining some of the previous DIY and layering on a deep, velvety dark green finish. We’ll be leaning into those shadows, highlighting the unique curved silhouette. Whether you're looking to tone down a piece that's "too bright" or you're ready to embrace the dark academia aesthetic, here is how I turned a high-contrast piece into a seamless, moody masterpiece.

A custom paint job was requested for this old cedar lined armoire to give it new life. The customer wanted a soft neutral color and loved my "go to" stripped back and stained top. She found a color she liked in Plaster Paint's, toasted marshmallow and brought it to me.

but first repairs, the lifting veneer needed regluing and clamping then broke areas wood filled

and strip and sand down the top to bare wood (above right)

Then like all my pieces a good cleaning, seeing the body was oak veneer outside and cedar veneer inside it received a good wipe down so not to lift any more but the solid wood drawers got the usual good scrub.

The hardware was updated so old holes filled and sanded, they are pretty

Now to start the paint process, on goes the first coat

and a test run of the new hardware on the new paint color sans wax

I went with Daddy Van's clear beeswax with lavender over the entire piece, wax on right drawer and just paint on left

The wax deepens the color quite a bit once first applied

I applied 3 coats of Homestead House's new stain and finishing oil all in one in cappuccino for a beautiful top

Then it was on to Daddy Van's gorgeous color café noir for dimension and bringing out detailing

again see the difference on top drawer above and left door below

Now for the finishing touches.. the pretty new glass hardware

*Disclosure

I have received product as a brand blog rep in exchange for this post, but ALL the opinions are entirely MY own. This post contains sponsored links for Daddy Van's & Homestead House Paint Co.

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