Aubergine MCM Nightstand

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.

I prefer to buy solid wood pieces but this sweet little combination solid wood and laminated press board seemed so lonely tucked in a dark basement bedroom I had to take it home and give it new life.

Check out this aubergine color chalked paint from Rustoleum, isn't it gorgeous??

Did you see the metal garden stake I painted with it?

I applied 2 coats with a cute little round Rustoleum paint brush that came in the project kit

I chose the matte topcoat included in the kit to seal this piece

Two coats were applied

I also used the decorative glaze in the kit applied with an angled synthetic brush but as you can see it pooled on the top and not to my liking. Easy fix though as all it took was another coat of aubergine paint, the decorative glaze directly on the paint this time with a chip brush to get the desired look and finally sealed with the matte topcoat.