Ash & Ebony Oak End Tables

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 good friend gave me her solid oak end tables to makeover. Being solid wood they have years of use left but the dated orange stain needed to go.

Both were scrubbed I thought well but after dry and a coat of black stain was applied,

this happened. The stain repelled on many areas which would indicate that a product like Pledge was used over the years.

The best solution at this point was to power sand lightly to smooth the pitted stain and change the plan to Fusion Mineral Paint

Their charcoal color called ash was brushed on with a good synthetic brush. This highly pigmented paint required only 1 solid coat with a few touch ups once dry.