Wooden Basket Makeover

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.

Wood and wire basket gets a farmhouse update, let's see how!

I sourced this forlorn dirty solid wood basket at a local thrift store.

After a good scrub to clean it all up, it was sanded smooth ready to paint.

I chose to dry brush one of Fusion Mineral Paints's newest paint colors called Goddess Ashwagandha over every side including the bottom for a worn rustic farmhouse feel.

Even though it was only a small tester size, I painted this silverware chest as well and still have some left for another small project. Isn't this Fusion tester package lovely? I have tried the soft sacred sage green on this jewelry box and plan to try the purples soon.

Wanting to add a stencil but not wanting to commit to just one item that could be in the basket such as coffee I stenciled on this pretty shape using Rustoleum's black chalkboard paint.