Teal Jewelry Box for my Daughter

Modernized Solid Pine Hand Crafted Heart Wall Shelf

Bringing New Life to a Country Classic. We’ve all seen them: those solid, well-built pine shelves from the 80s and 90s that have a lot of heart (literally) but are stuck in that unmistakable "orange" stain era. While the craftsmanship is top-tier (this one was hand crafted by my father in law), the color can often feel a bit too retro for a contemporary home. In this tutorial, I’m showing you how to take a vintage 9-cubby wall shelf and transform it from a dated relic into a bolder, fresher, and more current statement piece. By applying a rich chestnut brown stain , we’ve traded that brassy orange hue for a deep, sophisticated tone that highlights the wood grain. Follow along as I walk you through the prep, the staining process, and how this simple color shift completely changes the vibe of the piece—making those iconic heart cutouts feel intentional and chic rather than just "country."

My daughter finally chose the color she wanted her birthday jewelry box painted. She chose renfrew blue from Fusion Mineral Paint

When I purchased it, it has an engraved plaque screwed to the top. This was removed and the holes filled with wood filler followed by a good cleaning with Simple Green cleaner
and a damp cloth.

She wanted the brass hardware to remain so all was taped off if not removable.

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Now it is all ready to be painted.

Two coats of renfrew blue were brushed on then lightly distressed to reveal the lovely original wood finish on the edges.

In keeping with the antiqued age look, FusionMineral Paint's ageing wax was added.

New felt feet were added to the bottom and this beauty is ready to serve and store for years to come. The gorgeous color looks perfect in my daughters new home too.