Custom Painted Oak Bench

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.

Rustic farmhouse was the desired look wanted when this gorgeous hand crafted oak bench was brought to me to custom finish. This end result had the family very pleased to see their vision come to life.

A young high school boy made this in shop class, his craftsmanship was amazing. I was honored to custom finish it.

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First step was to remove the top; this makes a two tone project so much easier to work on. Everything was wiped well to remove any building dust from all the surfaces.

FusionMineral Paint Double Espresso Gel Stain was wiped on both sides (flipped once first side was dry) with a lint free rag then left to dry well.

Moving onto the base, Old Fashioned Milk Paint in snow white was mixed up and brushed on all sides and edges.

This is the last bare oak area left to paint.

And complete!

The first coat of espresso gel stain is now dry.

A second coat of gel stain was applied to the top of the seat to achieve the perfect color.

The base had a second coat brushed on all sides again too.

Once the second coat was dry, it was all sponge sanded smooth with the edges lightly distressed back to the oak. Milk paint sands so smooth; just like satin.

To seal the milk paint I brushed on orange scented Daddy Van's with a round wax brush.