This mediterranean armoire is a trash-to-treasure story that only took a single day!
A petite and frail armoire in the simplest style ever.....with its peeling and lifting veneer.....offered all the space I needed to showcase a few new fabulous products that I couldn't wait to share with you!
And now look at it! It stands in all its fun and funky boho-glory aged in patina and gilded to perfection!
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The Design Plan - Mediterranean Armoire
I had planned to paint this piece in a lighter color but after testing several primers without much luck against bleed-through from hell, I chose to use deep and bold blues from the new Silk line by Dixie Belle.
Not only does the deeper color combat the bleed-through situation but the new Silk line has a stain-blocking primer which helped!
Mediterranean Armoire
WoodUBend Angel Wings
After a really good clean with White Lightning, I first applied these crazy good angel wings from WoodUBend! I have had these in my stash for quite some time and have just been waiting for the perfect piece to feature them! The larger WoodUBend pieces take a bit to heat up....so I actually placed this one in my oven at 300 degrees just long enough to warm it! It worked like a charm! It did get really hot though....so I used an oven mitt to hold it.....apply my Titebond glue.....and press it into place. It only requires you to hold it for about a minute and you are ready to move on with your project! That's the beauty of WoodUBend!
Mediterranean Colors
I then painted the entire piece in Cape Currant....a very bold and powerful blue!
I knew I was going to apply the decoupage papers on the side panels....and I wanted the white of the "tile" to really pop! So I painted the background white....using Salt Water.
PRO TIP: remember to always keep in mind that decoupage papers are quite sheer and very often your underlying paint color will affect your final look.
I then painted a second coat over the existing Cape Currant and the existing Salt Water.
Just look at how beautiful that blue looks over the angel wings without any detail enhancing!
Decoupage Fun!
Now for the decoupage fun! I used Dixie Belle's clear coat in Satin to apply the new Colorful Tiles paper. I measured and cut my paper in strips first. I applied a single thin coat of satin top coat....and pressed the paper into it.
I lifted and laid back down until I had it just right and smoothed it out with a small brayer (roller) pressing out any bubbles. I also run my hand over to feel for any bubbles I might have missed.
I then add a thin layer of top coat over the top of the paper....not too much....just a thin layer....and let dry. It really looks like tile!
I repeated this on the other side.
Adding Extra Shadowing
I wanted to bring on a shadow and age to the finish so I brought in the deep blue of Nautical to all the edges of the base and door and even around the angel wings. I even used it to wash over the outer edges of the tiles paper.
And if you look at the wings closely.....you will see that I've also added Serenity (much lighter shade of blue/green) to the wings.....just highlighting them as a feature piece. I used what Serenity that I still had on my brush to dry brush the top and bottom edges of the door, the lock, and even the knob.... to offer a patina look. Can you see it?
Well, it wasn't quite enough of a patina look for me.....so I turned to my trusty Patina Collection....and used Copper with the blue spray for a full-out weathered grunge. You can see me using small artist brushes to apply the paint to specific areas below.
I let this metallic paint dry. I then reapplied it and while still wet, I sprayed the reactive Blue spray to those specific areas. I was not concerned about over spray or drips as I really wanted an aged look so I was quite free with the spray. I let this dry for several hours. And when I returned, I was very pleased with the beautiful corrosion!
Peek-A-Boo Stenciling
And NOW....for the peek-a-boo stenciling!!! I used the Morocco stencil by Dixie Belle...and two colors of their gilding wax (Copper and Zinc).
You can watch this process as I do it here on a LIVE video.
This technique is so much fun....and super simple....yet offers a tremendous pop of detail!
I finished this mediterranean armoire by lightly adding subtle touches of copper patina over the hardware and tips of the wings for that final glimmer of glam!
And thats it folks! One of the many perks of the new Silk line of paint....is that it has a protective top coat BUILT IN! So you can just paint....embellish.....and call it a day!
This sad and tiny armoire now has a purposeful and large personality! I see it as a warm and inviting feature piece....and I have no doubt someone is looking for it to complete their room right now!
Blue Furniture Inspiration
There is something about this vibrant blue color that really makes my heart happy! Here are a few other blue pieces from my collection. You will love the color of this cobalt blue dresser and the intricate details of this blue vintage headboard. And this metallic blue china hutch was painted (by me) in a different style first....see what it looked like before here.
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