Give an uninspiring piece of furniture a dazzling lift with exotic Moroccan-style patterns and DIY costume jewelry hardware.
To recreate this look, gather these materials:
Faux Effects Aqua Bond Taupe Paint
Annie Sloan’s Henrietta (pink) Chalk Paint
Modern Masters’ Smoke and Warm Silver Metallic Paints
Stencil(s)
Low-tack painter’s tape
Stencil brushes
Paper towels
Costume jewelry
When using stencils in an overall geometric pattern, the project will be easier for a beginner to manage with a piece of furniture that has a simple silhouette like this rectangular chest. If you’re working with unpainted wood or changing the finish from a glossy to flat paint, sand and prime the chest first. Let it dry thoroughly and give it another fine sanding, if necessary.
Paint the entire chest in a base coat of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Henrietta and let dry. Tape off all areas that you want to remain the base color. On each surface, like this drawer, center the image area of your stencil to begin. Try a different, yet related, design on each surface, as we did with our Moroccan-influenced stencils.
Use stencil adhesive to apply the stencil, making sure all edges are adhered to the surface. Dip your brush in the paint and rub off excess on a paper towel to avoid bleed under stencil (for best results, use one brush for each color). A swirling motion will get paint into the stencil’s edge for a crisp image. Use an old shaving brush to cover larger image areas.
Gild the lily with gem-like fittings. Use glam costume jewelry, such as brooches, earrings, and even cocktail rings to create glitzy drawer pulls.
If your chest came with rounded wood knobs, carefully slice off the top to provide a flat area on which to glue the jewelry. Remove any jewelry fittings to create a flat surface on the back of the piece. Adhere the jewelry to the flat face of the knob with a two-part epoxy glue, following manufacturer’s directions.
The finished chest is a visual delight, sure to be a focal piece in almost any room. When planning your design, look for stencils that match the depth of each drawer (ours were border stencils) or cut larger stencils to fit (or mask them off with tape if you prefer to keep them intact).
Do you have a favorite furniture fix-up or problem piece to rejuvenate? Let us know!
Produced and photographed by paint genius Ginny Hubbard at patinadiva.com
© Caruth Studio