With a little love and a lot of sanding, transform an old armoire into a piece that fits your space perfectly. Customize the paint and hardware to match your style.
I really love redoing furniture. It’s one part of my creative brain that I like to put to work the most. I’m constantly browsing secondhand sites for pieces that I know would be perfect to give a little facelift to. If we’re being honest though, a lot of times when I snag a good deal it’s for a piece that I have no use for. Go figure, right?
Maybe it was the bright purple paint or the butterfly and flower knobs that caught my eye, but I’m sure glad I stopped scrolling. It was solid wood and just twenty bucks on a buy/sell/trade site, so naturally I had to have it! For what? No clue, but I knew it would be fun to redo, so I pulled the trigger.
This post does contain affiliate links for your shopping conveinence.
This post does contain affiliate links for your shopping conveinence.
Originally my plan was to give this armoire a quick makeover, then flip it for a little profit. I would strip the purple paint off, take a sander to the wood, maybe stain it, paint it, then distress it and add new hardware. Simple as that.
But once I stripped the paint off, and got to sanding it, I started to get attached. Because that raw wood was just beautiful underneath!
So then my wheels started spinning and I got invested. I knew that if I did keep this piece, the only place I could manage to work it into was our vintage guest bedroom. I found this beautiful deep olive green paint from the Fusion Mineral Paint line called Lichen, and I knew this would be the perfect color to add to this space.
I painted the outside and I stained the wood inside a dark walnut. I loved the contrast between the two, and then decided porcelain white knobs would be a great way to top it all off.
You guys, I am obsessed with it. It’s definitely one of my favorite furniture makeovers that I have done. And I even had a moment when I finished it that I thought, this would be perfect in a nursery. I sure hope I can make that happen soon.
Until it can serve as another purpose, it is full of some of my favorite flea market finds and some cute spare throw pillows. I plan to use the bottom drawers for some extra linens and such too. So all in all, it was a great organizational and storage piece too!
Hope you enjoyed this one! And as always, thanks so much for stopping by!
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Karen Marsh says
Lovely work and very pleasing to the eye. What is the color you used?
cate says
This turned out gorgeous! I have done this a few time with pieces i was supposed to sell. I get attached quickly!
Jessica says
Hi Ashley,
What a beautiful makeover, love the choice of color and just can’t take off my eyes on the porcelain white knobs.
Cheers,
Jessica
Karlee Hiatt says
I think this is my favorite you’ve done! Love everything about it!!!!! ????
Nancy says
Ashley, I was so thrilled to find a post from you this morning. You truly blew it out of the park with this armoire. You did such a fantastic job of stripping it and I will indeed be praying that you can use it in a nursery. I really liked the color and think it is versatile enough to use anywhere. I have always felt you can’ t have too many armoires! I think creativity like this really sets your blog apart from others. I would love to live close enough to be able to buy pieces from you !
Francis Moore says
Love the color and the clean lines of the chest. Good Job!
Cindy says
Love this piece and the color. Painting furniture I find so relaxing and therapeutic. Family members and friends think I’m weird.
When painting, glazing and waxing I love seeing the piece transform
Enjoy your day
Cindy
Lisa says
Wow – it looks great! Can you tell me what product you use as a paint stripper? I never seem to be able to remove as much paint as you were able to do with this piece.
Thanks so much!
Ashley Broviak says
Thank you! The paint stripper doesn’t always work best for me, but the kind I use is called Citrus Stripper Stripping Gel. It will get off most of the paint, but I always have to go back over what’s left with my sander and 50 or 60 grit sandpaper. That’s the magic for me! May take a few sessions but its worth it!
Cindy Birney says
Looks so good and I love the color and the treasures inside!! What did you use to strip it? I was impressed at the fact you got it down to the raw wood with no sign of that purple paint!!! Don’t you love seeing something transform into something you end up loving?!
Ashley Broviak says
Yes, its my absolute favorite way to be creative! And the stripper I use is called Citrus Stripper Stripping Gel. The key is to not let it dry before you start stripping it. It doesn’t always work best for me, so I find that I have to get what’s left off with my sander and some 50 or 60 grit sandpaper, if the piece is wood. It’s a lot of work, but getting to that wood grain and then working with a clean slate is worth it for me! Hope this helps!
Leslie Smith says
Ashley. I love how you transformed the armoire! You really did a great job refinishing it and it shows! And, the color you selected is beautiful! I just love your your eye for design – vision – and your farmhouse decor! In one of your posts you showed how you used vintage printer’s drawers in one of the rooms in your house. My husband and I took your lead and we found two old printer’s drawers at a rustic antique store on the east coast when we were on vacation this summer. They are now hanging in our family room and we love them! Thanks for sharing all of your great design ideas!! You are an inspiration to me and to so many! Keep posting!!! Warmly, Leslie Smith. – Nashville, TN.
Ashley Broviak says
Awe, thanks Leslie! Compliments like this really make me so grateful 🙂 I love sharing and I love hearing your stories! I’m so so glad the printers drawers worked for you, I absolutely love them and think they add some charm. And thank you for taking the time to share this with me. XOXO!
Colleen Pausley says
That must have been so much hard work. It turned out beautiful!!
Ashley Broviak says
It was, but so worth it in the end! Thanks!
Ann says
Luv the color???????? my parents trimmed their inside home with a similar color and I have always adored it. Great job????????
Ashley Broviak says
Thanks Ann! Gosh that would look beautiful as a trim color! 🙂