Hey there! Are you afraid of bright colors when it comes to painting your furniture? I used to be until I learned that you only need one bright color in your home. The problem comes when you use too many colors and they just seem to all run together. Pick a color you love and just go for it. Your guest will never be without words and you can proudly proclaim that you painted it yourself. Later in the blog, I’ll tell you my inspiration for this piece. ♥
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Why I’m Not Scared of Bright Colors on a Statement Piece
Here’s the before. Nice looking chest, huh? She has all the curves in all the right places and I have just the right paint colors too.
Bright Colors by Dixie Belle Paint Co.
Here are the products and paint colors that I used for this makeover. You can purchase all these products through my affiliate link here. ⇒ DIXIE BELLE PAINT PRODUCTS If you purchase from this link I do make a small profit. That allows me to continue to paint and share with you here and I LOVE to share!
- White Lightning cleaner
- Amethyst
- Blueberry
- Gold Gilding Wax
- Silver Gilding Wax
- Black Wax
- Cling On Brushes
- Wax Brush
- Easy Peasy Spray Wax
Blueberry Peek-a-boo
I began my project the usual way of cleaning it properly with White Lightning from Dixie Belle. It comes in a crystal form and you mix it with water. I have mine in a spray bottle ready to go. Simply follow the directions on the label.
The first coat of paint I used is called Blueberry. I only painted the areas that were going to be wetly distressed. No need to paint the whole piece. No reason to waste good paint, right? This is the underlying color that I will call my peek-a-boo effect. I allowed the Blueberry to completely dry and then I painted over the Blueberry with the Amethyst. WOW! A bold purple that is sure to be a winner on a statement piece like this chest.
Wet Distressing
Before the Amethyst (second layer) was dry, I took a damp cotton cloth and wiped back a bit of the paint where I had painted the underlying blueberry color. You can wipe back as much as you like and even enough for some of that beautiful wood to show. No sanding with this method and you don’t have to worry about damaging the finished wood underneath.
Applying Gilding Wax
I used a combination of Gold and Silver gilding wax to accent the details and applied it with the tip of my finger. I find it easier to control it that way. Right where I wanted it. The gilding wax dries super fast. After it was dried, I buffed it smooth with a clean cotton cloth.
Shading With Black Wax
After the gilding wax was dry, I took a large wax brush and did some shading around the drawers and trim of the chest with black wax. Just to deepen the color a bit… like it needed that, right?
The Last Step… Easy Peasy Spray Wax
I sealed the whole project with Easy Peasy Spray Wax. This stuff is way cool! I sprayed a light mist and allowed it to dry for about 30 minutes. Came back with a soft cotton cloth and buffed. It dried in a matte finish and never changed the color of the finish. I LOVE that! See, that wasn’t so scary, was it?
I hope this inspires you to try those bright colors on a statement piece. It just might surprise you.
Just so you know, I’m a huge fan of Donny & Marie Osmond. My friend and I have tickets to finally see them in concert! It’s only taken me 50 years. I figured if I can paint a piece purple, now is the time! How cool would that be if he autographed a picture of my furniture? It could happen. I’ll keep you posted.
Until the next project… xo, Do
