Hello, my creative friend! Today’s blog post is about salvaging damaged Mother of Pearl furniture. While I’m not a fan of the Asian furniture style, I believe in salvaging almost all pieces. Okay, before you read any further, I want to clarify something. The Mother of Pearl on this piece was badly damaged and could not be repaired. It was discolored and broken. Many tiny pieces were missing from the design; the only option was to paint over them. Wait until you see what I did to make this unique piece even more unique.
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Before Painting Over Mother Of Pearl Furniture
This project starts with a “friend” asking if I can paint this cool piece she found. The top part of the chest was a cedar chest for storage, while the lower half was shelved. Cool!
My first thought was… NO WAY! I can’t paint over that mother-of-the-pearl furniture piece. After careful inspection and several discussions later (with my “friend”), we devised a plan. She is my friend, and I wouldn’t take on this project for just anyone. 🙂 It was a doozy!
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Supply list for this project:
- Asian Furniture with mother-of-pearl inlay (damaged and non-repairable)
- White Lightning (cleaner)
- Bonding BOSS clear (stain and odor blocker)
- Hurricane Gray (Chalk Mineral Paint)
- Driftwood (Chalk Mineral Paint)
- Sand Bar (Chalk Mineral Paint)
- Putty Knife
- Patina Paint (Iron)
- Patina Spray (Green)
- Modern Masters Clear Coat (to seal the raw wood)
Removing Veneer From The Chest
We decided that the top of the mother of the cedar chest would be beautiful if we could preserve the wood. One problem… veneer! OMG! Seriously? I thought this part would be a walk in the park.
Well, it turns out that it wasn’t too bad after all. Only the very center of the top had veneer, and it wasn’t too hard to remove. After sanding all the old finish off, the beauty of the wood was a hit. This piece was going to be amazing!
Painting Over The Mother Of Pearl Furniture Inlay
I admit it concerned me, but only because of the time, dedication, and skill of the artisan who created this piece. But, it was beyond repair.
Mother of Pearl has a slick surface. To prepare it for paint, I used Bonding Boss (formerly Slick Stick) by the Dixie Belle Paint Co. and painted one coat of the bonding agent over the mother of pearl to prepare the surface for my paint.
Painting The Cedar Chest
For the base color, I used Hurricane Gray chalk mineral paint. All it took was one coat to paint over the lower part of the chest. Quick and easy!
Next, I blended a second color of Driftwood over the mother-of-pearl.
Highlighting With A Putty Knife
After the paint had dried, I used a 1-inch putty knife to add highlights to the mother-of-pearl furniture inlay. After a short dry time, I applied this amazing paint called IRON Paint over the mother of pearl.
The paint was applied with the putty knife in the same fashion. I didn’t want a perfect look, and this was exactly what I wanted. While the Iron paint was still wet, I sprayed the Green Patina Spray activator over all the pieces with iron paint. Be sure to use the activator when the paint is wet, or it will not activate. In about 4 hours, I had the rustiest, crusty, beautiful look that made me smile. 🙂 I wasn’t sure how I would feel about covering up the mother of pearl during this process, but the design was intact and visible.
NO Paint Sealer Needed!
Sealing the paint on this piece was unnecessary because Dixie Belle Paints are super hard after they cure and do not require sealing. Of course, if you want extra protection, you can always use their Gator Hide top coat for extra durability.
It still feels weird not to seal Dixie Belle’s chalk mineral paint because all other chalky-based paints require one. But seriously, it’s not required.
Holy Mother of Pearl!
Isn’t she GORGEOUS?! Check out all that rust patina over the mother of pearl. I would say that
Every now and then, something special comes along, like this piece, and I smile. 🙂 I love how it turned out and can’t wait to show my friend. I’m certain she will love it too.
*Update… as of May 2024, she’s still using it in her bedroom and has vowed never to part with it. Happy ending!
Thanks for joining me today. I hope this furniture makeover inspires you to look beyond the perfect paintable pieces and gives lonely old outcasts like this mother-of-pearl piece a chance.
Until the next project… xo, Do
