As you may know, I have a love/hate relationship with Restoration Hardware. I love almost everything in that store. There is a rustic elegance about their offerings, classy yet cozy. If I could go in there and order one of everything, I’d be a very happy gal.
Lately, the store has been advertising their new line of black furniture. In particular, I’ve been eyeing this Montpellier armoire. Pricetag… about $3500 bucks…yeah, I know,… that’s where the hate part comes in.
However, I don’t feel so bad this time around, because I have an idea! Look at what I’ve had hanging around for the last 15 years?
Pretty close, right? The dimensions are almost exactly the same. Our relatives were going to sell it to a furniture broker, so we snagged it up first for about $200. So, I brought it back in black!
There were some holes on the inside, but nothing that a well-placed basket couldn’t fix!
Because the piece was so old and there were stain splatters and nicks on the outside, I quickly sanded it down. Then, I applied the black paint (Ace Hardware/ India Ink) directly to the wood. I didn’t use primer because I wanted to be able to sand the edges when I was done and have the wood grain show through.
When painting a piece of furniture, I paint the details first and work out so that you don’t have tiny brushstroke marks all over the bigger, flatter parts of the furniture. Also, I always paint in the same direction as the grain of the wood.
First, I primed the inside, hoping to cut down on how many coats of paint I would have to apply, but it wasn’t necessary.
This is what the armoire looked like after one coat of paint. Scary, huh? I show you this because I don’t want you to freak out when you’re painting furniture and it looks like this! As you can see, I sanded down some parts that still had a funny sheen from the old stain and then put on a second coat of black paint.
Here is what it looked like after two coats of paint. And, I didn’t even tell you the best part….
Squirreled away in my garage were two of these armoires!!!! I flanked both sides of a large window in my son’s room.
But my work wasn’t done yet. I still wanted to give them that weathered look that Restoration Hardware was featuring, so I carefully sanded down the edges with 100 grit sand paper.
This is what the doors looked like up close.
I added baskets, books, and even a clothes hamper to the inside. It’s amazing how much closet space these two cabinets have cleared up.
Here is the finished cabinet at a price difference of $6600!
Restoration Hardware, eat your heart out!
Linking To:
Domestically Speaking, Emily A. Clark
Wow! Beautiful job! You worked some magic on these two armoires.
Absolutely gorgeous. You did a fabulous job.
Tami
Love, love, love your armoire. Fabulous job. I have a lovely armoire that I was able to get for free. It needs help and I now know what I want to do with it thanks to your post. You used Ace’s India Ink, but what sheen did you use…flat, satin, semi-gloss, or ???
Thanks Candice! I used their highest quality paint with a satin finish. I can’t wait to hear how your armoire turns out.
Beau.t.ful – I have to tell you that I like yours BETTER than the 6,600 alternative. You did a great job. and what a steal for those two huge armoires. Gives me inspsiration for the big hulking one sitting in my living room!
They look FABULOUS!!! Awesome paint job! I love them!
Wow! Those turned out even better than the RH ones! Great job! Found you through Knock-off Decor!
Your armoires look way better than the Restoration Hardware ones. Absolutely gorgeous!
Pingback: Tips for Designing a Room | sophisticatedyellow.comsophisticatedyellow.com
I love your Restoration Hardware knockoff! That is my favorite store also, but who has that kind of money? Thanks for the name of the paint color, I can’t wait to give it a go!
Thanks! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out!
Absolutely beautiful! I want to do this to a similar piece of furniture that I have had for years. I was waiting for an idea on how to refinish it, and for some inspiration. I think I found it!!! My question is how much paint did you use? Just waiting for spring!!!
Thanks! It only took one quart of paint to cover both armoires.
I have a cherry wood armoire that is pretty old and I was going to give it away and purchase a black one but they’re pricey! but after coming across your web site and seeing what you did to this armoire I feel inspired to paint the one I have black just like what you did so wish me luck I will let you know how it turns out…
I am so glad Carolyn that this post provided you that spark of inspiration! I can’t wait to hear how it turns out!
This turned out so great. I have an armoire that I eventually need to tackle so this was good to see. Thanks for linking up
Thanks Emily! I’m a huge admirer of your blog, so I loved seeing your name pop up in my comments section!
Pingback: Boy's Bedroom Reveal | sophisticatedyellow.comsophisticatedyellow.com
Pingback: 100th Postiversary and Favorite Posts!!! | sophisticatedyellow.comsophisticatedyellow.com