You may have heard me scream the day I found this Bombay chest on Marketplace! This chest style is so hard to come by in my neck of the woods, so yes I screamed and I may have done a little dance too since it would be absolutely PERFECT for the Bohemian Style design I was envisioning.
I'm guessing you may be surprised that I chose to go with muted gray tones on such a rare find!
Why would I not slather it in my favorite colors and crazy designs?
I'm going to call it MOOD.
Or maybe even VIBE.
It's my current ZEN......or at least the zen I'm chasing! LOL!
I toned this gorgeous piece down from its original orange-y wood and brought it to a place of peace and tranquility.....and this is how!
The full process is up on YouTube:
Check out this week's video here.
https://youtu.be/seBQsvP8DgU
First, cleaning & repairing
I cleaned the chest from top to bottom with White Lightning!
The top surface was badly water damaged and required sanding of multiple veneer bubbles (since I had no intention of replacing the top).
I sanded away the bubbles which exposed the pressed wood before I filled/topped the pressed wood with Dixie Belle Mud and let it dry overnight.
I sanded back the dry mud to a smooth finish before priming the entire top with Boss Gray prior to painting.
Time to paint it beautiful
The top surface is painted with two colors of gray: Gravel Road and Hurricane Gray.
Once dry, I applied a single coat of Silver Bullet with the Big Daddy Brush and immediately followed this with the wood faux graining tool.
Adding Texture to this Bohemian Style Bombay Chest
I could not be more pleased with this fanciful silver wood top!!!!
The body of this armoire was painted with a very organic water-washed technique that is SO MUCH FUN to do!!!!!
I chose to base coat the entire body in Manatee Gray and let it dry overnight.
The next day, I followed with random applications of both Gravel Road and Hurricane Gray.
While the paint is still wet, I spray a healthy amount of water from the top down.
This forces water to run and drip, allowing both colors of gray to mix together and even move away and expose that base coat of Manatee Gray.
You can choose to just let your piece dry like this, or.....
I allow it to "almost" dry.
I then use my Big Daddy Brush to begin working these colors together.
Some of the drip tracks remain in place and it gives an overall aged look which I love.
With the piece still damp, I applied accent colors in burgundy, teal blue, and tea rose to random areas and then used the same Big Daddy Brush to work these accent colors into the gray finish, leaving just a subtle hint of its presence.
This gives an overall velvety finish that is just stunning!
I almost hated to cover it up with a transfer!!!!
Bohemian Wedding Transfer
This Bohemian Wedding Transfer is gorgeous!
It is an unusual color palette that, at first, I found challenging, however; the idea of grays and silvers really worked with it. And this piece was just perfect for all of it!
The transfer has two very large pieces that are meant to be pieced together in horizontal swag.
I chose to use them individually, and vertically. I'm happy to report it worked!
That is the beauty of transfers!
You can cut them apart, piece them together, and mix transfers to build something completely unique! You can see here how to place your transfer and cut it at the drawer lines to make the application much easier.
I used scissors here, but an Exacto knife works really well too!
Just cut your transfer and work on it a section at a time.
Once your transfers have been applied, you want to smooth out any wrinkles or bubbles. Gently sand with fine grit sandpaper or sanding pad to marry them to the surface, and top coat with DB Satin Top Coat.
I used DB Gilding Wax in Silver to feature the gorgeous carvings on the chest. I applied it with both a brush and my finger! It's a personal preference.
It is a brilliant oil-based wax that seals on its own and does not require a top coat.
I also used the same silver gilding wax to create the harlequin pattern on both side panels.
It was applied with a round synthetic brush through the DB Harlequin Stencil.
I applied it very lightly to just offer a subtle pattern and a bit of whimsy to this piece!
Top coat
The entire piece is protected with two coats of Satin Top Coat for a soft and subtle sheen.
I enjoyed every step of this multi-process creation!
My most delightful surprise was the velvet beauty offered by using that big goofy brush to blend the damp chalk mineral paints together!
I had no idea the finish would be so rich!
I do hope you will give that technique a try!
Here are some other DIY projects to inspire you!
Products used:
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