Welcome to the story of the Jacobean-style china cabinet that unexpectedly went viral and stirred up quite a controversy!
I'm still baffled by the intensity of emotions that a piece of furniture – one that people don't own, will never see in person, and have no say over – can evoke. Yet, it happened.
In this space, I'll share the story behind my decision to paint this particular antique china cabinet. After all, this is my creative outlet, and I'm free to express myself here.
Stay with me to learn how I used a water based stain to eliminate the orange tone on this piece of furniture!
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The Before...
I found this china hutch on Facebook Market place several years ago for an absolute steal. The family just wanted it gone so they didn't have to dump it. It was part of a dining set and is the last piece that remains. It's been pushed to the back of my storage unit like many old furniture pieces that no one wants or has a clue what to do with them.
I pulled it forward and shared it in its natural beauty months ago on FB without a single bite or interest to purchase it!
So again, on New Years Day, I posted about it again, in its natural form, letting others know I was planning to give it a makeover.....and still....no one was interested in purchasing it to "SAVE" it! However thousands felt it was their place to tell me not to paint it!
Well.....I"m a furniture painter.....so don't hold your breath!
The Design Plan: Honoring the Original Finish
I moved on with my project anyway.
I wanted to challenge myself with something new for the new year!
I love checks, stripes, bold colors and gold and I knew I could paint this beauty hot pink on the outside, bright orange on the inside, and bling the carvings out with gold.
In fact, this is probably what was expected.
However, I wanted to TRY and honor the original finish by not covering all of the gorgeous wood grain....knocking back the orange tone of the wood on this furniture piece....and somehow bringing it into the 2025 era a bit with a new tone of stain.
While also incorporating a very subtle almost aged and sheer checkered pattern to add that WHIMSY that I like my pieces to hold.
I REALLY like to bring fun into the serious side of furniture.
Supplies Used: Whimsical Old World China Cabinet
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How to use a Water Based Stain to Eliminate Orange Tone on Furniture
I was excited about the project and was ready to get to work! After cleaning, my first focus was to knock back the orange tone on the piece of furniture using VooDoo Gel Stain.
Cleaning Old Furniture Pieces First is a MUST!
I cleaned REALLY well with White Lightning and rinsed with water. This piece is OLD and it smelled musty and had SO much old polish and grime on it.
I used a toothbrush to scrub out the small carved areas and a microfiber rag to really lift the grime. The White Lightning cut through all of that and left it shine free and quite raw.....which was perfect for my "staining" plan.
Side note: I did remove the mirror and fret work from the door. I kept these just in case the person that chooses this for their home wants it put back. I think leaving it open or placing a single pane of glass really allows whatever is stored inside to be featured.
Why VooDoo Gel Stain?
I chose VooDoo Gel stain for several reasons.
It is VERY easy to work with...as it is water based!! It dries quickly. It works well over old finishes without needing to sand first. It's sheer (which I wanted) yet buildable so you can continue to build on it until you get the depth of color that you want. I was really after that sheer "washed" look.
Black Magic was the perfect color to knock back the orange tone of the wood on the china cabinet.
It has an ink-like "blue" tone to it (when wet)....which is the PERFECT complimentary color to offset the original orange tone.....it just cancels the orange!
I poured a small amount into a bowl and added a tiny bit of water to thin it down even more. I then just began brushing this on every surface (except the areas I knew I was going to check). It went on sheer and "inky", was very easy to spread around, and instantly cancelled the orange. It was like magic!
In some areas, I used a rag to blot away excess but most of the piece I was able to just brush it on following the grain of the wood and it just soaked right in and settled beautifully!!
The grain of the wood is still completely visible! I am in awe! You can really see the wood grain here on these curved corners....the before when it was more orange.....and the after when it has a smoky dark look to it!
I think it's just gorgeous! I have many examples of before and after for you here:
The trim
The square carved pieces
The inside back of the cabinet
This stain dries quickly so you will need to keep it damp if you plan to keep moving it around....simply by using a mister bottle. However, I recommend applying in a thin coat and moving on. Then just come back to decide if you want to add another layer for more depth. I did add a second layer to some areas that the orange was still peeking through a bit.
This stain does not require a top coat. However you can if you feel it will get a lot of traffic and need to be protected from elements such as water or rough surfaces. It is water based so it does not require a long dry time before applying a top coat. If it's dry to touch, feel free to apply your top coat.
Creating the Whimsical Washed Look
The checked areas obviously took more time to design and stain but I really enjoyed working with these colors and the sheer finish.
I first coated both upper side panels and the door frame in White Magic. I applied a slightly watered down version with a brush and then gently tapped off any extra with a microfiber rag. This left a very sheer white finish with just a touch of wood peeking through.
Once the sides were dry, I used a ruler to measure off my 2" x 2" checks and my 3" x 3" checks.
Using a small craft brush, I began filling in every other check with the slightly watered down Black Magic gel stain. I know most think this stain is gray but it is just a very sheer black...which is EXACTLY what I was after!
I used the same small brush to hand stain the single row of checks around the door frame.
I wanted to age the area where the checks meet the stain so I applied best dang black wax using my tapered french tip brush around every edge of the furniture where checks were painted.
I love this look. It's almost smoky and it just softens the hard lines.
And finally....GOLD!
I chose my favorite little pot of gold gilding wax to apply to the drawer handles, the door hinges, the door pull and even the inside trim around the door frame.
This oil based gilding wax is perfect for ANY surface! It covers in one single coat, cures quickly, holds its shine and does not require a top coat!
If there is one product I could gift to every creator....it would be this one! It's magic!
Scrubby Soap...my "Go-To" for Clean Up!
I do recommend washing your brushes with Scrubby Soap immediately after using the gilding wax. If you allow it to cure in your brush bristles it will be almost impossible to remove.
And everyone needs to try Scrub Soap anyway!
It is what I use to wash off my brushes, paint off my hands and clothes, and even my make up brushes. I also keep it at my kitchen sink as the built in scrubber works wonders on the dishes!
And THIS is the final look!
I LOVE this piece!
It is exactly my vision.....and no matter how many hateful comments I received on the social platforms.....I'm only going to hold fast to the ones that are able to see what I see....and there were MANY of you that did!
What exactly do I see?
I see an old forgotten piece of furniture that holds history and a story.
I see a piece of history that deserves to be enjoyed vs stuffed into a dark shed.
I see a piece of furniture that served as a palette for me while I worked through a creative idea and brought my vision to life.
I see what once was a very dark piece of furniture......that now appears just a little bit lighter and brighter.
I see WHIMSY.....and self expression.....and open boundaries.....and no rules.
I see courage.....and tenacity.....MY OWN.....and that feels good!
I see inspiration for others......a message to DO WHAT YOU WANT!
You do not need validation from anyone else!
More Inspiration: VooDoo Gel Stain
I pulled a few blogs from past projects that came to mind when working on this piece! As you have seen with this Old world China Cabinet, VooDoo Gel Stain can transform the look of a piece of furniture dramatically. Here are some other VooDoo Gel Stained pieces for your inspiration.
Wooden Surfboard Decor - beach themed birthday decor
Rocking Horse Turned Zebra - a vintage piece with a fun flare
Romance and Roses - gel stain on faux wood grain!
Click on any photo below for more up-close photos and all the design details
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