Say hello to Memories from Martinique! This MASSIVE DIY wardrobe makeover was a huge undertaking but, boy, what a dream to paint! When I saw those lovely front panels and carved florals I knew I had to have her.
Hand-Painted Wardrobe
As with all my pieces, I knew that I’d be covering this with layer upon layer of my favorite clay-based paint, DIY Paint, in order to achieve the look I was going for. When I paint a big, heirloom piece like this I want it to have an old-world feeling; like it’s something that’s been passed down (and painted!) with each generation.
I used the Caddie brush to lay down the base coat because it’s the best tool for getting the paint into all those nooks and crannies of the carvings without spending a ton of time on it. I don’t worry too much about what my base coats look like because, well… It’s just paint! I like to start with a lighter color for the background because I’ve found it makes the top layers much more vibrant and it looks so lovely peeking between the layers.
DIY Furniture Makeover
Once I laid down the base, I added a thin layer of navy blue to the front panels, using my Water Girl continuous spray bottle to wet the paint and blend it in. Water is one of my secret weapons when it comes to painting! Not only is DIY paint reactivated with water for easy blending, but spraying it generously and letting it drip gives it a much more organic feel which is really critical to a piece like this. Too much perfection means that things can actually look more uneven because you notice every tiny flaw. A little bit of mess adds character and dimension, drawing the eye across the piece to take in all the details.
After I got the navy down, I tried another fun water trick! I took The Bright Side powdered pigment and mixed it with water. I put that into a squeeze bottle and poured that along the seams of the doors for some gorgeous drippy effects.
For the details, I took a small brush and hand-painted all the floral elements.
Once all of that was complete, I used the Bohemia stamp from Iron Orchid Designs to cover the panels and I LOVVVVEEE how it turned out! It added some beautiful dimension, depth, and personality. To wrap it all up, I added some gold using the gilding wax for some soft details and then sealed everything with clear and black wax.
I really love the way she turned out! Unfortunately, I’ve officially been spoiled because I only want to paint gorgeous pieces like this forever.
The BEST Paint for Furniture
I LOVE using DIY Paint, Making Powders, and finishes. Not only are they VOC-free (and safe for my pup Abbie!) but there’s no smell and it’s clay based, making clean up a breeze. Below, you’ll find the list of colors I used from DIY.
Memories from Martinique Color Recipe
- Faded Burlap
- Apothecary
- Cake Batter
- Hey Sailor
- Monet’s Garden
- Crinoline
- Old School
- Clear wax
- Black wax
- Golden Ticket
The Bohemia stamp on the panels is from Iron Orchid Designs! I love their patterns so much.
Watch the entire tutorial!
Did you know that I record many of my DIY makeovers? You can catch all four parts of this incredible transformation on Facebook and YouTube!
Looking for more color recipes?
Check out this great roundup featuring some of my favorites!
