When a vintage piece with beautiful details crosses your path, sometimes it just asks for a second chance. That’s exactly the story behind this stunning buffet makeover by Niky of The House on Silverado. With a rich gray base, warm wood-stained top, and thoughtful finishing touches, this piece went from dated to dramatic — all while honoring its original character. In this guest post, Niky shares how she brought this buffet back to life using Dixie Belle Paint products, including her tips for prep, paint, wax, and staining that helped make this transformation truly shine.
Materials
- No Pain Gel Stain in Golden Ash
- Applicator Pads
- Rad Pads
- Small Round Brush
- Angled Mini Brush
- Pristine Clean
- Black Sands Silk Mineral Paint
- Best Dang Wax in White
- Premium Chip Brush
- Bronze Gilding Wax (on hardware)
- Howdy-Do Hemp Seed Oil
- Satin Clear Coat
- Blue Sponge
(The following is an excerpt from The House on Silverado. Read the full article here).
What attracted me to this beauty in the first place was all the pretty details, especially the curvy spindle legs.
The color was an unattractive orangey maple, and the top had some damage, but I knew I could fix her up.
When Dixie Belle Paint sent me a can of their Golden Ash No Pain Gel Stain, it was the motivation I needed to get started on giving this vintage buffet her makeover.
Vintage Buffet Makeover
Look at her now!
It’s a night and day difference, don’t you think?
The combo of Black Sands Silk Mineral Paint, layered with Best Dang Wax in white is stunning!
And, the Golden Ash No Pain Gel Stain transformed that damaged maple top into a showstopper! Just look at that woodgrain.
Prep
I began by giving the whole buffet a good cleaning with Dixie Belle’s Pristine Clean.
Using my favorite Ryobi Corner Cat sander, I scuff-sanded all the flat surfaces of the buffet, including the drawers.
These flexible Rad Pads worked great for sanding around all those curvy legs, and the crevices of the pretty drawer details.
Ready for Paint
After thoroughly wiping down the buffet down with tack cloth to remove all the dust, I was ready to paint.
Black Sands Silk Mineral Paint was my choice for this project. Don’t let the name fool you– this paint isn’t a true black, but more of a rich, deep gray just like the black sand beaches in Hawaii.
I flipped the buffet upside down to access the leg details more easily. My small round Dixie Belle brush was perfect for getting in all the nooks and crannies.
The Drawers
I used Duck Clean Release painter’s tape to make sure I had crisp paint lines on the top and sides of each drawer.
Then I applied Dixie Belle’s Howdy-Do Hemp Seed Oil on the inside and outside of both drawers. The hemp oil worked wonders to condition and revive the old wood!
Best Dang Wax
After two coats of Black Sands Silk had dried overnight, I was ready to move on to waxing.
I love the deep, rich gray base color, and wanted to highlight all of those intricate details to make them stand out even more.
Dixie Belle’s Best Dang Wax in White worked perfectly for this. Using a premium chip brush, I worked the white wax into the details on the base of the buffet, the drawers, and into all those spindly legs.
After letting it set for about 20 minutes I buffed it with a lint-free cloth.
It turned out so pretty!
I love how it settled into the details with sort of a hazy, almost oxidized look. It definitely adds some “age” to this piece.
The brass hardware that came with the buffet is lovely, but a little too golden against the new gray color.
I easily fixed that by rubbing just a little Bronze Gilding Wax into them with my finger, and then gently buffing them the next day. It gave them a nice luster, and toned down the yellow to make them work well with the new color of the buffet.
No Pain Gel Stain
Next it was time to accent that beautiful wood grain I had uncovered by sanding.
Using an applicator pad, I applied an even layer of Dixie Belle’s new Golden Ash Gel Stain, allowed it to set for just a couple of minutes, and then wiped back any excess with a shop cloth.
I gave this buffet two coats of stain, allowing several hours of dry time between each coat.
Then, I allowed the second coat to dry for several days before coming back to apply a top coat of Dixie Belle’s Satin Clear using a Blue Sponge Applicator to avoid lines and streaks.
The Satin Clear Coat gives just the very slightest sheen that really accentuates the wood grains. It’s my very favorite of all the various DB top coats.
Don’t you love it when your vision for a piece comes to life?
There’s something special about taking a piece with history and turning it into a refreshed focal point for today’s home — and Niky’s vintage buffet makeover is proof that thoughtful technique and the right products can make all the difference. Thank you to Niky at The House on Silverado for walking us through her process and inspiring us with such a beautiful result. If this project sparked ideas for your own furniture flip, check out another of Niky’s blogs, How to Paint & Distress Furniture.
