Today, we are excited to welcome LeeAnn from Creative Moments to the Dixie Belle Paint blog. LeeAnn gave this ornate cabinet a rich, grounded look with Dixie Belle Paint products. This dramatic makeover blends vintage character, moody color, and timeless style into one beautiful statement piece. If you love furniture flips with depth and personality, this transformation will inspire your next project.
Sometimes, a “bright and airy” makeover just doesn’t fit the vibe. I found this standing jewelry armoire after it had already been given a white and gold facelift by someone else, but it felt a bit too “glam” for many people. I knew it had the potential to be something much more sophisticated, mysterious, and—of course—moody.
In this tutorial, I’m taking you through the process of retaining some of the previous DIY and layering on a deep, velvety dark green finish. We’ll be leaning into those shadows, highlighting the unique curved silhouette.
Whether you’re looking to tone down a piece that’s “too bright” or you’re ready to embrace the dark academia aesthetic, here is how I turned a high-contrast piece into a seamless, moody masterpiece.
Step 1: Clean
Step one is always cleaning, I started with my hand held Dyson to get any loose fluff from all the drawers and crannies.
A damp rag was next wiping the soft cream colored lining.
Step 2: Scuff Sand
To smooth the filler and surfaces as well as give the surfaces some tooth for the paint to adhere to, the entire armoire was hand sanded with a Gator medium/fine sanding sponge. Everything was wiped clean with a damp cloth.
Step 3: Paint
I chose a deep green color called Sanctuary from the newly released Dixie Belle Paint mineral paint color line.
This is the first coat on. Do not be alarmed as first coats always look sketchy, especially dark colors.
With the drawers removed, I used an artist brush to paint a narrow inner edge around the drawer edges. This is important as you will see the bright white when the drawers are in if you don’t do this step.
The second coat of green looks lovely. I painted all sides so this jewelry armoire is viewable from all sides in the harmonious forest green. All 4 edges of each drawer were painted as well with the artist brush.
Step 4: Update Hardware and Mirror
I had left the hardware the spray painted gold but wanted a brighter gold so used this handy gold marker to repaint each pull.
The spray painted gold around the flip up mirror was refreshed in a brighter gold too using the artist brush and gold Gilding Wax.
The same was done to a portion of the gold spray painted legs.
Step 5: Apply Wax
Dark colors are notorious for showing white streaks when touched and I wanted more of a sheen to the paint so I applied clear best dang wax with my dedicated best dang brush. The size of this brush makes waxing much faster than by hand. I buffed the wax about 20 minutes after applying with a rag from the bag of rags.
The chest is complete.
This isn’t just a jewelry chest; it’s a moody masterpiece finished in a rich, velvety dark green on all 4 sides and accented with sophisticated hand-painted gold details.
Whether you’re a fan of the dark academia aesthetic or simply want to add a touch of “boutique hotel” luxury to your bedroom, this armoire is designed to keep your most precious items safe and beautifully displayed.
LeeAnn completely changed the look of this cabinet while keeping its original charm intact. The rich finish and updated details create a timeless piece with a collected, vintage-inspired feel. Thank you to LeeAnn from Creative Moments for sharing another inspiring makeover using Dixie Belle Paint products with our readers.
