Looking to give an old piece of furniture a fresh, modern look? A two-tone paint finish is a simple yet stunning way to add depth and character to any piece! In today’s guest blog, Denise from Salvaged Inspirations shares her expert tips for achieving a beautifully blended two-tone effect using Silk All-In-One Mineral Paint. Whether you’re going for a subtle contrast or a bold statement, this technique is perfect for highlighting the details of your furniture while creating a professional, high-end finish. Keep reading to see how Denise transformed her latest piece and get inspired for your next project! 

(The following is an excerpt from Salvaged Inspirations. Read the full article here.)   

The upper corner of a two-tone painted dresser with wheat sitting to the left of it and a potted plant on top; a brown box with the words Two-Tone Painted Furniture is above the dresser.

Hi creative friends! Today I’m sharing how to update a piece of furniture using a two-tone paint finish. I bought this dresser off Facebook Marketplace over a year ago. The ad said it was in good shape but unfortunately it wasn’t. 

Here’s the thrift dresser I started with. Super cute but a little beat up. 

Before picture of thrifted dresser

SOURCE LIST 

$15 Thrift Dresser – SALVAGED
White Lightning
Bondo | Dixie Belle Mud White
Sand Paper | Tack Cloth
BIN Shellac-Based Primer
Endless Shore Silk Mineral Paint
Hampton Olive Silk Mineral Paint
Tape & Drape Masking Tape
Clear Coat Satin
Best Dang Brush
Big Mamas Butta
4″ Brass Hardware Pulls 

TWO-TONE PAINTED DRESSER MAKEOVER 

So let’s get to work and fix her all up! Here’s how it all came together… 

PREP | CLEAN  

I removed the vintage hardware and then cleaned this piece White Lightning.  Remember the inside, back, and bottom of the piece when cleaning your furniture. This is where the spider pods and dust like to hang out! 

BONDO | SAND | PRIME 

Before I sanded, I filled all the LARGE holes, gaps, and gouges with Bondo. I filled in everything that was easy to see. The hardware holes, the missing veneer on both sides, the gaps in the top boards, and more. 

WOODFILL | SAND | PRIME 

Now that I had the major flaws filled in and primed, I could see all the smaller remaining flaws perfectly. (Applying a coat of primer REALLY helps you see all the little scratches and dings you didn’t get the first time around!) Using Dixie Belle Mud in White, I went ahead and filled in all the rest of the scratches and dings making sure to overfill so it sands perfectly smooth. 

A container of White Dixie Mud sits on top of a white dresser, with the mud being applied to the dresser with a black putty knife

SPRAY PAINT 

After giving the primer a very light sanding with a 220-grit sandpaper, I used a tack cloth to wipe off the dust. Then I sprayed two coats of the gorgeous Endless Shore SILK All-In-One Mineral Paint.  (I’ve had a few of you ask why I use primer when the Silk Paint has a built-in primer… it’s because I RARELY pick my paint/colors before I prep my pieces!) That said, if you KNOW you’re going to use this paint, no primer is required. ???? 

Endless Shore Silk all-In-One Mineral Paint being sprayed onto dresser

BLOCK OFF | TAPE OFF 

To create a two-toned paint finish I had to mask off part of this dresser. I measured where I wanted my color blocking to go and then masked the dresser. This was my first time using this Easy Mask Tape & Drape and I LOVE it! Super easy to apply. The tape adhered really well and I didn’t have any issues removing it either. 

A white painted dresser with plastic being taped to the dresser with a roll of masking tape and a tape measure

SEAL FOR CRISP LINE 

To create a crisp two-tone paint line, I used an artist’s brush and brushed on a thin coat of Clear Coat Satin. This prevents the paint from bleeding under the tape for a perfect line! 

Clear Coat Satin being applied to the edge of the tape on the dresser

SPRAY PAINT CUSTOM COLOR 

I had a little Endless Shore still in my paint cup so I mixed some Hampton Olive in to create this gorgeous custom color. I would say it was 2/3 Hampton Olive to 1/3 Endless Shore however I didn’t measure exactly. If you’re using a neutral for your base color, if you mix a little into your feature color it will tie everything together really nicely. 

Two-tone painted dresser with plastic taped to the bottom part of the dresser.

While my second coat was still wet, I used my heat gun to warm up the tape before pulling it off. This is a great tip to make sure the base color doesn’t stick to the tape and pull off as well. 

Masking tape and plastic being removed from two-tone painted dresser with a heat gun

REFRESH DRAWERS 

Remember how bad the inside of the drawers looked? I sanded the insides of them and then gave them a refresh with Big Mama’s Butta. This is so easy to do. I brush it on with the Best Dang Brush and then wipe the excess off with a soft cloth. This is so easy to do and it works amazing for ANY drawers that are looking a little worse for wear. Check out the before and after below! 

Big Mama's Butta being applied to the inside of a wooden drawer with the Best Dang Brush

Here’s the finished look! Super sweet, right?! 

Angled view of two-tone painted dresser sitting on a wooden floor in front of a white wall; a small wicker basket with two potted plants sit on top of the dresser Two-tone painted dresser sitting on wooden floor, in front of a white wall with wheat in a white pot on the floor to the left of the dresser and white and pink pillows on the floor to the right of the dresser; A small wicker basket with potted plants sit on the top right of the dresser; a round mirror hangs on the wall behind the dresser, and a light hangs down over it

And now we have beautiful clean drawers as well! 

Open drawers of the painted dresser showing the Big Mama's Butta refresh

Here’s another look at this dresser’s before and after. I hope it’s inspired you and given you some new ideas for your projects. If so, feel free to PIN and SHARE so you can save it for later! 

Before and after photo of two-toned painted dresser

A two-tone finish is such a fantastic way to bring out the best in a furniture piece, and with Silk All-In-One Mineral Paint, it’s easier than ever to achieve a flawless result! Thanks to Denise from Salvaged Inspirations for sharing her process and tips—this project is proof that the right paint and technique can completely change the look and feel of a piece. Feeling inspired to try it yourself? Grab your favorite Silk All-In-One Mineral Paint colors and start experimenting! We’d love to see your two-tone creations, so be sure to share your projects with us. Happy painting! 

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About the Author

Salvaged Inspirations

Denise is a blogger, self-taught furniture artist, writer, photographer and the owner/creator of Salvaged Inspirations. She is a lover of all things vintage, repurposed and restyled. A thrift enthusiast, she’s always in pursuit of the next creative upcycle.

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