Before & After: A Two Day Transition from Old to “Old World”

Nicolette found this old wood chest in a random shop, and viewed it as the perfect opportunity to test some new stencils she recently designed. Which means that wood lovers and purists, you might want to go and rearrange your sock drawer for a few minutes. I can tell you without hesitation that there is hyperventilation in your near future if you click through. You have been duly warned…

Nicolette took a couple of days to paint and stencil the trunk. She wanted the details to be reminiscent of bone inlay, and to give the chest an antique Indian/British Colonial vibe. Although there’s a lot of pattern going on, the soothing gray still keeps it calm and not chaotic.

Here’s her process:

The exterior was painted with grey chalk paint, followed by a couple of coats of clear wax. The interior was painted pink, so there is a lovely surprise of colour when the lid is opened. I then set to work with a selection of my border stencils, using white paint. I kept the brush very dry, so the stencilling is really soft and less opaque in some areas. I gradually fitted the pattern together, in the way you would with a jigsaw puzzle. The design wasn’t planned in advance, it just evolved. Once the stencil work had begun, it became clear that I was going to have cover all of the exterior surface, including the back.

Many thanks for submitting the project Nicolette, and for sharing your process and more photos over on your blog.