Before and After: An Old Armoire Gets a Totally New Life with a 10-Hour, $180 Refresh

Some people are fierce advocates for natural wood, but if antique wood pieces are beyond repair or have seen better days, one paint color that’s sure to maintain a vintage look and feel is a light blush pink. It’s reminiscent of vintage tile and neutral enough to let older details like moulding sing.

When Adrian Dahle and Linn Prepsl (@bluedoordiary) bought this armoire secondhand for more clothing storage, they knew it needed some fresh paint to help give it a boost.

“We love reuse and antiques,” Adrian explains. “We needed some more storage, so we decided to find a cheap closet and refresh it … We took down the old finish and then painted the whole closet.”

Adrian and Linn chose a barely-there light pink (TreStjerner’s “Sand“)  for the job. The ballet slipper shade is so faint that it almost reads as a neutral, but the pink hue brings the warmth.

For the redo, Adrian and Linn taped off the handles and grooves for the drawers and painted the piece inside their apartment. “If we count picking up the closet, bringing it in our home, and renovation, we spent around 10 hours [on it],” Adrian says, and their project total — paint and armoire included — was about $180.

Adrian’s favorite part of the “after” is the matte pink finish and color, which gives the armoire an entirely new vibe from its old wood finish. His DIY advice is this: “First of all you have to ask yourself what your need is,” he says. “What do you want to accomplish? You’ve got to have a vision. [Then,] have a budget, and remember time is your best friend … Don’t rush into something, be selective and stay true to your references.”

Here’s to many more slow and steady, stylish DIYs ahead!

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