Silk Paint And Decoupage Nightstand

I found a really great nightstand at my local Restore. Obviously, I opted to paint it! Yes, I could have left it plain brown wood, but what’s the fun in that! And, I’m always looking for another fun project. So, I decided to use Silk Paint and decoupage on this nightstand. The color of Silk is Hampton Olive, a beautiful neutral with gray and green tones.

Now, let’s go a bit deeper into this little makeover project and I’ll give you all the details.

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Prep Nightstand For Silk Paint and Decoupage

Firstly, you need to prep and clean the furniture piece. To get started, I gave this piece a good scuff sand with a 220 grit sandpaper just to help the paint adhere. Other than that light scuff sanding, I did not do any other sanding or repair. And next, after removing the hardware I wiped this nightstand down with a mix of Dixie Belle White Lightening and hot water. And finally, I gave it a good rinse with plain water and let it dry.

Next onto the Paint

Once the nightstand is clean and dry I applied the paint. For this I chose Silk Paint In Hampton Olive. This is a gorgeous neutral color. And, this color also compliments wood so well and as you’ll see it matches the decoupage paper I chose perfectly.

In fact, Silk Paint is really my most reached for paint product. I just love this paint. And this paint also goes on so silky smooth and dries to a gorgeous eggshell sheen with perfect coverage. Usually two coats is all it takes for full coverage and adequate protection. I did two coats on the nightstand body and no additional topcoats.

And it is good to note that Silk Paint goes on best with synthetic brushes. My favorite synthetic brushes to use with Silk are the Dixie Belle Oval and Flat Brushes. These comes in various sizes and they are just perfect for applying Silk paint.

Why Silk Paint?

I talk more about Silk Paint in my post, Review of Silk Paint and How To Get a Beautiful finish With Silk. So if you want to check out the post you can learn more. But for now to summarize, I’ll just point out a few benefits of Silk Paint:

• gorgeous coverage and eggshell sheen
• durable protection for your furniture
• built-in primer and topcoat for an all-in-one paint product
• combines well with all other Dixie Belle products including additional topcoats if chosen

Gel Stain

This nightstand has a unique pull out flat surface above the top drawer like a writing desk or additional space to set belongings. Therefore, I opted to leave that front part the raw wood and the top edges also raw wood. So to deepen the color a bit on the drawer front and the edges, I applied a coat of General Finishes Java Gel Stain. Java Gel is oil-based and I knew I ‘d be using a water-based clear coat to apply the decoupage. Importantly, remember that the oil stain has to dry 72 hours before you can apply water-based products. If you are looking for more info on how to apply gel stains, you can read my post on how to apply gel stains to tabletops.

Now To Add The Decoupage Paper

Next up, I added this sweet neutral Dixie Belle Decoupage Rice Paper in Pallet Wood Design to the nightstand top. I thought it was perfectly suited to go with the bit of wood edges showing. Before applying the decoupage, you can smooth out the wrinkles. And, if you need to you can cut it to size. Apply a thin layer of Dixie Belle Clear Coat and lay down your decoupage paper .

Afterwards, smooth out bubbles or wrinkles gently while you adjust the decoupage paper as needed. I like to use the Dixie Belle Scarlet Brush to smooth out the paper. You can also use a finger or two covered in plastic wrap and smooth out the wrinkles with your fingers. It you press hard or with friction your decoupage paper can tear. Finally, once the paper is in place and pressed down you can apply the top coat of Clear Coat with the Scarlet Brush to the decoupage. Again working out any wrinkles.

Add Any Additional Topcoats

Also, as mentioned above I didn’t add any topcoat to the nightstand body. However, I did choose to apply Dixie Belle Gator Hide to the decoupaged top. Two to three coats of Gator Hide over the decoupaged top was applied just to give it extra protection and sheen given that it will see a bit of use. Gator Hide is a durable strong topcoat that provides a water resistant barrier also. While you can apply Gator Hide with a brush or roller, I like to apply it with a sponge like the Dixie Belle blue sponge.

Adding Decorative Touches

Lastly, just to add a little flair I used Redesign With Prima Decor Wax in Eternal, which is gorgeous gold wax. It was applied around the edges of the decoupaged top. I just applied this with my fingertip carefully along the edge. For some reason, I can’t seem to avoid adding a little gold to everything!

And then I also added the gold wax with a small artist paint brush to the drawer pulls to brighten up their dull brassy color. I wanted them to match to gold on the edging. Décor waxes are a great way to freshen up hardware.

Summary – Silk Paint With Decoupage

Undoubtedly, this nightstand makeover with Hampton Olive Silk Paint and Decoupage was such a fun project! Nightstands are quick easy projects you can get done in 1 or 2 days depending on what products you use. If you have any questions about this project let me know.

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XOXO and Happy Painting,

Abbey