Luxurious Repurposed TV Armoire Makeover

Over the years televisions have gotten smarter, lighter, slimmer, and wider. But what do you do with the oversized entertainment center once the TV has been upgraded? Just because tube and small TVs are a thing of the past, doesn’t mean you have to put the TV cabinet in storage, send it off to the thrift shop, or toss it away!

In this tutorial, our resident decorative artist refinishes a stately Neoclassical styled TV armoire. The repurposed TV armoire will be converted into a clothing armoire, with a luxurious painted finish. The makeover features elegantly gilded details and a softly antiqued Scumble glaze. Follow along with Jim as he gives this piece an absolutely stunning makeover.

Supply List

STEP ONE

Surface Preparation

Remove handles and knobs. Before applying paint, always make sure surfaces are free of cleaner residue, grease, dust, dirt, and debris. Our piece only needed a light cleaning and dusting to get started.

STEP TWO

Apply Paint

Using a quality paint brush like our Artisan Enhancements Flat or Micro Brush apply your first coat of paint.

When creating an antiqued or old world inspired finish, Jim prefers a brush over a rolled or sprayed application. Using a brush to apply the paint gives the piece more character and an authentic “hand-painted” finish. If your piece has large panels, a combination of rolling and brushing can be used. Apply the paint to the large panel areas with a roller, then go back over with a brush to add dimension and unify the finish.

Once the first coat of paint is dry. Apply a second coat. Be sure to allow the first coat of paint to completely dry before applying the second coat.

STEP THREE

Apply Leaf & Foil Size

Our piece has lovely elements that are perfect for metallic embellishments! To highlight these areas, apply Leaf and Foil Size to architectural details and carvings. Apply the Leaf and Foil Size using smaller art brushes for a more precise application to specific areas. To create a time-worn and imperfect gilded finish, Jim applied the Leaf and Foil Size directly over the white paint.

Allow the Leaf and Foil Size to completely dry and become tacky before applying metallic foil.

STEP FOUR

Apply Foil

Apply the metallic foil (shiny side up) to the tacky Leaf and Foil Size. Using a soft cloth and a light touch pressure, rub the foil into the details and carvings. Gently peel back the clear plastic film of the foil, revealing the metallic coating transferred to the surface.

To learn more about Foil Applications check out blog post How to use Leaf and Foil Size – Basic Application.

STEP FIVE

Seal Foil Details

To protect the metallic finish, Leaf & Foil Size and metallic foil details need to be sealed before applying additional layers or before use. On this project, we applied another layer of paint and developed a bit of distressing over the foil. We chose to seal our Metallic foil with Clear Topcoat Sealer Matte.

Typically, Clear Topcoat Sealer is not recommended over white painted surfaces because it’s an oil-based sealer that can sometimes appear off-white/cream over pure white painted surfaces. Since we’re only applying a very thin coat on very controlled areas and the end result of our piece was to be antiqued, we decided to use Clear Topcoat Sealer because it’s more durable, harder, and protective.

Using a smaller brush apply one thin coat of Clear Topcoat Sealer on the areas with Gold foil. Be careful not to use too much product and watch for pooling and drips. Only a thin coat is needed to protect the metallic foil.

Allow the Clear Topcoat Sealer to dry a minimum overnight (ideally 24 hours for the best results) before applying additional layers.

STEP SIX

Paint over Foil Details

To create a more cohesive worn and softer metallic finish, Jim painted over the metallic details with more white paint. Once the paint was dry to the touch, using a damp cloth, Jim lightly distressed the paint back to reveal the metallic finish below.

STEP SEVEN

Apply an Antiquing Scumble Glaze

To further age and antique the repurposed TV Armoire, Jim applied a tinted Scumble Glaze to the entire piece.

To learn more about developing and applying tinted Scumble Glazes visit our blog post, The Basics – Getting Started with Scumble Glaze.

STEP EIGHT

Seal

To protect the beautifully painted, gilded, and antiqued finish – We recommend sealing the project with either Clear Finish Matte or Clear Topcoat Sealer Matte.

Thanks for following along <3

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