Creating a Southwestern Boho Style Finish
We picked this dresser up from a Facebook marketplace seller. It was set that included a headboard, a dresser, a chest of drawers and a nightstand. I decided to split the set up to get more pieces out of it. The dresser and nightstand were painted in my Gulf Shores (A nice cool, blue and green color scheme) finish and shipped to New York. I decided to go the opposite direction with the chest of drawers and went with a warm color scale which is not my usual go to. I tend to gravitate toward the cooler color on the color wheel. But I had an idea in mind for this piece and wanted to see how it turned out. I wanted what I considered southwestern and boho style. A coral, brick red, orangey color…. with lots of texture. And I new exactly how I wanted to stage it.
I started by prepping my piece to get ready for the new finish. I sanded it down to scuff the surface to remove any slick topcoat from the factory finish. I knew I wanted to change the hardware on this piece so we used our go to wood filler, Pro Finisher Wood Filler, to fill the existing holes. Once sanded and ready, it was cleaned using TSP (trisodium phosphate) to remove any dust, debris and residue. Be sure and rinse until clean after cleaning with TSP.
Next, I primed the piece to ensure a good adhesion for my paint and prevent bleed through. I used Bin Zinnser Shellac as a primer.
I began the painting process by rolling on Wise Owl Chalk Synthesis Paint in Kashmir. Using the roller gave me a little texture for my first coat of paint.
My next colors I chose were Wise Owl Mandrina and Safron Thread in the chalk line. These were applied and then while the paint was still wet, I used a bunched up plastic shopping bag to blot the paint, creating more texture. Once dry, I dry brushed the 3 precious colors all over the piece.
I did a little shading around the outside and corners but mixing the Safron Thread and a color called Chipotle Paste by Behr. Because all good boho southwestern styles need a little turquoise… I added a little Mermaid Kiss (Wise Owl) with a putty knife to spread over my texture and give a little pop of color. The piece ended up showing some crackling when I was done. I’m not sure if it’s bc I painted on thick and didn’t allow enough dry time or if it was from the shellac but either way… it complimented my texture perfectly and became a beautiful mistake.
Here’s what it looked like all finished up.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this read. There’s a full video tutorial on this finish on our YouTube channel. Please be sure and like the video and SUBSCRIBE to our channel so we can continue to bring you great videos. Thanks so much!
Tyler and Vicente
Rehab 2 Fab Designs
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