We just remodeled our living room to include a wall full of built-in shelving, and these boxes, with
their oooh-so-pretty shiny lacquer and gold accessorizing were exactly what I wanted to add the much-needed pop of color to my new, very white shelves. But alas, at $59.95 for the pair, I knew it was not to be...
Month after month I drooled over these boxes (which come in many bright colors), wracking my brain about how they could possibly recreated at home. I thought, I googled, I pinterested, but no DIY solutions presented themselves. Finally, I threw in the towel and resigned myself to life without them.
Then, one day, one amazing day, my bff came to town and agreed to take a journey with me out to this area's thrifting mecca, also known as the Blue Mountain Thrift Store. We were having a fun little shopping spree, when suddenly, I stumbled upon...
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| THIS! |
As soon as I saw it, I grabbed it off the shelf as if it were a doorbuster in a Black Friday sale. My friend saw and exclaimed "Cool, a knockoff Tory Burch box." But I knew what it was. I had seen this box before, only shinier and prettier! My mind raced. How old was this box?!? Where did it come from!??! How could I make it look like Z Gallerie's version??! Would spray paint work on such a shiny surface?!?! Would the hardware be easily removed?!?! What would I do about the chip on the corner of the lid?!?! I wasn't sure of any of the answers, but for $3.95, I told myself it wouldn't be a costly mistake if it ended badly, and so I bought the box and dove head first into the DIY Unknown. If you've been there, you know this is actually much more terrifying than it sounds.
As soon as I got home, I went to work on it. First, I
Then, I went to my spray paint shelf for some inspiration. I settled upon these pretty ladies:
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| Amazon Affiliate Links HERE: Krylon Coral Isle Spray Paint & Rust-Oleum Bright Coat Metallic Gold Spray Paint |
The accent colors in my living room are navy, coral and metallic gold, so choosing the right colors wasn't hard. I had just purchased the Krylon Coral Isle for another project that never ended up happening, and I was happy to find a new use for it. As for the Rust-oleum Bright Coat Metallic Finish in Gold, this is my go-to metallic spray paint. I've used it in every color, and it never fails to disappoint. There is absolutely NO flatness about it, whatever I spray it on comes out looking like a shiny piece of jewelry every time!
After I removed the hardware from the box, I gave every two coats of spray paint, let them dry overnight, and then painted on two coats of high gloss polyurethane for protection and extra shininess. Finally, I put the hardware back on the box. I don't have any pictures of these steps because I
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| Ta-daaaa! Yes, the corner chip on the lid is still there. As Harry Dunn would say, thanks for noticin'! |
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| Shiny, bright, pretty and happy! Never a bad combination. |
It may not be a true Z Gallerie Ming Box, but it is exactly what I was hoping for and it looks awesome on my new built-in shelves. It adds a bright and cheerful pop of color to my living room that is 100% unique.
The best part about it though? Every time I look at it I have the satisfaction of knowing that I spent just $4 instead of $60 to get it!
The lessons learned from this: Never be afraid to jump into a murky DIY pond. The end results can be so worth it!
Also, always keep your eyes open at thrift stores.
But you knew that.
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