Denim Inspired White Clad Furniture

White Clad furniture was really popular at one time- a throwback to the vintage ice box in a more simple time. I came across two of these and figured why not make one of them little more fun? (I haven’t decided what to do with the other one yet)

This page includes affiliate links. If you make a purchase using the link, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

Base

First step is taking off all the White Clad furniture badging and hardware, cleaning and scuff sanding, then wiping off any residue left behind. The base coat of Shabby Paints Baby Boo laid the groundwork for the whole piece.

Quick Tip: If you tape off the underside of the top with Frog Tape, it will keep the paint from going where it isn’t supposed to.

Then a quick thin coat of Marine Blue.

Don’t forget about the door!

Top

While waiting for all that to dry, I flipped it over and sanded the top a bit using 150 grit sandpaper. This step smoothed it out and took back some of the original color.

Then, I used a custom mix (hazelnut, black and sheer) of ReVAX to stain the top. I love this water-based product because it’s easy to use and dries quickly to a durable finish.

Distressing

I let everything really dry hard overnight. The next morning, flipping it back over and using 220 grit sandpaper dry to go over the whole thing VERY LIGHTLY gave it that distressed, “worn” appearance.

Pulling it all together

Now is when the fun really began. I custom mixed a color to come close to the stitching in most denim jeans (and yes, I did compare it to my own jeans multiple times to get it right).

Quick Tip: If you want to learn how to mix colors, the Magic Palette color Mixing Guide chart is SUPER helpful for a starting point)

I sketched out the pattern I wanted to follow LIGHTLY in colored pencil (you want it to be able to easily come off and not put grooves in the wood). In order to mimic stitching, I have this neat tool that is technically for clay sculpture.

Dipping the silicone shaper into the paint and following the guide, creates “pocket” stitching.

This is when it all starts to come together…. when it was all dry, I did a gentle rub with 400 grit sandpaper to knock down any high spots and smooth everything out just a bit.

I put the hardware mostly back on and propped in the door in to get a feel for how it was coming together and felt like it needed just a bit more.

A few more “stitches” for a belt and the iconic “tag”. (tag made with just a scrap of red fabric ironed to lay flat and carefully glued in place. You could use red ribbon as well).

Finished

This White Clad furniture side table is “iconic” denim inspired and ready for service. A lot like the little side table I did a few years ago….

Please Share and Pin this Post!

If you enjoyed this post, Pillar Box Blue has some other neat posts about Denim Inspiration you might enjoy: