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Faded Blue Jeans Painted Furniture Finish

This textured painting technique is something I have done many times before and it’s always one of my favorite looks. So when it came time to do a piece for my own home, it was an easy choice! Today I will show you how to use a cross-hatch painting technique to create a blue jeans painted furniture finish, reminiscent of old Denim.

This cabinet will go in our upstairs bonus room, which is the kids zone. It’s furnished with other pieces in gray and navy, so these colors will be right at home. The perfect relaxed look for a relaxed space.

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BEFORE - Faded Blue Jean Painted Cabinet Brushed by Brandy


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This piece didn’t look like much, but this style, with its clean lines and funky hardware, is one of my favorites.

I picked this up off my local Facebook marketplace, from the daughter of the original owner, who remembered this in her home growing up. The size of this piece, with doors and shelves inside, makes it perfect to hold media equipment in our upstairs bonus room. This one is staying with me!


For this one I used…

  1. TSP cleaner

  2. Rad pads sanding sponges

  3. Gripping primer

  4. Surf Prep Sander

  5. Paint Drop Cloth, Driftwood, Vintage Duck Egg, Stormy Seas, In the Navy, Midnight Sky

  6. Metallics in Silver Bullet and Steel Magnolia

  7. Black wax

  8. Gold gilding wax

  9. Flat clear coat

  10. Paint in Deep Sea

Primer tinted with black paint - prep work brushed by brandy

Prep Work

After a thorough cleaning with and scuff sanding with Rad Pads, I started with a base of a gripping primer, to help my paint adhere over this enamel finish. I lightly tinted my Slick Stick with a bit of Caviar paint to get it closer to my color scheme.

I also sanded the top with my Surf Prep Sander. Initially, I thought I’d do a wood-stained top but ended up not caring for it against these paint colors, and chose to paint it.

Cross-Hatch Painting Technique

This look uses a cross-hatching technique, overlapping multiple colors. I chose this finish because the texture and dimension are one of my favorite looks. Using the right tools for the job can make the process much smoother! Check out how to select the right brush for your furniture painting project HERE.

The ugly stage! Cross-hatch painting technique for blue jean texture Brushed by brandy

Warning, it has a far scarier ugly phase than most finishes. You have to ignore your fear and trust the process!

Cross Hatch Painting Technique - Faded Blue Jean Painted Furniture Finish

The key is to overlapping colors until the inconsistency becomes consistent…if that makes sense. There are A MILLION brush strokes, and your arm will feel it in the end.

Close up of denim texture paint finish on cabinet door

See that texture? Like woven linen… The perfect feel for my faded blue jeans painted finish!

Adding Details

Next up was some detailing in black wax and framing out the mouldings in gold Gilding Wax. These steps always add the most drama. See the door on the right without them?

adding black and gold wax details to the faded blue jean painted furniture finish

I used Silk All-in-One mineral paint in Deep Sea on the inside. Two coats covered it, and the built-in topcoat means I don’t need to seal the interior. Plus it’s ultra wipeable and will wear very well.

Here’s the final piece!

Finished faded blue jean painted cabinet with a solid blue interior

There’s something extra rewarding about a piece you make for your own home. It gave me all the excitement a customer usually feels of moving it into my own space and seeing it complete.

We will enjoy this one for a long time to come!

Catch the full Faded Blue Jeans painted furniture finish process on video Here

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Faded Blue Jean Painted Furniture Finish close up
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