As you know every Thursday we feature a guest blogger’s DIY project, before and afters and room makeovers on the blog. This week we chatted with blogger and DIYer Christen Bensten of Blue Egg Brown Nest about her absolute favorite project, a gorgeous, very large armoire. Christen is a Stylish Patina fan and an avid chalk painter.

“I’ve done many projects for my own home and will do many more because I am always switching things up,” said Christen. With the ease of use and durability of chalk paint, Christen is able to take old pieces that look dated and refresh them for a whole new look. She is always on the hunt for that great piece of furniture that will fit functionally and beautifully in a room. Christen was searching for a large armoire with lots of beautiful detail when she came upon the piece we’ll be sharing with you today.

“I had been searching for one for a very long time when I finally found the perfect piece on Craigslist. I wanted a beautiful place to put my flatscreen and it had to have doors so I could tuck it away and not look at a big black screen all the time,” said Christen. Here is the armoire she found in its “raw” state, before she worked her magic on it.

Christen was smitten with the gorgeous details of this piece, and the size was just right for her bedroom. She began this project by deciding how to make this massive armoire fit into her existing style; a lovely blend of European Cottage style focused on neutral colors.

“My armoire is such a large piece that I didn’t want it to visually take up the entire room. If I painted it a dark color then it would be a bit of a black hole in the corner where all light would be sucked up! When you use a lighter color it blends into the walls, the carpet, the trim and the natural light coming through the windows. My amoire is the largest piece in my bedroom, but some days I don’t even notice it’s there,” said Christen.

Christen is a huge fan of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, and the color palette available through Annie Sloan’s paints were perfect for bringing this piece in harmony with her existing decor.

“Yes, chalk paint is rather expensive, but the benefits are worth it. I’ve used many other types of paint to refinish furniture and I always come back to ASCP. I have three small kids so the fact that I don’t have to prime & prep my pieces before painting them is a big relief to me,” said Christen.