Retro Swan

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Retro Swan

Thoughtfully refinished jewelry boxes and other home decor, one found treasure at a time. https://retroswan.etsy.com Hello! Many of them are for sale.

My name is Rachel D'Oro and I live in Anchorage, Alaska. This is a page devoted to my painting hobby. My passion is giving new life to vintage tables and mirrors and all other kinds of furniture and home decor. My rescued ducklings are transformed with much love and Annie Sloan chalk paint, waxes and other lustrous embellishments. To me every piece becomes a beautiful swan.

01/05/2026

This extra large jewelry box celebrates birds and blues of a turquoise kind. The vintage wood box was painted in a custom blend of Annie Sloan chalk paints — duck egg blue, giverny and old white. Everything was sealed with clear wax, followed with gray wax for a little aging and drama. The flying birds were stenciled with gold gilding wax on the sides and back of the box. On the front of the door, I decoupaged a bird scene printed on rice paper. Before sealing the image, I brushed a bit of the custom paint on the bird and along the top and bottom to tie everything together. I then decoupaged bright artisan paper on the back of the door, as well as interior walls. The original hardware was replaced with some cool vintage k***s freshened up with the gold wax, which was also used to highlight edges and grooves of the box. New lining in cream velvet flocking material.

https://retroswan.etsy.com/listing/4497611181

14/02/2026

This necklace-friendly jewelry box has been dolled up with flowers, stencils, new hardware and new interior lining, all framed within a luscious dark green. The box was painted in base coats of Annie Sloan’s Amsterdam green chalk paint, followed with stenciling in a lightened version of the same paint. Everything sealed with clear wax. The floral images were printed on rice paper and decoupaged on the front and back of the doors and on the interior walls. I covered the new hardware with silver leaf, then finished the drawer pulls with a touch of black wax. New lining in peachy pink velvet flocking material.

https://retroswan.etsy.com/listing/4457812447

26/11/2025

This huge jewelry box got the works to become a year-round reminder of luxurious spring, with its burst of decoupaged flowers framed with lots of blush pink. The wood box was first painted in a soft beige foundation, followed with coats of Annie Sloan’s Antoinette chalk paint. The floral stenciling was done with Dixie Belle’s tea rose chalk paint on the lid, back and interior sides. Everything was sealed with clear finishing wax. Decoupaged the floral rice paper on the drawer fronts, sides and the interior of the lid. Gold gilding wax applied to top and bottom edges, as well as the original hardware and the box’s ball feet. Gray wax applied on some edges and grooves for dramatic effect. The edges of the box were lightly distressed. All new lining in burgundy velvet flocking material.

https://retroswan.etsy.com/listing/4412071445

30/09/2025

A flower-loving dragon in the moonlight? Yes, please. The simple lines of this large jewelry box made a perfect canvas to decoupage this sweet rice-paper dragon, hatched with the help of AI and image-editing apps. I also used a variety of pink pencils to color in the single flower. 🌸 The box itself was painted in base coats of Annie Sloan’s Athenian black chalk paint, followed by some dragon stenciling in Annie Sloan’s Giverney blue chalk paint. Also painted the black parts of the drawer fronts Athenian black. Everything was sealed in clear wax. On the door fronts and interior walls, I decoupaged starry black artisan paper, after first adding little explosions of Giverney and Dixie Belle’s peony pink. To tie it all together, I stenciled on silver gilding wax to create a starry night along the front, sides and back. Also stenciled the silver stars on the drawer sides. I like how the original drawer pulls fit so well with the starry vibe. All new lining in bright pink.

https://retroswan.etsy.com/listing/4378502264

27/08/2025

A little goth, a little grandeur. This musical jewelry box instantly screamed purple to me, so I had no choice but to obey. The wood box was painted in a custom chalk-paint mix of Dixie Belle’s amethyst and Annie Sloan’s old white. A lighter mix of the same color was then blended in throughout, along with a touch of full-strength amethyst in places. Then came some muted stenciling with the darker amethyst/old white mix. Everything was sealed with clear wax, followed with some light dabs of gold gilding wax over the stenciling. The gold wax also was used on the inner door frames and the door and drawer pulls. Various images, including a statuesque angel, were printed onto rice paper and decoupaged on the door fronts and backs, and the interior walls. In the space behind the shorter door, I also added new necklace hooks to give purpose to what had been wasted space above the ring rolls. New lining in cream colored velvet flocking material. The musical box plays “You Light Up My Life.”

https://retroswan.etsy.com/listing/4359067888

17/06/2025

This jewelry box felt the need to be a soothing sage green with soft pink flowers peeking out. So that’s what she became. The large, six-drawer box was painted in Annie Sloan’s chalk paint in calming coolabah green. Stenciling was then done with a lightened version of coolabah green. Everything sealed in clear wax, followed with a light touch of gray wax in crevices and edges. On the interior of the doors, I decoupaged a rice-paper floral design. For a little shimmer on the exterior, I mixed gold and silver gilding waxes together to get a luminous champagne for edges, doors and the hardware. New lining in pink velvet flocking material.

https://retroswan.etsy.com/listing/4322219196

20/05/2025

Soft romantic pinks and plums were the only colors I see could for this necklace armoire, with its curved door, and glass etched with diamonds. The wood jewelry box was painted in base coats of Dixie Belle chalk paint in tea rose, followed by a good dose of dry brushing over that with Annie Sloan’s chalk paint in Antoinette, to give the box a cloudy glow. Back to the tea rose for stenciling all over the exterior. Everything sealed with clear wax, with dark wax applied along grooves and edges. Gold gilding wax applied on edges and the new door pull. The interior walls were decoupaged with decorative rice paper. New lining in plum velvet flocking material.

https://retroswan.etsy.com/listing/4308336935

13/03/2025

This jewelry box is a salute to eternal springtime, all dressed up in grass green with pink and orange flowers peeking out. The vintage wood box was painted in Annie Sloan chalk paint in a new shade, capability green. Stenciling was done in ASCP’s Athenian black. Everything sealed with clear wax, with black wax in grooves and edges for dramatic effect. The floral designs were printed on rice paper and decoupaged on the front and back panels of the doors, as well as the interior walls. New hardware on doors. Gold gilding wax on edges and hardware. All new lining in hot pink velvet flocking material.

https://retroswan.etsy.com/listing/1887860549

30/01/2025

This jewelry box is a cool soft neutral on the outside and a turquoise coquette on the inside peeking out. The large box was painted in coats of Annie Sloan’s chalk paint in country grey, a tannish beige. The subtle stenciling throughout was done in a lightened version of the paint. Everything sealed with clear finishing wax, with dark wax added to grooves and edges. Lightly distressed for a little aging effect. Gold gilding wax on the hardware. All new lining in turquoise velvet flocking material.

https://retroswan.etsy.com/listing/1852453852

18/01/2025

This big jewelry box just wanted to sing the blues. So the blues she got. Painted in base coats of Annie Sloan’s chalk paint in the fabulous new color, Frida blue. With a third coat, I blended the blue with a bit of old white on much of the box for dramatic effect. Then it was back to the Frida blue for stenciling roses on the lightened doors and back. Everything sealed with clear finishing wax, followed with black wax in crevices and edges. Gold gilding wax applied on some edges as well door and drawer pulls. I also decoupaged artisan paper on the interior walls of the doors after first painting the walls white. All new interior lining in cream-colored velvet flocking material.

https://retroswan.etsy.com/listing/1846798672

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