Vintage Bernhardt china cabinet, especially the chinoiserie version, is the most over-the-top, kind of Hollywood Regency style of china cabinet you will find.
I have painted several over the course of my painting career. These vintage beauties start out as dated orange-brown with loads of custom brass details.
Unfortunately, the brown doesn’t do them any justice. After several coats of glossy lacquer, they transform into these dazzling, glamorous pieces of storage.
The custom brass accouterments just pop and look like pieces of jewelry once the cabinet is painted.
I love it when functional storage looks like a work of art. China cabinets are the best examples of eye-catching, functional storage. I love them, and I have painted several of them for this reason.
This chinoiserie Bernhardt china cabinet, though, takes the art/glam factor to another level.
Bernhardt China Cabinet In Aqua Blue
The color is a very close match to Tiffany and Company’s famous blue, and needless to say, it is beautiful!
This was a recent project headed to The Big Apple. This is a two-piece version of the darker green version you will see below. A china cabinet coming apart in two pieces is a gift for tight NYC elevators.
This client initially wanted wallpaper on the back, but I talked her out of it. It already has a lot going on, and paper would’ve been a distraction to the overall look.
Bernhardt China Cabinet In Amazon Moss
This was actually the third one I painted. I painted the same color for two different clients. Sometimes, customers fall in love with the entire look and just copy it. Why reinvent the wheel?
The color is Amazon Moss by Benjamin Moore & it’s a luscious, vibrant green.
We added a custom metal base to this one because the client wanted it to be taller. These custom bases are not terribly expensive from a mom-and-pop metal shop. They range between $200- and $500 for us.
It’s well worth it, though, because the added height makes it look lighter, as in less bulky.
Bernhardt China Cabinet In Lime Green
This one was my very first Bernhardt china cabinet & also a project that landed on the cover of a local magazine.
This client, too, chose to add the custom metal base, actually, she was the first one to ask for it, and others copied it.
The customer wanted to leave the mirrored back as is, and I was quite uncertain about that idea. Mirrored backs mirrored walls are very much an 80’s relic decor trend.
I tried to talk her out of it, but she was certain about it. I have to admit, I actually love it, especially in that Hollywood Regency dining room.
The mirror actually makes it look lighter and adds depth. It actually does look really nice. It was nice enough that it landed a magazine cover.
Final Thoughts
Bernhardt china cabinets, in the chinoiserie style, with loads of ornate brass brackets, are a great candidate for an extreme makeover. The brass just pops against the color. It becomes the focal point in the room.