Endless possibilities....

If you've ever read any of my previous blogs, you know I am constantly saying "the possibilities are endless" and every time I start a new piece, I am reminded of this and try to push myself a bit further.  This small, antique chest of drawers was brought to me for some custom refurbishing. The customer needed it to match a white daybed with yellow, green and brown accents (flowers). It is very hard to tell in this picture, but the drawers on this chest have flowers etched into the trim, so I thought this piece was perfect for her room.  The only problem was it came to me a REALLY nasty greenish/brownish "not really sure what in the world" color!

I first began by sanding it lightly. It is solid wood, but the varnish was very slick and I wanted to bring out some of its natural flaws.Step 2, I wanted to incorporate all the accent colors in the "matching" bed,  yet I did not want to apply four coats of paint!  So I took acrylic paint (yes, acrylic paint...you could also use latex, chalk paint etc.) and applied brush strokes of a light yellow, mint green, moss green, and doeskin (a light tan).  I put a dab of each color onto a paper plate, took a foam brush and just applied in random strokes throughout the dresser, at times mixing the colors and blending them into one another. I applied heaviest to the corners and edges I knew I would want to distress and really have these colors "pop." Below is the result of step 2:

Step 3, was allowing the paint to dry (acrylic paint dries VERY quickly), and then I applied my first coat of white milk paint. I let that dry overnight, and I applied a second coat the next morning. Once that dried, I took a 220 sanding block and just began sanding.  I finished the piece in two coats of gloss polyurethane per the customer's request. Tip: In any place you want the acrylic paint colors to show, sand lightly. Where you want a true wear and the natural wood to pop through, sand with a heavier hand.  You need a good mix of both!  Again, I always use the liquid milk paint...I don't like mixing it as it never gets clump free for me!  Here is the finished side of the dresser:

I am so in love with the chipiness and I am super happy with how it finished out. The customer absolutely loved it! Love when an idea works out and I don't have to start over :) Happy Painting!

Seeing Red!

 With the birth of our son, my DIY projects have centered around his room and some western flare. I realize most people do these things BEFORE the baby comes, but for those who know our history, know I never let my self truly believe in the small miracles until they are here safely.  Almost like I am afraid I will jinx it or something...I guess that just comes after such a devastating loss. Anyway, so I am now focused on little man's room and wanted to share a few projects I have been working on. 

First, here is a little wall decor.

This is actually a piece of barn wood from one of our family barns. It was honestly pretty perfect as it was...weathered, worn, etc.  I took some sand paper and sanded the edges just in case some little hands were to grab it (no splinters for us!) and then just took some red milk paint and dry brushed it over the wood.  Seriously as easy as that. The stars were made from heavy metal, so I used liquid nail to attach them to the wood (I was afraid hot glue would not have been strong enough).  I let that dry overnight, attached hanging hooks to the back, and TA DA! Done!

My second project has been this antique dresser.

I really thought it would be perfect for his room, however, after completing the project, we moved it into his room, started adding the clothes, and figured out it was not NEAR big enough...so, it will now go to one of  my booths...a little disappointed, but love it all the same! This antique dresser was well worn in that it had the perfect amount of knicks, wear, and yet still had beautiful lines and stain color.   I simply covered it in light coats of milk paint, distressed it lightly (I wanted that dark stain to show through, not as much of the natural wood), and then applied dark wax over the entire piece. I applied the dark wax pretty heavy over the corners of the drawers as that is where there was the most wear and I wanted to really draw that out and make it a focal point.  I had ordered western knobs to match his room, but I decided to save those bad boys for which ever piece we end up using in there and the original knobs on this piece were still gorgeous and fit the piece perfectly, so back on they went! I did add a little bit of antiquing gel to them just to deepen their color.

Here is an up-close of the dresser's leg...this is why I love milk paint so...love its "chippiness" and it just adds so much character!

So blessed to have the opportunity to create this space for such a wonderful little boy and I love getting to share it with all of you! Many blessings!

Vintage Milk Paint Dresser...our "new" western beauty

People ask me all the time "So is your house full of your vintage items?"  The answer may be surprising...but, no, it actually is not. My husband is very "Western" like in the cowboy sense...or at least he used to be when we built our home, so most of our decor is  natural woods, lots of earth tones, etc. Now don't get me wrong, my girls' room is vintaged out in white and turquoise, vintage dresser,  and so on, as well as I have little things here and there such as vintage books, antique kitchen decor, and a vintage distressed dresser that serves as an entry table. I refurbish so much for "work" that I am just  too tired to do my own furniture :)  Great problem to have, so I am thankful for this "problem"!

I am getting better about keeping pieces I fall in love with though, or knowing the instant I find a piece if it is going to be a keeper.  For example, this desk below was just what I was looking for and from the moment I saw it, I knew I was going to love "her" for quite some time! I really wanted to have "my own" space in our bedroom where I could craft, blog, or just work in general.  However, our bedroom has kind of an odd shape with funny nooks here and there due to our large furniture inside this odd layout.  So, the desk had to be small, yet functional. Enter this beauty:

I apologize I did not get a "before" picture, however I am still trying to get into this blog groove! This desk had a beautiful shape, a beautiful "natural" wood shinning through its chipping stain, and the coolest part?? It is collapsible!! Yes, collapsible! The top can fold down and the sides can fold in for "flat" storage. It is so amazing because this thing is OLD and is all done with these really cool vintage hinges.  Since it was already such a beauty in it's rough state, I really did not want to cover her in paint, plus I needed some natural wood-like finish for it to match our current decor.  Here is the process I used from start to finish.

This piece had a lacquered finish, with some minor peeling, so I sanded the entire piece with an electric sander. I sanded it as lightly as I could with the electric sander, as I wanted some of the natural wood and wear to be seen.   It was in really good shape, so I did not have to do any filler, gluing, etc (Hallelujah!!!)   I then took Antique White Milk paint and painted the legs and body ONLY.   This piece was so chippy on its own that the milk paint just stuck to it perfectly and after one coat, I knew I had made the right choice.  I let that dry and then applied a second coat of milk paint. This piece had such a desirable distressed look to it that I did not have to put the milk paint on perfectly. I even used a brush and let my brush strokes show.  I then let the paint dry over night just because I was exhausted...I know, not very professional, but midnight at night months pregnant seems more like an all nighter!!!  The next morning, I took 220 grit sand paper and went over the entire body and legs, really focusing on the most distressed areas.  I then took tinted brown wax and waxed the ENTIRE piece...I did the and drawers to bring out that natural darker stain of the wood. I wanted the natural wood parts to really show its age and enhance it's beauty...also to seal and protect it.  I then applied  the wax over the milk paint, really focusing on bringing out the more distressed areas.  The most  fabulous part of wax is that it really lays into the texture of the paint and draws out the areas that have been distressed, making it look so natural. Really rub it in and work it over your entire piece thoroughly.  To finish the piece out, I let the wax sit for 2-3 hours and then I buffed it down with a clean, lint free rag.  TA-DA...it really was easy and I am hoping you can see her beauty in the  picture below (yes, it is crooked and the light is not the most desirable, but hopefully you can still see its form and finish)!!!

This beauty is exactly what I wanted and it fits perfectly in our space.  I know I should probably sell it since that is what I do, but I love her and am already attached :) 

Happy Painting and I hope you find your own beauty in all that you do!

The Great Milk Paint Experience...

Well, I tried it! After reading so much about milk paint and how it finishes out so nice, I HAD to give it a go. I bought a package of white milk paint from WoodCraft (on May) in OKC. I will say that next time, I will probably order online from Homestead as WoodCraft was almost too much of a "man's man" place and they kept telling me I wanted something else...an almost $20 MORE something else. Other than that, I was excited to get started. So, here is the process I used from start to finish.

Step 1: Prepping your piece
Milk Paint will adhere to porous surfaces without sanding or priming, however, for less porous surfaces, experts recommend you use a milk paint bonding agent. You can normally buy this where ever you buy milk paint.

My step 1 was priming the piece I was painting. This table was a nasty, nasty Texas burnt orange color...and you know how us Oakies feel about Texas orange...so I primed it with a coat of Killz first to ensure that color did not come through. I did not invest in a bonding agent since the table I was working on was so scuffed up and I really wanted to keep that look, versus sanding it out and making it smooth.

Step 2: Mixing the Milk Paint
This was the un-fun part. Milk Paint comes in two varieties (or two that I know of): liquid or powder form. I chose to use the powder form for no other reason other than it was less expensive and I wanted to make sure I liked it before making a larger investment. With the powder milk paint, you mix equal parts of the powder with water. I knew I was going to use the full amount, so I mixed 1.5 cups (the entire package of powder) with 1.5 cups of water. You can mix this in any amount, in any container. I chose to use an old mason jar incase I didn't get to use it all at one time, it would be inside an air-tight container.



Now, here is the biggest down fall I found with this Milk Paint...it was HARD, and I mean HARD in all capitals and a few exclamation points (and a few unlady like words I must admit), to mix. A paint stick was not cutting it, a spoon did not cut it, so finally I robbed my utensil drawer of a whisk and went to town inside that mason jar. It honestly took a lot of whisking, but I did finally get it to a desirable consistency...or so I thought.

Step 3: Applying the milk paint
Milk paint can be applied with a brush, roller, or sprayer. Most professionals recommend using a sprayer to apply milk paint as it gives it the smoothest finish. Since I was just trying it out on one piece, I did not want to mess with the sprayer. I first tried brushing it on, really just playing with it to get a feel for its texture, etc. It is very thin and milky...so it showed every brush stroke and I quickly put the brush away. Next I tried the foam roller and this did give better coverage, however, after 2 coats, I could still see through the milk paint to the dark wood underneath. I also noticed as I rolled, that the paint was still clumpy. I mixed and mixed this paint, but it was still showing little clumps randomly. That was a little frustrating, but not a deal breaker.

Step 4: Top Coat
After 3 coats of milk paint, I just did not like how the dark wood was appearing, almost streaky, from underneath the paint. So I do what all us DIYers do, I decided to experiment and prayed for the best! :) I took 1/2 cup of CeCe Caldwell's Santa Fe turquoise paint and added it to 1/2 cup of the milk paint. I honestly have no idea if this is "ok" or if it is a little unknown "no-no" but I did it and I love how it turned out!! I applied one, thin, top coat of this. I let it cure about 6 hours (it did not take that long to dry, I just began working on other projects). You can see how thin the top coat is...now this is actually shown after I distressed it, but hopefully you can make out how light the turquoise is.



Step 5: Finishing
To finish out this piece, I took a 220 grit sanding block and really distressed the turquoise out. I was a bit more careful around the outsides of the dark wood spots...with milk paint, known for its ease and classic distressed look, I wanted each spot to look as though it was slowly worn off over time, pulling away from the worn spots. An example is shown below:



Once I was happy with the distressing, I applied my usual dark wax mix (CeCe Caldwell's clear wax tinted with Hershey brown) over the piece. I did NOT apply the clear wax by itself before or after this...mainly because it was such a small piece, and because I am comfortable with the dark wax (so not worried as to use too much or about streaking it).
Here is the finished product:



Overall, I am very happy with how the project turned out. I really wanted to do the whole piece in milk paint, but sometimes you just have to go with it and be creative as you go! As for milk paint, I am glad I tried it and I do have a dresser that I am ready to tackle next...but this time I am ordering my milk paint from Homestead, mainly because they have MANY, MANY more colors to choose from and because I am hoping their milk paint is easier to mix. Please leave any suggestions you have for milk paint!!! I would love to read about your experiences with it. Also, be on the look out for Ms. Mustard Seed's new line of milk paint...she is the queen of everything paint, and I am confident anything with her name on it will be great!