I checked a fun little project off my list this week. It’s been awhile since I picked up these two antique footstools. I found them in different shops and was so happy that they fit stacked together. These two were old and although I love the character of aged wood, the different stains on this pair didn’t look very attractive. I figured this was the perfect project for some milk paint.
I’ve been asked quite a bit about which furniture paint I prefer and truthfully I’ve used a lot of different brands and products. My answer really is based on what piece I’m working on and what look I’m going for.
For this project I chose to use Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint in the color Grainsack. This shade is a very soft creamy grey and reminds me of the color you would find on an old Gustavian antique piece. I didn’t want complete coverage, but more of a weathered aged feel to keep the character of the old wood. Milk paint works perfectly for this purpose.
It took just two coats of paint to get the coverage I wanted. Normally I would do three coats to get complete coverage, but for this project I wanted the paint to look like it was on the piece originally and had aged over time. So after a couple of light coats had dried, I grabbed some 220 grit sandpaper and did a bit of distressing.
One thing I really like about Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk paint is that because it’s a pigmented powder that you mix with water, there are nuances to the color that seem to add depth and character. In fact, that’s why I like to mix up as much as I’ll need to finish the project before I begin. Each batch you mix, even from the same bag of paint, can vary slightly. With this particular color sometimes more of the creamy tones appear, sometimes more of the blue/grey.
After a light sanding, especially over the edges and little imperfections in the wood, the stools not only match, but have retained all that old charm. I finished them off with one of my favorite products from Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint line – Lavender Furniture Wax. It’s buttery soft and smells pretty too!
I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have about my honest experience with any of the milk paint products I used in this project.
I was also able to add a few pretty pieces to the online shop this week. https://www.etsy.com/shop/AnticaMarket
Thanks for stopping by!
Fondly, Michelle
Recently I had a milk paint demo and a lovely gal, Wendy Aaltomaa (from Kaministiqua), attended. Wendy bought some paint that evening and was anxious to go home and start painting some projects.