Milk Painted Buffet

I have been upholstering like a mad woman.  When I stumbled across this buffet I just had to stop everything and paint it.  My business has changed so much over the past year and upholstery work is what occupies most of my days.  I really enjoy it and am so thankful I can make a living doing something I love but some days I just need to do something different.      

I knew just how I wanted to paint this piece the minute I saw it.  Milk Paint of course.  It is by far my favorite paint to use.  If you've been reading for awhile

you have probably heard that one million times now.  

The top of the buffet was in perfect condition. The sheen of the finish lent itself well to the rustic paint treatment I did on the base so I left it as it was.  

 

I used Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint in the color grain sack.  The look I was going for was a whitewashed, distressed finish with lots of depth.  To start I applied one coat of shellac to prevent bleed through.  Next I painted two coats of milk paint with bonding agent added.  Without the bonding agent there would have most likely been chipping due to the shellac sealing the old finish.  I did not want chipping.  When using a light color like this only applying two coats will not give you solid coverage.  Those who like a more clean crisp painted look would probably think it looks very bad at this point.  The next step, which is to sand with a medium grit sanding block, changes that. Just sand until it looks good.     

I sealed the paint with Maison Blanche's gray liming wax.  The consistency is very similar to Miss Mustard Seeds Wax and it's very easy to work with. The gray in the wax slightly changed the color of the paint but it's subtle. 

This project was a nice little break from my new norm and I really enjoyed painting it.  I have to give myself permission to drop everything once and awhile when inspiration strikes or else it feels too much like work.   Heaven forbid.  Trust me I don't do it every time inspiration strikes because that would be daily and I would never finish anything. ;)