In the early 80’s I loved three things…Jesus, Larry and primitive furniture. (Well, I loved a few more things, but those were tops.)

It was during the country craze and my friends were decorating their homes with hearts and teddy bears. Gingham and checks were favorite fabrics, and blue and white dishes and painted furniture were in style.  (Proof that all things come back around.)

During those days I discovered a love for old primitive furniture. I wanted the good stuff – not the crafty stuff the magazines were inundated with. I liked Windsor chairs, chippy furniture with 100-year-old paint, and dishes that I could mix and match.

In fact, our first purchase as a married couple was an old, two-board pine table with square nails. My guess is that it was made around 1860. I loved the idea that generations of families had shared a meal there.

It was during that time that I first learned about and tried using milk paint. Larry and his dad were building furniture and we wanted to see if we could get a 100-year-old look. I special ordered two bags (it came as dry powder in paper sacks that you mixed with milk or water) from a manufacturer in New England. There were no directions and in those days, no computer to search to find a tutorial on.

We liked the colors but we could never figure out how to mix it and get the patina we wanted on our wood pieces.  Discouraged, I never ordered more.

Fast forward thirty years. Miss Mustard Seed (who I swear could be a long lost daughter her décor style is so much like mine was) carries a line of milk paint that I’ve wanted to try.

A few weeks ago I bought two packages at a local vintage market and picked this little brown night stand as my experiment piece.

It has been sitting in my front entry for ten years. It works well there — a perfect fit for the small space. Recently however, when we updated the wallpaper, the little table just disappeared into the design. I still liked it…I just couldn’t see it. Until then I had not noticed how much it needed a makover.

So late one evening, I mixed two parts Boxwood (a grassy green) with one part Grain Sack (a grayed ivory) and started painting.

I didn’t clean or sand or do any prep. I probably should have but it was almost dark and I was in a hurry.  As I painted I wasn’t even sure I liked the color mix…a soft, vintage-toned grey green.

I did one coat and allowed it to dry overnight. I knew within minutes that I was going to like how it chipped. (Milk Paint adheres to and chips off each piece individually. If you don’t want chipping you need to add a bonding agent.) I applied a second coat the next morning and then used a piece of fine grade sandpaper to carefully sand the edges and any spots I thought needed additional wear.

I had planned on painting the drawer and adding a decorative pull. Then I discovered the original handle was pegged in and would have to be broken off to remove it. That didn’t seem right.

The table was handmade; it had old diamond-shaped nails, a crack on top, and a worn but warm patina. The more I looked at it the more I knew I needed leave it simple with no extra frou-frou. So I just finished it with a clear coat of wax.

This is how it looks against that new wallpaper.

I think it is perfect!

I haven’t styled it yet, but when I do, this is more what it will look like. (I grabbed these items from another display – I couldn’t stand it looking so bare.) 

Now I just need to decide what to paint next. (Probably that electrical socket!!! Remodel still in progress…)

I promise that I won’t wait 30 years to use milk paint again.