Milk Paint Makeover

9 Materials
$50
6 Hours
Easy

Adorable vintage library table madeover with milkpaint for a famhouse vibe complete with chippy goodness.

Isn't it cute? We just fell in love with this marketplace find and though it had scratches, and chipping veneer and it at one point had a damaged leg that had been repaired, we thought it would be a great candidate for a milk paint makeover! First, we cleaned it up using Krud Kutter, then used a little wood filler to go level the chipped veneer area, sanded smooth then gave the entire piece a light sanding using 220 grit sandpaper. After removing the dust with a tack cloth, it was time to prime. Since we were going for a chippy look, we needed a clear primer so shellac was the perfect choice. Two quick sprays of Shellac later and a light sanding we were ready to mix up some milk paint.

The key to using powdered milk paint is measuring and mixing adequately. We added equal parts powder to water and mixed until there were no clumps and the consistency was smooth. Then, we let it rest for ten minutes.

Right before painting we mixed again to make sure there were no pieces that had hardened and then got to work. We used one of our favorites, the Zibra Palm Pro to apply the milk paint.

The first layer is not going to give complete coverage - don't be alarmed it is supposed to look this way. This is the base layer, and when the next layer goes on the coverage will substantially improve.

We waited two hours, lightly scuff sanded with a 400 grit pad and then used a tack cloth to remove any dust. The next layer is where you can really get a feel for how the paint is going to look. The second coat was applied the same way as the first, but you can see how much fuller the coverage is now that it is building on the base layer.

Next, we moved on to the top. Since we had to use some wood filler we had to mimic the look of dark wood underneath, so we used a chocolate color acrylic paint and a sponge applicator for a nice smooth coating.

After applying two coats, we applied the white milk paint right over it knowing that now when we go to sand it back, the dark chocolate color would show, matching the rest of the body. For this coat we used a round Zibra brush.

Lightly sanding on top and a heavier sanding on the body gave us the chippy and distressed look we wanted! To finish up, we sealed using a matte top coat, three coats and sanding in between each one.

All done with a cute farmhouse look!

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