Happy Monday!! I hope you had a great weekend!
We had a fun BBQ over at a friend’s house Friday night. Saturday, we took the pups to get groomed, and then we had a wedding to attend that evening. Thank goodness it wasn’t an outdoor wedding because it was in the triple digits here. Sunday was full of cleaning and painting.
I was feeling a little blue on Sunday as it was the one year anniversary of the wreck that lead to my aunt’s death. There have been so many times over this last year where I almost picked up the phone to call her. She was a big supporter of my website and furniture business, and everytime I hit a new milestone or have a great opportunity offered to me, I wish I could let her know. Losing a loved one truly makes you appreciate every moment you left have with family and friends.
This Thursday, I am part of a furniture tour … and do you know what? I haven’t even started my project.
Here’s why…
The dresser I’m showing you today was basically from hell.
My client wanted the drawers stained and the shell very chippy. I sanded down the drawers and stained them with Minwax stain in Dark Walnut and loved the results.
The shell was another story.
Here is the before:
Since she wanted it chippy, I stepped out of my box and used milkpaint. Milkpaint makes me nervous.
With milkpaint, you never know what you are going to get. Sometimes, it gives you that perfect vintage chippy look, other times it doesn’t chip at all, and sometimes it chips way too much … which is what I got.
After I applied my two layers of milkpaint it looked fine. I could see a bit of chippy goodness starting, so I shut the door and waited for it to dry.
Two hours later I came in and 75% of the paint was either bubbled up or laying on the floor.
That was a problem since: A.) I was out of paint, and the only place that sells it here in town was closed; and B.) I was already way past my deadline for the client.
So on to Plan B.
Well, actually I didn’t really have a Plan B, so I decided to paint over the milkpaint with my Plaster Paint in Sweet Cream.
After a coat of the plaster paint, you could see pink (from the original stain I suppose) bleeding through the paint. What the heck!?!?
UGH!
So I ran down to Lowes and got some shellac. That’s what I always use on pieces that bleed through. I used a coat of that and let it dry, then painted on another coat.
The Shellac helped, but not enough, so on to coat three of the shellac. All in all, I ended-up with four coats of the shellac. I have never had a piece require that much.
Then after I paint on the last coat of Plaster Paint, the milkpaint was still chipping off in places which gave it that perfect look I was wanting in the first place.
I then distressed the shell and knobs and coated it in clear wax. I actually love the way it turned out.
It may not have gone smoothly or the route I had planned but as long as the end result was good I am a happy girl. Hopefully my client likes it just as much as I do!
Love this!!!!
I really like how it turned out, but why do you suppose so much of the paint came off, and why did it require so much shellac?? I have a dresser that was in my mothers family and dates back to the 1800s one drawer opens down and you pull out the drawer and that becomes a desk. I’ve been considering painting it kind of how you did that dresser. If I send you a couple photos, would you give me your opinion please? Thanks!!
Thanks Annette! Sometimes it’s just the type of wood, and sometimes it’s that the piece has gotten wet and sometimes it’s because it wasn’t sealed properly. I have never had one that has required this many coats of shellac though. Feel free to send me a picture! shanna768@gmail.com
Very pretty! Those kind of pieces are torture on a person! Thankfully most pieces don’t put us through that….it’s lovely now!
Thank you Jennifer!
Love the natural finish on the front. Great makeover.
Thank you Marty!
Turned out lovely! The pieces that cause the most trouble seem to turn out to be the favs. Great work!!
Thanks my friend!
I love two toned furniture and this is so pretty! Great job!
It looks great! Thank you for sharing this post. It’s good to know that projects don’t always go right for seasoned painters/DIYers and there’s always a plan B, somewhere! Thanks!
Sorry that you had so much trouble, but the end result is beautiful! Great job!
Thank you Stephanie!
Beautiful makeover, Shanna! I hate when a piece gives me fits. I haven’t had the best luck with milk paint either, but the end result of your piece is gorgeous! XO
I love how it turned out even though it was a long process for you. It’s beautiful!!
Love, Love, LOVE the two tone effect and this dresser turned out just gorgeous! I’m also loving the fact that you finished it up with Sweet Cream! xoxo
I wouldn’t even know where to begin with milk paint. Thank goodness you had a plan B because it turned out amazing!!
It’s beautiful 🙂 Happy accidents are my favorite.
Mine too Patra! Thank you!
I love this! I have a dresser that started out in similar shape and I’ve redone almost identical to this! Just a change in paint color! Beautiful work. 🙂
That is an amazing transformation. I really love the way it looks with the 2 tones. Nice work.
This is really pretty. I just redid my son’s dresser and don’t love it…I think I might try again now.
Love this! I featured it at our Get Your DIY On party features post today! Thanks for sharing it 🙂