Thrifted Windsor Chair Makeover with Milk Paint
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If you have been here for a while you may know that I love using Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint. *If you want to try any of Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint, you can use my code: 10OFFCP for 10% off your purchase! I was even lucky enough to go LIVE on Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint Facebook page a couple of times to do some fun DIYs using their amazing paint. You can see them here. Since the milk paint is non-toxic it is the perfect medium for me to paint indoors while my young children are napping.
I love thrifting for vintage items and I love giving them a new take on life even more as witnessed by my two most recent milk paint endeavors: DIY Dresser Makeover with Milk Paint, Media Cabinet Makeover with Milk Paint, and the DIY Bench Makeover with Milk Paint. Milk paint is especially beautiful for vintage pieces because it really allows the original character and charm to shine through. It creates such a beautiful patina that tricks the eye to believe it always lived there!
Click here to see some of my thrifted finds and visit my vintage shop: Country Peony Vintage
I am working on a fun project behind-the-scenes that I promise to share soon, and I have been on the lookout for a beautiful vintage chair to paint. On a recent trip to my favorite thrift store, I spotted this adorable Windsor chair. As you can see from the picture below it has beautiful bones, but the patina needs some work. My husband and father both thought I should restore it to its original charm by sanding and staining. However, I had different plans for it and so I went with my heart!
Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint Instagram feed is full of beautiful inspiration, and I have had my eyes on Arabesque for a while. So when I spotted this gorgeous Windsor chair I knew Arabesque would be the perfect color for it! And, I was right. The feminine touches of the paint color really bring out its beautiful legs!
Enjoy the video below to learn how to use Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint to transform any piece of furniture. Then follow along for the simple, step-by-step picture tutorial.
Continue below to see how I transformed my thrifted find into a piece I truly love using milk paint.
To start your milk paint endeavor, you will need:
*If you want to try any of Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint, you can use my code: 10OFFCP for 10% off your purchase!
Step 1: Sand the furniture piece.
Step 2: Clean with your favorite furniture cleaner. I used Thieves Cleaner.
Let it dry completely.
Step 3: Put on gloves.
Step 4: Mix the paint. Mix 1 part paint powder to 1 part water.
I always recommend starting with less than more so you don’t waste your product. You can always make more paint later.
Whisk the paint together with the water until the paint is fully integrated into the water.
I like to use a disposable cup, and I have found that a miniature whisk is the best mixing tool to ensure the milk powder stays fully integrated into the water.
Your paint mixture should look like a thin pancake batter once it is mixed.
Step 5: Apply 1 thin, even coat of the milk paint mixture to the furniture piece. Allow the paint to dry fully before you add another coat. My first coat took about 1 hour to dry.
A little bit goes a long way with milk paint.
If the milk paint starts to settle, you may need to whisk it some more.
Step 6: After your first coat of paint dries, add another coat of milk paint. Allow the second coat to dry completely.
You can stop here or you can continue to add more layers of paint if you would like to. If you like some of the original color showing through, then 2 coats may be the best stopping point. It is all up to you!
Step 7: Apply a third coat of milk paint, or you can stop at 2 coats. It is all personal preference!
Let the paint dry overnight.
Step 8: Once your paint has dried overnight, you can add Miss Mustard Seed’s antiquing wax.
I always like adding a little more depth and texture to a piece. So I decided to add antiquing wax to the piece to bring the deeper tones out even more.
Using a cloth or natural bristle brush apply the antiquing wax to the entire piece of furniture or to small areas for extra character like I did. Then wipe off the antiquing wax with a clean cloth.
*I used a Miss Mustard Seed Wax Brush (source linked above) to apply the antiquing wax, and it made the process so much easier to apply the antiquing wax than with a cotton cloth.
*It is helpful to work in small sections so that you get the consistent look that you want throughout, and you don’t get overwhelmed.
I used a Miss Mustard Seed Wax Brush (source linked above) to apply the antiquing wax, and it made the process so much easier to apply the antiquing wax than with a cotton cloth.
It is helpful to work in small sections so that you get the consistent look that you want throughout, and you don’t get overwhelmed.
Step 9: Once you apply the antiquing wax to the piece of furniture, finish your piece off with furniture wax. Use a clean cloth to massage the furniture wax onto the entire piece of furniture. The Miss Mustard Seed Furniture Wax (source linked above) is a lot smoother and thinner than other waxes. It almost has the consistency of lotion and is so easy to apply. However, keep in mind a little goes a long way.
Then, buff the wax into the furniture piece with a clean cloth.
Voila! you are complete. Allow the piece to cure for a total of 30 days.
Step 10: Enjoy your custom, upcycled furniture piece!
I hope you enjoy giving an old piece new life with a little milk paint!
I did not use the bonding agent this time like I did with my children’s dresser because I wanted the chippy look, and the old patina.
I just adore the blush/lilac of this paint color, and it seems to change throughout the day based on the lighting. It is such a sweet piece that I know I will cherish for many years to come!
Remember, if you want to try any of Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint, you can use my code: 10OFFCP for 10% off your purchase!
I believe upcycling is more fun when we share our projects. Please email me at elizabeth@countrypeony.com, or please tag me @thecountrypeony or #countrypeony to show me your beautiful, custom creations!
Thank you so much for following along!
Want More Milk Paint Projects? Please Enjoy These Related Videos.
Farmhouse Christmas Village With Milk Paint by CountryPeony on Jumprope.