The Pea Soup Dresser Makeover

I believe that you should never let the exterior of a piece scare you if the bones are good.  Finishes can always be improved.  Minor structural imperfections can be fixed.  In the end, you can have a fabulous piece of furniture for little investment!

This piece is an example.  

I'll start with a picture of the after:

Below is the before....

The bright green didn't scare me because I knew it was a solid piece.  Sure, back in the day, I would have stripped and refinished this.  However, these days, the fair market price on it would not cover the time and labor I'd have to put into it.

At first, I planned on painting it in Miss Mustard Seed's Boxwood.  After I did, I just didn't like how dark it all looked.  I made myself live with it for a day, but just couldn't do it.  So, I went over it with a couple of coats of MMS Mora, using the boxwood as a layer.  LOVE IT!

I wasn't sure how the green layer would look, but since Mora is a combo of grey, green and blue, it worked beautifully.  I do think the white wax helped in toning it down and blended it better. 

I sanded and re-stained the top.  Wood and Mora is a favorite combination of mine!

The white wax helped define the lines on the drawers.

I highlighted the center detail with MMS Ironstone and finished it off with new knobs, including these adorable birds on the top drawers.

Much better!

Find it in our booth at R&R Antiques in the beautiful downtown Fredericksburg, VA!

'til next time!

I'll be sending this beauty over to party at:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

The Mustard Seed Dresser

I hit the jackpot over the weekend and got three vintage dressers and an art deco nightstand! The nightstand just needs a little TLC with Hemp Oil, but the chests are getting bigger makeovers.  

The first up was this 1940s dresser.  I painted it Miss Mustard Seed's Mustard Seed and added hand painted scrolls in white to the top drawer and bottom skirt.

 This is how it started out.  Someone had stripped off all of the veneer and refinished the sub-layer wood.  Even though the dresser itself is in great shape, it was not very pretty.

Now it has a little more style.

I did not add bonding agent - but it didn't chip much, anyway.  I distressed a little bit here and there to bring out a little of the brown wood.

I left the top and knobs wood, which contrast with the yellow very nicely.

If I could paint everything in milk paint, I would!

Find this in our booth at R & R Antiques located at 1001 Caroline Street, Downtown Fredericksburg, VA.

'til next time!

The Mora Milk Paint Table Reveal

Remember the little table from yesterday?  Well it's all finished and I absolutely LOVE the way it turned out!!  What a change!

I used Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint in Mora.  My new favorite color!

Part of her European line, Mora is so soft and subtle.  Just what this little table needed.

I did a little free-handing around the drawer and knob to give it a some depth.

I distressed it back in spots then used her white wax to give it a beautiful white-washed look and a super smooth finish.

I just love the detail of those legs!

So, here it was in its found state...

....and here it is now!

So much better!

Have I said lately how much I love MMS Milk Paint?

'til next time!

Linking up:

Before and After Wednesday at The Dedicated House

Inspiration Fridays Linky Party at The Painted Drawer

Share Your Style Party #2 at The Vintage Nest

The Sunday Showcase at By Stephanie Lynn
Silver Pennies Sunday Link Party at Silver Pennies
Saturday Sparks Link Party at Pieced Pastimes
Monday Masterpiece at Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint
The Scoop at Confessions of a Plate Addict
Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed.com

The Mustard Seed Milk Painted Dresser Desk

One thing I really love about my job is the fun I have when painting my furniture.  Sometimes I will paint a piece with one color and leave it be, but lately, I've been feeling the creative side of me.  It can come and go, so when I have it, I run with it.

I found this sweet little Dresser Desk at a yard sale this past weekend.  She needed some love and a new back leg, but I saw the potential!

I've been wanting to do something in the MMS Mustard Seed Yellow paint that I had just bought and thought that this piece was a nice size and shape to use it on. 

I sanded and stained the top then gave the rest two coats of milk paint, but it just needed a little something else.  I love it when Marian (aka Miss Mustard Seed) handpaints designs on her dressers, so I pulled in my inner MMS and came up with a design in my head.  I mixed up a small batch of MMS Ironstone milk paint to do the details.  Yes, I know I don't have the touch that she does, but we are all supposed to add our own twist, right?  Seriously, I have more to learn on this technique, but I still like it.

When I started painting the details, the Mustard Seed was still chipping (after letting it sit overnight).  I let it keep going, and when I was done with it all and gave it time to dry,  I used a sanding sponge to give it a good disressing. Two coats of wax, and she's all finished.

The best part of this piece is that it's has a hidden desk! 

This will probably be going with us to the The Vintage Home Market next weekend.  Hope to see you there!