The theme is Farmhouse Fun. They had me at Farm--. I have always wanted to live on one. The 'house' part is my heart, and the Fun is a given when using genuine milk paint. Once you try it, beware of the ensuing steamy love affair. Have lots of extra furniture around ready to be slathered as you throw yourself at it with a cup of milk paint in hand raring to go.
A farmhouse to me is old and loved with creaky wood planked floors, open windows, curtains fluttering in the breeze from the huge oak tree just outside, painted woodwork, painted furniture, painted barns, ironstone cookware, crisp linen, aprons, clothes lines and many other things reminiscent of a peaceful cozy existence. True milk paint, with its unique and historic elements, epitomizes all that a farmhouse evokes.
The piece I chose I had actually purchased from a woman who grew up in a small house out in a country town and was hers since childhood. She was now moving mid-life and sadly had to sell. So it is close to a bonafide farmhouse dresser. I think the classic style, excellent quality and clean lines with a dose of fancy on the skirt make it the perfect candidate regardless of its origin.
Now the really good stuff. I chose Federal Blue and Snow White for colors. My original plan was to combine the colors to lighten the blue. However, when I mixed it with the water, the blue was so striking I knew I wanted to leave it alone. It has subtle undertones of sapphire and midnight blues. It is a warm and stunning color, and using the snow white to trim the drawers and wash over the drawer faces gave it cozy contrast. I sanded the faces of the drawers and applied a stain called coastal then used the snow white paint to brush on a medium density wash over the stain and give a lovely weathered barn wood look to play up the farmhouse feel.
For the body in blue, I used extra bond to help it give me a solid finish since the piece was rather shiny. I did a brush over it with my sander, but I was still wary of it not receiving the paint. It worked like a charm as usual. I did four coats to get a fuller coverage over the stubborn brown, but this paint is so super easy to work with that it is like sipping tea to add a coat.
I literally sit and watch this paint dry, and it is the honest to goodness highlight of my work day. It comes alive with personality chipping, shading and crackling away.
The drawer trim I wanted to chip. No extra bond for the white. But milk paint has a mind of its own, and I got a teensy weensy amount of chipping. Ya just nevah know. I credit the paint to be a better designer than I, because I actually think it turned out quite wonderfully doing its own thing. It is nice to see how true milk paint can also create a steady, solid finish though its notorious for its chipping and crackling effects.
Because it is a natural paint with natural pigment ingredients, it produces wonderful variations in tone and shading. This is part of its awesome character along with the crackling and chipping. The more I use true milk paint by OFMP, the more I become endeared to it. I also enjoy mixing the colors to create my own little concoctions of color. And I don't have to wear my face mask when using it because it is non toxic and all natural.
Once dried, I smoothed on Daddy Van's beeswax, also green seal approved, to topcoat and protect the entire dresser. Oh my gracious, I love the smell of this stuff. I cannot place it exactly, but there is something very nostalgic about it to me. This wax is velvety and just delicious to rub on and wipe down for a light buffing.
I replaced the top drawer section's pulls with diamond cut acrylic knobs for a little farmhouse fun pizazz and painted the bottom angel wing pulls in the beautiful blue. I love the Country French look for a farmhouse piece so I decoupaged two small drawer faces with a beautiful floral print material in traditional Country French colors of yellow and blue. Then to mimic the floral on the bottom drawers, I hand stenciled a floral motif in the blue as well.
I envision this dresser stashing the clothes of a pigtailed, coverall adorned girl in a second story bedroom of her generationally owned farmhouse somewhere near a meadow and a willow or two.
Quick as a bunny hopping in a farm field, these....
Turn out this...
Here it is before it went from frumpy to farmhouse fun:
And here is the stage that you absolutely must persevere through to get the full glory of true milk paint by OFMP. Trust me, it is a miracle transformation from one coat to the next.
I would like to thank the fabulous hosts of the Fab Furniture Flippin' Contest, Evey from sweetsongbird.eveyscreations.com/2016/07/farmhouse-fun- nightstand-july-fffc.html, and Stacey from www.anastasiavintage.com/2016/07/july-fab-furniture-flippin-contest.html, and of course the fabulous sponsor for this month's theme, Old Fashioned Milk Paint.
For more information regarding the contests please email [email protected].
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