How to Achieve a Chippy Finish with Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint

Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint is known for its natural ability to chip and give an aged, worn, well-loved feel to a piece.  But did you know that sometimes it is actually hard to achieve that look?

On raw wood, Milk Paint actually absorbs into the wood like a stain instead of sitting on top like typical paint.  If you want that chippy look on raw wood, you will need to use a resist like Hemp Oil.  That's right, Hemp Oil is not only a finishing top coat on your painted piece, it can be used to create that chippy look that we all love.

Enter this 1912 Lane cedar chest.  It was still as sturdy as the day it was made but the finish on top was a little too loved over the years.  It had water rings from cups sitting on it, chipping and peeling veneer and even a few gouges to the top.  Cigarette burns too!

My client wanted this piece painted in Mustard Seed Yellow and really wanted to see a lot of chipping on this piece.  However, the veneer on the top needed to be removed and the deep gouges needed to be filled.  That left me with raw wood on the top.  

Raw wood top with wood filler applied to the damaged spots.

After giving it a coat of stain, I sporadically applied Hemp Oil to the top and immediately started painting.  You do not want to give the Hemp Oil a chance to soak in.  You also do not want to over-work your brush or you will end up with Hemp Oiled stripes on your piece and the chipping will not look natural.

The front of the cedar chest actually still had some old varnish on it.  I lightly scuffed it will a medium grit sanding sponge, wiped it down and started painting.  Much to my surprise and excitement, I received all kinds of chipping!  I was actually a little nervous that it would be too much chipping for my client, but she loved it.

This is what Milk Paint looks like as it dries and begins to chip.  You can use a fine grit sanding sponge or a putty knife to gently remove the flaking paint.

I finished the piece with Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Wax and lightly buffed it.  I really love how this piece turned out.  Mustard Seed Yellow is such a fun color without being too bold.  It's vintage but modern.  I think it suits this piece well.

Do you like the chippy look?  Do you want to learn how to achieve the chippy look on raw wood?  Sign up for my next Milk Paint 101 workshop HERE and I will teach you how! 

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Tricycle Red Wardrobe Makeover

Time flies when you are having fun, right?  Well, I must be having a blast. ;)

I'm going to do a little catching up on pieces that I've painted the last couple of months that I've yet to post about.  So let's start with this antique wardrobe.

It had good bones, but the finish was less than stellar.  The veneer was starting to bubble and lift in several places and that had to be removed.  We have tried many of the tricks out there to remove veneer, and we find that using a heat gun with a scraper is the easiest way.

The client wanted this piece painted with Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint in Tricycle red with lots of chippiness and some of the natural wood showing.

This piece is so old and the wood was so dry, that even with a Hemp Oil resist, I got very little chipping.

I did a light distressing on all the places that would receive the usual wear and tear from daily use.

I finished the piece in Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint Furniture Wax and Antiquing Wax.  The drawers and the tops are stained in Minwax Dark Walnut and sealed with Wipe-On Poly.

The bright red really make this a statement piece in a room.  I also love that it still has the original key.  

Are you a fan of a two-toned finish or do you prefer a solid color?

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