This little showstopper had barely hit the ground of our local second-hand shop before I soared down and scooped her up! Most women get excited over shiny or pointy things, but when I see something that’s a little unloved and probably destined for the tip, I literally get chicken skin! Today I am extra excited to get her home because I am trying out Miss Mustard Seed Milk paints for the first time.  I am definitely not new to chalk paint but felt it was time to grow my paint pallet.  In my post today, I  will show you how easy it is to transform a near dumpster piece into something unique and beautiful for your home.  Please follow me below for my beside cabinet revival.

 Step 1

As you can see this ole gurl has had a bit of a hard life.  The top has been destroyed by coffee cups and possibly small puppies?  It also feels grimy and dusty.

• The first and most important step is to wipe down the wood with a Mineral Turpentine to clean your piece.  Please do not skip this step.  I can’t tell you how many pieces I have completed only to find when I put the finishing wax on my piece has reacted to leftover residue such as furniture polish i.e Pledge.  This has resulted in the paint bleeding through the wax  (most noticeable on white paint).  Pain city!!
• Next place masking tape around everything you don’t want to get paint on.  Then take off any hardware such as nobs and remove drawers.

Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint

Today I decided to go with Grainsack colour for the legs and Moira for the body of the piece.

Step 2

Mixing and Painting

The directions say to mix equal quantities of water to the powder and for best results add water first then powder.  But my better half was convinced that it’s “just like baking” so he made a powdered mound and slowly added water.  Let me just say on the quiet that it was much easier to mix and consistency was better by adding the powder to the water.

The consistency of the paint should be like table cream.  If it’s more like the cream you put on your Pavlovas, you have gone too far and will need to add more water.  Let the water mixture sit to absorb all the wonderful paint pigments for about 10 minutes.

*Please note* If you want the paint to adhere fully to the surface then you will need to add a bonding agent.  If you want the paint to naturally flake off then leave this step out.  I love the natural, chippy, flaky look so I chose to go without.

• Two-three coats of MMS paint will be required for good coverage.  Always lightly sand between each coat.  Once you are happy with the colour and coverage, now it’s time to scruff it up to give it that unique vintage look.

Step 3

Sanding – to create the Vintage look

This stage is not for the faint-hearted.  Taking your sanding block to perfect piece always feels to me like I am playing with fire!  My suggestion is to start slowly and just rough up the edges that would generally receive wear and tear.  I use a very fine grit sandpaper of 120.  Remember you are just taking the edges off and not sanding down to the bones of the piece.

Step 4

Waxing

Now for the finishing touch…You must seal your piece with a finishing wax to ensure this paint job stays clean and looking good for many years to come.  There are so many good wax products on the market, but today I am using clear Briwax.  A little of this stuff goes alooong way.  Just dab a bit onto a soft clean rag and gently wipe on and then wipe off.  You will notice that your piece will instantly have more depth and shine.

Ta daaaaaaaaaaa!  Hopefully you will agree that I have turned this shabby piece into something a bit more chic!  Please let me know if you have any questions.  I am only too happy to help you with your painting queries.

P.S  Here is the link to buy Miss Mustard Seed Paint in New Zealand: https://troupes.co.nz/