Transforming An Antique Washstand With Miss Mustard Seed’s® MilkPaint™
Here in Colorado, Spring is elusive. We’ll enjoy warmer, hopeful days and then see another foot of snow in a week's time. I love the warm seasons and am always looking for ways to usher in Spring… mostly so we can get to summer!
If like me, you live in a colder climate, you may also be looking for ways to bring the outdoors indoors! Whether through fresh flowers, refreshed decor, or newly painted projects, there are lots of simple ways to brighten your space in preparation for the next season! (I promise it’s coming!)
For this project, I will be transforming this washstand with Ironstone and Teal Ocean (formally named Kitchen Scale) for a fresh, bright, and cheery new look.
Materials Needed:
Disclosure: Some of these links are affiliate links.
Shop Towels (or lint-free rags)
Bonus Steps: Hot Iron + Wet Towel!
Removing The Harp
As with every painting or staining project, cleaning is a vital step in prepping well! For this project, I decided to modify the piece of furniture as well. First, I removed the harp. It was clearly not original to this piece, and I thought removing the harp would make the piece more usable once it was finished, too. The harp was attached by three screws, so this task was quite simple.
Removing The Veneer
Then came the challenging part! My original plan was to paint this washstand in its entirety, but as I started working with it, I realized the veneer on the top was in poor condition. I considered trying to repair it, but it quickly became evident I would need to remove the veneer.
After struggling to remove the veneer with a scraper alone, I decided to loosen the veneer glue with a hot iron and wet towel, making it easier to remove. This was a trick I had seen but had never tried!
Maybe it was beginner's luck, but I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly I was able to remove the veneer using this method. So much so that I decided I would remove the veneer on the top drawer! Let’s just say this took MUCH longer. I’m pleased with the final result, but the process of removing the veneer from the serpentine drawer was tedious.
Would I try it again? Ask me next week!
Removing The Veneer
Once the veneer was removed, I started sanding with low grit sandpaper, moving up to 220 grit for a clean, even surface.
Whitewashing With Ironstone
The process of whitewashing the top and drawer was very similar to the process I used when using Curio as a stain. If you missed that blog post, you can head here to read about how to use MMSMP as a stain!
The only difference in the process was that, when whitewashing, I applied more paint, let it sit just a bit longer, and then wiped it back with lint-free towels. I then allowed it to dry and repeated this process to get the depth in color I was looking for.
Painting With Teal Ocean
For the body of this washstand, I wanted something bright, cheerful, and springy! This blue teeters between teal, aqua and turquoise and could not be happier if it tried.
And, it has AMAZING coverage! This section was done with one good dip of the brush.
This is after painting the washstand with just one coat!
I kept going, applying two coats of milk paint to the body of this piece for a deep, even coverage.
Once it was dry, I sanded back everything with 220 grit sandpaper. (For an ergonomic option, wrap the sandpaper of your choice around an angled sanding sponge!) Because MilkPaint™ absorbs into the wood, instead of simply sitting on top of the wood, you may be surprised at how much elbow grease is needed to distress a freshly painted piece of furniture!
MilkWax™ - Clear
This piece was then sealed with MilkWax™ - Clear for a durable finish!
And now it’s ready for a new home! This piece is available for purchase, and nationwide shipping is available.
Head over to theupstreamhome.com to shop this washstand and other pieces painted with Miss Mustard Seed’s® MilkPaint™!
I love these bright colors and think Sunkissed would also be a fun color to use for a Spring project!
How will you bring the outdoors in this month?
Be sure to tag us in your projects!
