My sweet friend Katie H. asked me if I would transform a beautiful armoire belonging to her mother, Gail. Gail was looking for a piece that she could place outdoors under her covered patio where she could store things, such as candles, pool supplies, etc. Katie and Gail found this piece and wanted it to be painted in a rustic way and chose Flow Blue by Miss Mustard Seed.
Miss Mustard Seed makes a great milk paint that peels in certain places giving it a really natural old feel to the piece. If you use a bonding agent in combination with the paint you will not get any of the peeling. I mixed the paint and knew I would have to add the bonding agent because this piece was so shiny. I applied the first coat and then waited for it to dry. Upon returning I found this…..
Insert SCREAM here!
Some things milk paint will just not adhere too. I made an executive decision and scraped off all the paint. Then I slightly sanded the piece. I had to go with my old standby, which I know will stick to ANY surface….Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I chose a similar color to the Flow Blue called Aubusson Blue. It is a gorgeous color. I applied two coats allowing for dry time in between. Next I added a dark wax to age the piece and sanded off certain areas. When finished I wiped the whole piece down and added two coats of Shabby Paints Vax! This stuff is AWESOME. No buffing required.
Katie and her husband Ron came and picked it up today. I was dying to know what Gail thought. Katie sent me a picture of the armoir in its new home and Gail texted me, “It’s beautiful. I absolutely love it!! Thanks so much!!!” Whew, another happy customer and another lesson learned…..not all paints are created equal!
the spoon and the thimble 