French vintage dresser

Happy friday everyone!
I`m still riding on my own little cloud after making a great sale yesterday!
A couple of weeks ago I decided I would take this furniture-painting to a whole other level, and opened a Facebook page dedicatet to the furnitures I find, buy, paint and restore. I have ambitions about someday being able to make this to more than a hobby.
Ever since that day I have been picking up furniture ALOT! Our top floor is full of furniture in all shapes and sizes. Haha....

Yesterday I finished a lovely french dresser, that I had been working on for 3-4 days (I still have a full-time job, two kids and a husband, so things take time).

When I picked up this piece, it was in perfect condition! Not a single scratch! The former owners must have taken really good care of it! It was allmost as I felt bad that I was going to paint it....
But I really dont regret it.

Here is the "before"

It was very nice and all, but it just did`nt do it for me....

I knew I wantet to try one of Miss Mustard Seeds newest colors, Schloss. So I went for that and Iron Stone. Both are great colors! Besides, nothing beats grey on a french old wornout piece of furniture, Since that was the look I was going for.

I startet out "highlighting" some areas with the darkest of the color, Schloss. The side panels and the drawers were going to be white, so I wanted the grey to show under a little bit, to give it a little depth

.

After that, I sort of went in my thinking box, I often do that, right after I have startet on a piece. Because usely I havent decided what I want it to be before AFTER I have startet. 

But I knew I wantet it to look old, and worn, and french. And not perfect. I wantet it to look chic.

Thats where the dark antique wax comes in. It makes wonders! It is the perfect touch for an old, worn look.

What do you think? Did I do just that?

Oh, as I was sayin... I am still soaring on a cloud of happy, because this lovely dresser sold after only 15 min after I put it out for sale on my facebook page. A lady really liked it and wanted it right away! I must be doing something right, huh?

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend! I am taking my family up on the mountains for the weekend, where I will propably dream about my next project! 

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And there it is, in all it`s glory!

A couple weeks ago, this came in to my life. And things started to happen. My brain started filling up with crazy ideas (just ask my husband), I took my husband to our local wood retailer, with the single purpose of buying firewood. But suddenly, he found him self at a large table, sawing material for a new top to my latest finding. "This was a trap..." he said. "I know" I said,  giving him the eye.

But suddenly my idea wasnt so crazy after all, and by the end of the day, our new sideboard had a new top!

I had spent about a week finishing the paint on it, including sanding and waxing. However, it looked like the kind of wax I had, wasnt ideal for this light color that I had picked for the milk paint. I have used this wax on lots of other furniture, but somehow, it turned out more "dirty" then I had hoped for. And I freaked when I realised that I had made it TO dirty! The color of the wax was a light-ish brown, and I think I should have used one that was a little more on the black side? I dont know. All in all I ended up being a lot more careful with the colored wax then usual, and focusing more on the sanding and distressing, which worked out great, in my opinion!

I decided to not do anything with the inside, because the shelfes are so lovely in their original material. You can really see that they are like a 100 years old! And I love that look!

I think the decision of putting in chicken wire was ingenious. I spent quite som time on Pinterest, trying to find some pictures that would back up my idea, because hubby was not so convinced. But, seeing that I have had success in my other makeovers and experiements, he gave up and let me have my way. Yaaay!... I think I achieved the rustic cottage style that I was going for.
When the chicken wire was all in place, I said: "What do you think, dear? You must admit it looks great?!" And then he said: "Please ask me after I`ve stopped bleading..."

What do you think?


After taking it all in, I realise I am in love with this piece, and it is a great feeling walking in to our dining room every morning, thinking: "wow! I did that!" Sorry peeps, I intend to brag about this for quite some time;)

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A makeover of my mysterious antique sideboard + getting to know Miss Mustard Seed milkpaint

Here it is guyes! At least part of it. I spent most of my weekend (in parts) painting and sanding this beauty. I painted with Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint. This was my very first time using milkpaint, and I actually found an online shop here in Scandinavia who sells MMSMP, its called Skattkammaren.

The how-to for milkpaint  is not so very different from the chalkpaint, wich I have used several times. And I was aware of that MP is a very unpredictable product when it comes to behavior. I was hoping for a little chipping of the paint, but that did not happen. I even tried a few tricks I had read about, like using a hair dryer on the wet paint right after aplying it, and even paint on a second coat before the first has dried. But no.... I guess the surface was to saturated and "dry". The sideboard is most likely over a 100 years old, and it has not been sealed or treated with any thing for a looooong time. It simply had dried in. Oh, well. On to the sanding then, my favourit part! The details on the mirror are just lovely! And I feel I got to put them in their right element with this color, plus the sanding and distressing helps to bring it out.

I had another issue with this piece, and that was the marble top with the big hole in it for the sink. You can see pictures of it here, before I started painting it.
Obviously, I am not using it as a bathroom furniture, så I (aka my husband) had to build a new one. I had the plans ready in my head long time ago, but you see, we dont saddle the horse and ride the same day.
After finally buying the material for the new top, we buit it yesterday. And it was a perfect fit! I am so happy with the results!

We screwed on three bearers under the boards, to hold them stable, and the desk fitted right in. 

No it wont budge!

I actually read that  milkpaint is the perfect paint for raw wood! Did you know that?? It works as a stain, and sucks right in to the wood, fast! It is brilliant. Then it is all up to you how thick or opaque you want the stain to be. I actually mixed it out quite thin, but applied 3-4 coats. And then I sealed it with clear wax.
I havent gotten to distress the bottom om the sideboard yet. Its like I am postponing the process so that it wont finish to fast. It is so much fun, and I want it to last! But of course, I want a beautyful finished furniture to shine in my diningroom, too.
I was actually a little sad when I spent the very last grains of milkpaint, thinking this is it. Now its empty...  I know, I`m weird....

Now, I have big plans for the bottom part and the doors! It involves a jigsaw and chicken wire.
Woohooo! I am so exited! Please stay tuned for part two of this amazing (I think so...) reviel of the makeover of my mysterious antique sideboard.

Have a good day everyone:)



(You can read about this post over at Songbirds  Inspiration Party and at the "Youre time to shine"-party