{Antique Washstand} – Before & After

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Hey!!  My online shop is now up and going!  I still have a few tweaks to make and i need to go in and edit some descriptions to make things more clear – but you can now order from there.  I would love feedback – so please give!!

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So – i picked up this cute little washstand a few weeks ago and couldn’t wait to paint it.  When i posted on Facebook that i was going to paint this piece i got quite the reaction about painting over “good wood”!!  Its so funny the comments i am seeing everywhere these days about that subject – but that’s another post for another day :)

This is one of those pieces that is perfect for Sweet Pickins Milk Paint!  I loved the carved detailing of the flowers and the piece was in great shape so it didn’t require any prep work.  I love when i don’t have to repair and i can just get to painting!  And that’s another awesome thing about the Milk Paint – no prep, no sanding – half the time i don’t even clean the piece 1st!

Sweet Pickins Milk Paint - Marigold and Light Cream

I mixed up some Sweet Pickins Milk Paint in Marigold for the base and Light Cream for the accent.  I wanted to tone down the Marigold just a bit, so i added a little of the light cream to it – probably about a 3:1 ratio (3 parts Marigold to 1 part Light Cream).

Sweet Pickins Milk Paint

Like i said, i didn’t do any prep work to get the dresser ready for paint.  I was thinking because of the shiny surface that the paint would be really chippy so i didn’t add the Extra Bond for adhesion.  Surprisingly, the paint hardly chipped at all and stuck really well to the dresser.

I loved the carved detailing in the piece and they were deep enough carvings that when i brushed my paint over them, the paint didn’t go in them.  I love how it made them stand out even more.   (i didn’t paint the dresser with the drawers in it, i just stuck them back in when i took this pic, just so ya know)

yellow milk paint dresser during

After painting a couple coats of the white and yellow, i let it dry for a few hours and took my orbital sander to it to smooth out the milk paint and distress the piece.  In this case because the milk paint bonded so well, the orbital sander was easier than doing it with a sanding block.

After sanding the entire dresser down, i gave it a coat of clear wax and it was done!  The pics and the lighting make this yellow look a little brighter than it actually is.  In person it was a very muted, perfect yellow.

Sweet Pickins Milk Paint - Marigold and Light Cream 1

Sweet Pickins Milk Paint - Marigold and Light Cream 2

Sweet Pickins Milk Paint - Marigold and Light Cream 6

Sweet Pickins Milk Paint - Marigold and Light Cream 5

(i think this pic below shows the best representation of the actual color)

Sweet Pickins Milk Paint - Marigold and Light Cream 4

Sweet Pickins Milk Paint - Marigold and Light Cream 3

I really loved how this dresser turned out and think its one of the happiest pieces i have done!  The colors are really fun but muted enough that they could work in so many spaces.  (this piece has sold, my mom actually bought it so i can visit it whenever i like!)

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AND, if i had never painted it like the naysayers on FB told me, it wouldn’t be getting a little featured spot on an ad for the Old Fashioned Milk Paint Co. in an upcoming magazine – so very cool!!  Yeah for paint!!!  :)