Writing Desk Makeover with MMS Milk Paint Kitchen Scale

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I have another makeover to share with you today!

 

Last month I painted a small writing desk and it sold super quickly.  After it sold, I had several customers asking if I happened to have any more writing desks in my stash–apparently there is quite the market for these pieces!

I didn’t have any more at the time they asked, but about a week later found this little desk at one of my favorite monthly market vendors. It seemed like a no brainer–good structure, nice wood, and a small footprint–so I snatched it up before any other flippers could get their hands on it.

Since this piece has some considerable age to it, I thought it would pair well with MMS Milk Paint.  Typically, milk paint and old wood go well together. I am also trying to keep at least one milk-painted piece in my retail shops to show customers how the paint looks once it’s on furniture.

Plus there was a color from the MMS Milk Paint line I have been wanting to try . . . Kitchen Scale.

 

 

It’s a bold color, so best suited for smaller pieces like this desk.  My plan was to paint the whole piece in Kitchen Scale and finish it out with the MMS White Wax to tone down the brightness of the color a bit and enhance the desk’s details.

 

Now I want to stop and mention something here to any readers new to milk paint . . .

 

Quite often the milk paint powder looks nothing like the labeled color.  For example, here is the Kitchen Scale paint powder, unmixed:

 

 

So don’t judge the color of the paint by the powder! Once you add water and mix the paint (which I do by shaking it up in a mason jar), the pigments are activated and your beautiful color will show up.

 

 

Much better, right?

To prep this desk, I wiped it down with a little bit of Simple Green cleaner and then gave the whole piece a very light and quick sanding with 180 grit sandpaper.  I was ok with a little chipping happening, but didn’t want too much, so I went ahead and sanded to give the finish a bit more grip.

Another thing I want to mention for any milk paint newbies . . .

This paint is very forgiving! Don’t worry if you have to brush in random directions to get the paint onto the piece, and if it looks streaky at the start.

 

 

The above photo shows one coat on the desk, and you can see the finish looks pretty streaky and thin.

But don’t worry!

Once you add a second coat, the finish will even out. And milk paint does a fantastic job smoothing and settling on its own, so you really don’t need to worry about brush strokes or heavy drip marks. Just paint and have fun!

After the 2 coats Kitchen Scale, I lightly distressed the desk and then sealed the finish by brushing on a coat of the White Wax.

 

 

This stuff is AMAZING!! It literally looks like cake icing! So light and smooth . . . You just brush it on, then wipe off the excess with a rag.

The white wax sealed the finish, so with that step the desk was ready to go! Milk paint dries very quickly, so this whole makeover took me under 2 hours (and that was with a long lunch break!).

 

 

I didn’t get the chance to stage this piece before I took it down to Lyla’s in Plano, so I went ahead and took some pictures of it set up there.  Doesn’t the bicycle pillow look cute with it?

 

 

I hope you can see from the photos how the white wax toned down the brightness of the turquoise.  It also settled into some of the recesses and adds some really great dimension to the finish.

 

 

 

Gotta love that authentic aged finish you can get with milk paint!

 

 

This piece is for sale at my Plano location for $170.  You are welcome to email me for more info or to get the shop location if you’re interested.

And I hope you were inspired to try out a bold color! Or to maybe try using the MMS White Wax to accent a piece.  It’s always fun to try out a new product and technique.

Happy Painting!

 

 

 

ruthie2431

Friday 23rd of June 2017

This is so pretty! I think I need to try this combo!

ruthie2431

Friday 23rd of June 2017

This is so pretty! I think I need to try this combo!

Sherry Stuifbergen

Thursday 22nd of June 2017

I might have missed it...I did look, but what is the brand of the white wax that goes on so smoothly? MMS white wax?

Melanie

Thursday 22nd of June 2017

Yes! It's the MMS White Wax

Sherry Stuifbergen

Thursday 22nd of June 2017

I might have missed it...I did look, but what is the brand of the white wax that goes on so smoothly? MMS white wax?

Melanie

Thursday 22nd of June 2017

Yes! It's the MMS White Wax

Robin Vickers Lambert

Thursday 22nd of June 2017

Beautiful piece Melanie--love the white wax!

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