Cherry Blossom Dresser Milk Paint Makeover

by Melanie | Mar 8, 2014 | Chests & Dressers, Makeovers | 37 comments

I have a confession: I have to give credit to Miss Mustard Seed for the design of this dresser.

She refinished one last summer with a hand-painted cherry blossom pattern on the drawer fronts and I loved it!

I have been hunting forever for a small dresser with good condition drawer fronts so I could try out her pattern. Last month, I finally found this little guy on Craigslist.

Both the finish on the top and the drawer fronts was in excellent condition…I had found the piece!

The couple selling it was downsizing, and reluctantly getting rid of some of their well-kept antiques.

I promised them I would take good care of it and make sure it found a home where it would be loved and treated well.

A friend recently dropped off a full bedroom set to paint for custom work (more about that in a later post . . .) and now that my chair project was finished, I wanted to cross this one off the list before starting on the custom work.

I had some MMS Ironstone milk paint on hand and decided Thursday to get to work.

I’ve learned the best way to mix milk paint is to shake it.

I’ve seen people use jars, but I didn’t have one on hand.

So, a plastic cup, sealed with saran wrap and a rubber band did the trick. A minute or two of some good shaking, and it’s ready to go.

Now with all milk paint projects, the first coat looks terrible.

It’s runny, streaky, and I used to always wonder what in the world I had done. But after using it many times now, I know that’s just part of the process.

This is after the first coat.

See the drips and streaks? Don’t worry, with each coat it gets better.

With only painting the sides and drawer frames, the total painting time was only about half an hour.

Once the second coat was on and it sat for a bit, the chipping started. I love this feature of milk paint–it’s what makes it different from every other furniture paint on the market.

The paint buckles up, and all you have to do is brush it with your hand.

It creates a fantastic worn look that you just can’t get with sandpaper.

If you don’t want it to chip, then just lightly sand the piece before painting, or add the bonding agent sold by the MMS milk paint line.

Once all the chipped paint was removed (I actually ran my vacuum with a brush attachment over the whole piece), I added a coat of clear wax to seal the paint and prevent any more chipping.

The drawers went back in, and I began working on the cherry blossom design with plain white acrylic paint. From start to finish, the whole project took about 3 hours.

And now, here is my Miss Mustard Seed copy

I have another confession to make . . . I absolutely love it!

When I set it up to take the photos it fit perfectly in this empty, awkward spot in front of my stairs. I am so so so tempted to keep it.

But I am also desperately trying to save enough money for a family trip to Disney in the fall, so I feel compelled to sell it.

Ughhh, I just don’t know.

I don’t claim to be a fantastic artist, but I think the cherry blossoms turned out really well.

One big difference between mine and MMS’s is the chippy finish.

I like how it complements the cherry blossoms and keeps the piece from looking too fancy.

Everything on this vignette I love, and almost all of it I was intending to sell.

The birds, the lamp, the nest . . . they were all going to head up to my ACM space along with the dresser.

But I just can’t part with any of it quite yet. I looked so long to find the perfect piece to try out this pattern, I’m afraid I won’t find another one again.

And it fits in my awkward stair spot, while adding lightness, whimsy, and oh-so-needed storage in my living room . . . I’ll say it again, ughhhh.

Can anyone out there help me?

Linking up to:
Feathered Nest Friday, Creativity Unleashed, How Fun Party,

What Have You Redone Friday?, All Things Thursday Blog Hop,

Funky Junk’s Party Junk, Silver Pennies Sunday, That DIY Party,

Masterpiece Monday, The Sunday Showcase, Make It Pretty Monday,

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday, The Scoop, Project Inspired, Be Inspired,

Wow Us Wednesday, Centerpiece Wednesday, Power of Paint,

Furniture Feature Friday

37 Comments

Delia on March 8, 2014 at 10:31 am

Aaaahhh!! So pretty! Love it!
Delia on March 8, 2014 at 10:35 am

Oh, and my recommendation to keep or to sell? Price it high – if it sells, you’ve made actors for your trip and if it doesn’t, then you get to keep it! Win win!! 🙂
- Melanie on March 10, 2014 at 6:23 pm
  
  That’s a great thought Delia! Maybe it will be my $1000 dresser . . . just kidding 🙂 I like the way you think though!
Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces on March 9, 2014 at 11:07 am

You did a lovely job on this! Oh it would be hard to let it go…perfect where you have it! I always say it’s a perk of the job…you get first pick!
- Melanie on March 10, 2014 at 6:22 pm
  
  Thanks Linda! I have decided to keep it . . . it really is too perfect of a fit to let it go. I think I will pay myself for it a little though, but some of my birthday money into the Disney fund to make up for it 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Abby on March 11, 2014 at 8:38 am

I don’t blame you for wanting to keep it, I would too! It turned out so lovely! It’s so frustrating sometimes to find the perfect size furniture for an awkward spot!
- Melanie on March 11, 2014 at 12:35 pm
  
  Thank you Abby! I have decided to keep it, it makes me happy and it’s just too perfect to let it go. Have a great week!
[email protected] Stroll Thru Life on March 11, 2014 at 10:30 pm

Love it, what a great transformation. I would love for you to link up to my ongoing Inspire Me Tues. party – – -http://www.astrollthrulife.net/2014/03/207th-inspire-me-tuesday-grain-sack.html Hope to see you there. Hugs, Marty
- Melanie on March 12, 2014 at 1:20 pm
  
  Thank you Marty, I so appreciate you stopping by and the party invitation!
Zelda Behr on March 12, 2014 at 12:30 am

Wow i love the effect of the milk paint really awesome!
- Melanie on March 12, 2014 at 1:19 pm
  
  Thank you Zelda. Milk paint can really do some amazing things. It takes a little bit of getting used to, but once you’re comfortable with it, it’s so much fun to use.
Jeannie on March 12, 2014 at 9:46 am

It is just beautiful, you’ve been wanting it for a while, so I think you should keep it. Maybe you can do another to sell. Great job, enjoy.
Jeannie
- Melanie on March 12, 2014 at 1:10 pm
  
  Thanks Jeannie, I am going to keep it! I haven’t found anything else yet to paint to replace the hole in my shop, but something will turn up (it always does :)) Have a fantastic day!
[email protected] Charm on March 12, 2014 at 10:44 am

Thanks for sharing this beautiful piece at my party. I like how you only painted the sides with paint and then painted the flowers over the stain.

Blessings,
Linda
- Melanie on March 12, 2014 at 1:09 pm
  
  Thank you Linda for your thoughtful comment! I had a lot of fun with the hand-painting, and milk paint is always an adventure.
Elizabeth on March 13, 2014 at 1:42 am

How lovely! You did a very nice job. I love the little vignette with the birds on the top.

Thank you so much for linking-up last Friday at Beauty Observed. I hope you’ll come back and link-up again this Friday.

Blessings,
Elizabeth
- Melanie on March 13, 2014 at 6:56 am
  
  Thank you Elizabeth! I appreciate you stopping by, and thanks for the invitation again to your party. Have a great day 🙂
Ann Marie on March 14, 2014 at 12:13 am

Melanie, you did a beautiful job. I’ve never tried Milk Paint, but I certainly can appreciate a piece that looks fabulous. I love your sweet vignette.
- Melanie on March 14, 2014 at 6:50 am
  
  Thank you Ann Marie. It is great paint, but kind of temperamental. It takes a little getting used to, but can create some really neat effects. You should definitely give it a try sometime!
Danielle on March 14, 2014 at 5:06 pm

This is absolutely beautiful! I love the ironstone and the cherry blossoms. I so want to try something similar but I’m scared to do the tiny strokes. You did an amazing job!
- Melanie on March 14, 2014 at 6:01 pm
  
  Thank you Danielle 🙂 I’m not super-confident in my hand-painting, but I told myself that it was just paint, and I could always sand it off or paint over it if it didn’t work!
Rhonda on March 14, 2014 at 6:30 pm

I love it! Now I must get milk paint!
- Melanie on March 15, 2014 at 8:45 pm
  
  Thank you Rhonda! Yes, give milk paint a try. I have a post from a few months back, called Milk Paint vs Chalk Paint that you might find helpful. Thanks for stopping by!
Tara on March 14, 2014 at 6:57 pm

Love it! Girl keep it! You can always paint another!
- Melanie on March 15, 2014 at 8:42 pm
  
  I like the way you think Tara 🙂
Sharon @ Elizabeth & Co. on March 15, 2014 at 8:55 pm

Oh so pretty!
- Melanie on March 16, 2014 at 7:59 am
  
  Thank you Sharon! I’m enjoying having it here in my home.
Diane | An Extraordinary Day on March 16, 2014 at 9:29 pm

Melanie….your chest is sooo sooo sweet!! I do remember that most of MMS. Your take is fabulous!!
Thanks for linking it up at Project Inspire{d}!!
- Melanie on March 17, 2014 at 8:36 am
  
  Thank you Diane! I’m so happy with it and I love it’s new spot in my home. Have a great week 🙂
Denise... On a Whim on March 18, 2014 at 11:03 am

This is a real beauty! What a wonderful job you did on it!
- Melanie on March 19, 2014 at 8:02 pm
  
  Thank you Denise! I am keeping it, it’s perfect in it’s new spot.
Gigi Harlan on March 18, 2014 at 11:30 am

Oh wow! Keep it or you will regret it…love, love, love it!

Gigi @ Old World Patina
Suzanne on March 19, 2014 at 6:10 am

This is just so lovely. Beautiful work!
- Melanie on March 19, 2014 at 11:14 am
  
  Thank you Suzanne! I was very happy with how it turned out.
- Melanie on March 19, 2014 at 7:59 pm
  
  Thank you Suzanne! I so appreciate you stopping by 🙂
Janice @ Curtains In My Tree on March 21, 2014 at 9:09 am

You did a wonderful job on the dresser. Girl Keep It
You can go to Disney land without selling this piece!

advice from a Grandma LOL
deb on September 22, 2014 at 9:34 am

altho I love your end results…I also LOVE the beauty of the raw wood…what a gem of a find!