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Salvaging the Past
We found an antique parlor table at an auction in Stevens Point. It was one of those days that turned out to be very profitable. We got good prices and I fed my furniture flipping addiction. Many things didn’t sell that day, and we watched as the auctioneer helpers tossed dozens of unpurchased items in the dumpster. It was sad to watch.
We left with a van full of great furniture for our new FB store The Red Shed. My SIL and DH had the privilege of loading the van while my DD and I stood and watched.
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This table needed help.
Not only was it old and in need of repair, but it was just plain messed up. I could easily see its potential so I was glad when I won the bid.
We took it all apart.
OK, my DH took it all apart, and repaired all the joints. I scrubbed it with Krud Kutter, scraped it and sanded out the scratches on the top, down to bare wood. The wood underneath was beautiful.
The table didn’t fit the antique lover’s romantic vision of apriceless piece of history that no one can ever paint or get rid of.
I want to show you the reality of most old pieces of furniture. They aren’t magical. They aren’t untouchable. They aren’t more important than people.They are just pieces of wood. Some are banged up, some are in perfect condition. But all are just things. This is just a side table in need of help.
Do you paint antiques?
If you are of the persuasion that antique furniture should never be painted, that’s great. If you are willing to paint anything to make it fit into your own style, that’s great too. There is room for everyone. Just remember whoever owns the piece decides what to do. Don’t brow beat those who have differing opinions. It’s ok to be different from your fellow artists. Just do what makes you happy.
One of the most important parts of restoring furniture is to take a step back and meticulously clean and repair it. Take your time and don’t rush. Know that you have done all you can to make your piece stellar. Too often people rush and get all artsy and don’t do the piece justice by preparing it properly. We’ve all heard, “No prep!” Don’t believe it.
You need sand it if there is the least bit of shiny finish to give it tooth. You also want to take off imperfections to give it a nice surface.
I’ll tell you about the gel stain I used on the top another time. But for now I want to focus on the paint by (afflink) Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company.
We kept the top separate from the bottom and skirt (the part that hung down from the top) so I could have an easier job of painting and glazing. We found some beautiful wood beneath all that old finish and stain. I stained the top with (afflinks) Java Gel and painted and glazed the bottom and skirt with Old Fashioned Milk Paint and Acriglaze.
OFMP: “Our Milk Paint is environmentally safe and non-toxic. There is a slight milky odor when it is applied, but it is completely odorless when dry. The paint is safe for children’s furniture and toys, and can also be used for interiors of homes of people who are allergic to modern paints.”
This is a company that you need to take a serious look at. The paint is different from all the others – it’s non-toxic.
They were generous enough to provide Old Fashioned Milk Paint, Acriglaze, and Extra Bond for this project. Since I’m a brand blogger, I even got a t’shirt! For future projects I also was given Daddy Van’s Wax and Tung Oil along with other colors to play with. You’ll see many new pieces very soon.
The paint is more natural than traditional paint, non-toxic, can be mixed to just about any color variation, and can also be used to tint glaze and be used as an aging dust (can’t wait to try that!). This paint mirrors the paint used hundreds of years ago and doesn’t fade over time because OFMP Company researched the recipe and produces it as they did in days of old. You can control the thickness and layer it as many ways as your imagination allows for a unique look.
Basically, this paint gives you creative license. Score.
Since I’m now an official OMFP blogger, I’ll be bringing you many projects painted with Old Fasioned Milk Company Products.
This was my first project using this paint. At first I was a little frustrated, but once I got a handle on it, I began to really like it! I especially love the idea of mixing my own colors.
There is a bit of a learning curve, so I’ll share some of the things I learned.
1. When mixing the paint, do it gently because it will get bubbles. If you get bubbles, let it sit for a bit to “unbubble.” It’s too hard to paint with bubbles.
2. It takes a bit to dissolve the powder, so be patient. Start out with warm water. I let it sit a bit after mixing to give it time to dissolve. If while you paint you get a bit of undissolved powder on your piece, just keep painting and smooth it into the rest of the paint. The varied tones are part of this unique paint. Go with it.
3. It is best to mix up what you need each day. OFMP has no preservatives so it doesn’t last like other paint after it is mixed. If you want to keep it for the next day, put it in the fridge to keep it fresh. You can expect it to last about a week or so. I didn’t put it in the fridge and on day three it was unusable.
4. If your surface isn’t bare wood, use (afflinks) Extra Bond in your first coat if you want good adhesion. Mix your paint and add Extra Bond to turn it into a primer. Then subsequent coats can be straight OFMP. The first layer with Extra Bond won’t cover well (nor will the next layer if you keep using it), but it will prime the surface. The next layers of the regular mixed milk paint will do that for you.
5. You can use the (afflink) Acriglaze to make your own tinted glaze. It didn’t dissolve well right away when I mixed it so I went ahead and used it while it still had a little undissolved paint powderfor special effects.
At this stage, it gave me the exact look I wanted – it turned out better than I expected. How often can you say that? Don’t be afraid to experiment. I just brushed it on over my homemade antique white until I liked the look. It was very easy to work with.
6. Use the clear untinted (afflink) Acriglaze to add your final finish to protect the milk paint. I used a microfiber covered sponge from the dollar store (3 for $1). I just wiped it on. Easy.
Acriglaze is a good idea because you want your piece to last until your great granddaughter wants to do something different with it. It’s good to pass down furniture to your kids. It helps them appreciate history.
Just don’t be shocked when she paints it hot pink.
BEFORE
AFTER
It’s fun to work with and a very good quality paint that is a good choice if you prefer to keep harmful chemicals out of your home. Thanks for stopping by. Let me know if you have any questions about the Old Fashioned Milk Paint. I’ll be giving you more tips as I go along and learn more about this paint.
Meanwhile, come say, “Hey” at our new FB furniture store, The Red Shed.
Thanks!
NOTE: This was a sponsored post. Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company graciously supplied the products to flip this table in exchange for an honest review, and that’s what you got! Thanks for reading! * Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you buy anything after clicking on one of the affiliate links, I receive a small commission of the sale. The cost to you is the same, and I only link to items that I think would benefit my readers. Your support of this blog is greatly appreciated!
Hi, Val! "Sophie" looks gorgeous now! I completely agree with you, it's everyone's decision to paint or not to paint a piece of furniture, and both are valid. You did a great job with it! I think I need to try the Acriglaze tip on tinting… Which color did you use for that purpose?
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I used driftwood to color the glaze.
What a fantastic makeover!!
Thanks, Lynn!
What a fantastic makeover, grey is may favourite. wanna try milk paint now
thanks for sharing
Don't you just love those days when you find just what you want at a great price? It will be fun seeing how you transform all the furniture you bought!
The paint you used looks like a great product–thanks for the tip about "de-bubbling"–that's good to know!
Thanks for sharing, I agree with you, it's everyone's decision to paint or not to paint a piece of furniture. I need to renew my table, and I search google, then I find your website. That's great!
Excellent! I hope your table turns out well! Send me a picture when you are done.
The outcome is so beautiful. Thank you very much for sharing. Old furniture can be good decoration elements after transformation. I will try it with my old table and chairs.
Love the way you put great effort in renewing the old table. The transformation result is quite good. Such a good idea to give the old furniture a new look but the price is affordable. Thanks for sharing.
Among the "task" to renovate furniture in our house, transform your stuff into new one seems to be very hard for me. The table looks absolutely amazing to me. So admire you!!!
Thanks, Thomas. The flipping furniture craft is very enjoyable, so it doesn’t seem like work or anything special when we do it. But when we see the final products, we are in awe too. It’s a grand moment! You should give it a try.
I have plan to repaint some tables and chairs in my home office. So, i am very happy i can see your post, great ideas to renew old furnitures. Thanks a lot!
I’d like to see pictures of your project once it’s done, Laura.
Ok so this piece came out beautifully! I am a fan of painting old pieces to a certain extent. This one I would have painted. Some people just go wayyyyy overboard with painting every single piece they purchase. Some pieces you just don't paint, period! No if ands or buts about it! There's that certain vintage antique that just says don't touch me! Sometimes you can't feel it but most of the time you can and you just know you shouldn't do it. When you come across one of those and you don't quite know what to do, go to a website like hometalk and ask! The responses you get will give you your answer. Wow, I don't know where this came from but I'm done..lol! Great job! Love the colors!