Preparing, Painting and Layering

Our first show of the season is this Sunday and the forecast is calling for a beautiful day!  Denise and I have been working overtime, putting in ridiculous hours preparing and experimenting with all different kinds of paint.  I can't wait to show you what we've done.

If any of you live near the Philadelphia tri-state area, Clover Market is definitely worth a trip.  This show is sure to be a good one with tons of new vendors, amazing food and entertainment.  For a sneak peak and more info check out Clover's Facebook page.

In my spare time (pahahahaha) I re painted my little side table in the Family Room.  Whenever I try a new paint I like to test it out first on my own stuff to make sure I like it and get the consistency right.

I've been doing a lot of experimenting with Milk Paint and I think I've finally got it figured out.  I really like this paint, especially the fun colors.  The only problem I have with it is that it's kind of messy and I find I'm wasting a lot.  I've learned to only mix what I'm going to use, which isn't always easy to figure out.  If I have extra I wind up looking around for something else to paint so as not to waste it.  Extra paint can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

I first painted this table in Luckett's Green, which I shared here.

I liked it but as I shared in that post it turned out a little too turquoise.  I found that when I mixed the paint a second time the color was a little lighter.  So this time around I mixed it to the perfect consistency and then added a little Mustard Seed Yellow, painting it in a random pattern here and there.




While it was still drying I added just the yellow in certain areas for a layered look.

Once it dried I applied the antiquing wax all over.  

I just love the way this table looks now.

If you are trying to make a piece appear worn, nothing works better than layering different colors of paint.  It instantly gives a piece a look that it has evolved over time.

And nothing makes a house looked more lived-in than toys and sippy cups on the floor.

With a few Mini-Wheats sprinkled in.

Do you spy a sunburst mirror in the above pic?  To give you an idea of how old it is, I purchased it from This End Up years ago.  Remember that place?  It was known for their boxy wood furniture, but they had the most amazing accessories.  When we first got married, I accessorized our little apartment almost entirely from that store.  This mirror is the only thing I have left after almost 20 years, and during that time it has moved from room to room.

Last week I showed it on the mantle with the shutters I painted.

I didn't like that look so the large clock from Home Goods and the sunburst mirror switched places, and the shutters will be headed to Clover Market on Sunday.

The room seems more balanced now with the larger pieces on opposite walls to compliment each other.
Yes, for whatever reason that stuff matters to me.  

First thing next week, after recovering from my show and cleaning the house from top to bottom, I am going to IKEA to replace this love seat!  I.CANNOT.WAIT.  The little man stays :)

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulicious day!
xoxo,
Kim

Got Milk?

Milk Paint, that is.

I received my pre-ordered supply in the mail yesterday and I didn't even wait to change into my work clothes before I dove head-first into a project.  I ordered Mustard Seed Yellow, Tricycle Red and Luckett's Green, along with a supply of antiquing wax and bonding agent.

I used Luckett's Green on a pair of old swing doors I had recently picked up at the flea.  I had a couple ideas of where I wanted to put them, but ended up using them on the mantle with a sunburst mirror in the middle.  I'm really happy with this new look.

Here's how the mantle looked before:

And now:

I had some extra paint, so I painted the round table in the opposite corner of the room, which looked kinda drab before.

And now with Luckett's Green:

My camera didn't quite capture the true beauty of this color.

As far as what I think of the paint, I watched the video and read the instructions like any good DIYer, and then proceeded to do my own thing anyway, which I paid for later.  It was really just an accident on my part.  I was in such a hurry that I added the powder to the water, instead of the other way around like you are supposed to.  That resulted in a watery concoction that was more like a glaze than paint.  This is actually an option if you choose to use it that way.  I found that this way didn't produce the chipping that would occur if I mixed it more like a paint - less watered down.  I was still very happy with the results.

One thing I did notice however, is that when I added more powder later to thicken the mixture, the color actually changed to a lighter green.  The first coat was more like a turquoise -blue.  I decided that in order to achieve a more weathered look I would only add the second coat in the lighter color sporadically.  I was very happy with the end result.

I had a lot of mixed paint leftover, which I stored in an airtight container to use over the weekend.

Have you tried Milk Paint yet?

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulicious day!
xoxo,
Kim