Waterfall Hutch

Ideas:

I wanted to go the radiator metal covering route since there are some cool designs, but at 26 bucks for a sheet of it, I decided to pass. Chalkboards can be fun but they are overdone, so I skipped that idea. It was also hard to find a thin, yet sturdy enough piece of wood to fit in there. I ended up going with chicken wire… one becasue I wanted that open feeling so if someone wanted to put towels on the selves and use it in a bathroom or somewhere, it could be cute and decorated.

As I mentioned in this post, I recently was sent some milk paint by The Real Milk Paint Co. I used the Peacock blue on this little entry table and the other color I got was French Grey. I chose to use the french grey on this piece so it could be a neutral, versatile piece. I expected it to be a light grey, but when I opened the container it looked like a blue color. It was definitely a surprise. There is no way I would consider this grey (though it does have grey undertones) but I still think the color is nice. My favorites are greys, blues and greens, so the color is still right up my alley.

I had to use 3 coats to get the coverage I wanted. I always have to do more coats with lighter colors. The hutch was looking like this after 2 coats. I like how the wood shows through the paint.

One thing I found difficult was getting this brand of milk paint to mix well. For some reason each time I would mix some the water and power would stay separate. Even once they did mix, it was very clumpy. I even let it sit for the recommended 20 minutes and stir before using. There was this thick foam-y clumpy part on the top, but once I used it up the rest was usually good. Because of this there were a lot of little clumps to sand off once I was finished with the 3 coats. I planned on sanding everything down to get that super smooth finish so it was not too big of a deal.

I wanted some chipping on this piece so I did not use the bondng agent. There were a few small areas with very, very small chips, but nothing you can see when you stand back. I am good with that though. The wood still shows through in spots and the paint has so much character by itself. It gives it that weathered, cottage feel. I left everything to dry and the next day I noticed weird yellowish-brown spots that started coming through the paint. It was just in a few areas, but when I checked on it a few hours later there were tons of large patches where the weird coloring was coming through. I have had bleed through before on pieces, but it is usually with dark, more red or oil based stains.

I decided to use another color of milk paint on top to help cover these spots. One of the other colors of paint I had was Soldier Blue by The Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company. I decided to just paint one coat on over the already waxed previous color. I let it dry over night and checked it in the morning. There was a ton of chipping. It seems like this brand chips more, and in bigger patches than the Real Milk Paint does. Here is what I saw.

The top chipped the most, everywhere else a good amount, but the sides… not so much. My first reaction was… “I can deal with this” and as the day went on I really started to like it. I think I like that is is not wood, but two different blue-ish layers of paint. I sanded everything to get all the flakes off. The garage floor was covered (which I cleaned it up with the shop vac). Previously when I have used milk paint I seal it with SC Johnson Paste wax, but it seems to dry the paint out when it dries. I wanted to try linseed or tung oil, but don’t want to take the time to order it or pay for the shipping. I decided to use what we had, and after refreshing the finish on my MC Danish modern dresser I just got, I decided to try orange oil on it.

I’m sure people are going tell me why this is a bad idea, or why I should use a different type of oil… but it worked fine! (You are more than welcome to leave feedback about using oil as a finish for milk paint) It deepens the color which I really liked, and the paint and wood absorb it in so the finish in not left oily. I also used Minwax Paste Wax as a sealer over the orange oil after it has soaked in and dried. I took some pictures so you could see the difference between was has been oiled and not oiled. (In the first on the little section on the right has been oiled, and in the second picture the top part has been oiled)

I added chicken wire to keep that open feel. The chicken wire actually came from the senior prank my class did last year. When we were cleaning up no one wanted it and I knew I cold find a use for it, so I took it. It had actually been in the yard for a month or so blocking a gap in the fence so our bunny (Basil) can’t escape when she gets to run around. It had leaves and twigs stuck in it 🙂 My mom helped me cut and then staple it in behind the door. We also thought putting a neutral cream fabric behind the shelves would look good. The fabric is held in by a few staples that are hidden, and the shelves help keep it in as well.

I had filled the inner holes left from the original hardware before I painted since I knew I was going to use new hardware. I picked out some new knobs from my stash to put in place of the old ones. It just freshens things up! I love the way the white pops agains the paint. It brings it all together!

Have you tried using some type of oil over milk paint, or have you only used wax before? What is your go to sealer for painted furniture?

Linking up with:

Nifty Thrifty Things * Our Delightful Home * Knick of Time * A Bowl Full of Lemons * Elizabeth & Co. 

Domestically Speaking * Handy Man, Crafty Woman * Beyond the picket fence * the 36th Avenue

Liz Marie Blog * Miss Mustard Seed * Classy Clutter * DIY Show Off * The Girl Creative