Tavern Green Shabby Chic Desk

Date
Jun, 17, 2015

Oh hey friends! I’ve got a super fun makeover for you today as part of The Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest. It’s a group I recently joined and each month there is a new theme and new sponsor. This month was Shabby Chic Storage and our Sponsor is The Old Fashion Milk Paint Co. The winner goes home with a prize package from OFMP and of course some bragging rights 😉

TAVERN GREEN SHABBY CHIC DESK

Tavern Green Desk

I knew this little desk I got for $5 during garage sale weekend would be the perfect piece for some shabby chic lovin. And it definitely needed some:

Vintage Desk

I think there was about 10 coats of paint on this thing and half of the drawers were impossible to open. Thank goodness for the hub’s strong muscles 😉

I started by sanding down the top because that was one surface I knew I wanted to be smooth. And there were lots of random paint drops and bubbles all over it.

Sanded Desk Top

I love spending some quality time with my sander but man, I really wasn’t joking when I said there was 10 coats of paint on there. Pretty sure I was dripping sweat all over it. I really didn’t feel like sanding down the entire thing after that, so I just roughed up the edges and smoothed out any major problems.

This was my first time using OFMP and I was super excited to try it out. I’m surprised how quickly I was able to pick a color, because I’m the worst at making decisions. But Tavern Green just jumped out at me and it’s a color I’ve never used before. Luckily they don’t have mint otherwise you know I wouldn’t have been able to resist 😉

Milk Paint Chart

Tavern Green Milk Paint

The only other milk paint I’ve used is Miss Mustard Seed’s and it’s definitely similar. It comes in a powder and you have to mix it yourself with water.

Milk Paint Powder

The directions say to mix equal parts powder with water so I split them up into separate containers for measuring.

Equal Parts Milk Paint

Next up I poured the water into the container with powder and stirred it for about 3 minutes with a paint stick.

Mixing Milk Paint

I was getting a little nervous because I felt like it wasn’t mixing very well and was kind of clumpy. The more you stir though the smoother it gets and the directions also say to let it sit after mixing for about 10 minutes to let everything settle. After that things were much better. I did feel like it was a little watery though so I added another little scoop of powder.

Since I didn’t use the bonding agent, I wasn’t quite sure how the paint was going to adhere to the parts of the desk that I didn’t sand all the way down. Here’s what it looked like after one coat:

One Coat of Milk Paint

I probably could have added even more powder to thicken it up because I ended up doing 4 coats to get the coverage I wanted. That’s definitely one difference I notice with Milk Paint vs. Chalk Paint. Milk Paint seems to be a bit thinner if you follow the measuring directions, whereas Chalk Paint is already pretty thick and creamy.

It seemed to be adhering pretty well though and I was excited to see where and if it would chip. Surprisingly, it really only chipped/crackled around the edges so I gave it an extra little bit of distressing to add to the shabby chic look.

Now I have to tell you about my new BFF. General Finishes Satin Finishing Wax. This stuff is seriously a game changer.

Satin Wax

I first found out about it when Amanda from Ferpie and Fray raved about it. Everything she does is amazing so of course I had to try it out. Let me say this again. GAME CHANGER. I’ll be honest, finishing a piece is my least favorite part of the whole process. I just haven’t found a product that I love. But now I have 🙂 I apply it using an old sock, which was another tip from Amanda. I don’t know about you, but I feel like every “lint free” cloth I buy, leaves hundreds of little lint bunnies all over my furniture! Old socks are the solution guys.

So this stuff reminds me of conditioner, but not quite as thick. You just dab some on your sock and go to town. And another thing I love about it is you can see exactly where it’s going and what it’s covering.

Finishes Wax

It deepens the color of the paint a bit but not as much as it looks here. It goes on like this but then dries up pretty quickly. I think the directions say you should buff it off after you wipe it down, but I haven’t found that to be necessary. It leaves a super smooth finish and when you’re done you can just toss your sock! I’m really not a fan of wax. It’s such a process to put on and I feel like it’s always streaky. I’m telling you, this stuff is where it’s at.

I shared my plan for the drawers last week, but my paper from Spoonflower didn’t get here in time so I bought some black and white fabric from Jo-Anns. Knobs are from none other than Hobby Lobby 🙂

Shabby Chic Desk

Green Distressed Desk

Distressed Desk

Shabby Chic Desk

Distressed Green Desk

Green Shabby Chic Desk

Drawer Liner

Distressed Shabby Chic Desk

P.S. Don’t you love the way this piece pops against my new backdrop?! I sure do 🙂

If you are a blogger who paints furniture and would like to join our monthly Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest, you can contact Stacy (info@anastasiavintage.com) or Evey (info@eveyscreations.com).

Fab Furniture Flippin' Contest

Have a happy hump day friends!

Tavern Green Shabby Chic Desk Makeover

brepurposed

46 Comments

  1. Reply

    Brooke Riley~Re-Fabbed

    July 5, 2015

    LOVE this…and love the color!! I have been wanting to do something in that shade of green, but I haven’t given it a go yet! I have never used milk paint before, but I may have to try this color 🙂

    • Reply

      brepurposed

      July 6, 2015

      Thank you Brooke!! It was a new color for me too, and I was so glad I went for it. You should definitely give milk paint a try!

  2. Reply

    Kathryn Griffin @TheDedicatedHouse

    June 27, 2015

    Hi Bre! The Weekly Feature Series is live which you are apart of. Here is the link so you can check out your feature. http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/2015/06/weekly-feature-series_26.html Hope you are having a lovely weekend. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

  3. Reply

    Katie @ Upcycled Treasures

    June 25, 2015

    This desk makeover really does make me smile, I LOVE the color you chose! I can’t believe I still haven’t played with milk paint, I need some ASAP. Pinning!

    • Reply

      brepurposed

      June 26, 2015

      So glad you love it, Katie! You definitely need to give milk paint a try!

  4. Reply

    Kathryn Griffin @TheDedicatedHouse

    June 23, 2015

    Bre, this is so amazing! The color is perfection! Thank you for sharing. You are one of the features at The Round-Up from the Before & After Wednesday party at The Dedicated House! Here is the link to The Round-Up so you can check out your feature. http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/2015/06/the-round-up-from-before-after-wednesday_23.html Hope to see you again at the party. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

    • Reply

      brepurposed

      June 26, 2015

      Yay, thank you so much Kathryn! So glad you love it 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

  5. Reply

    Sharon

    June 21, 2015

    Was wondering where i would find the finishing wax…is it something I have to order online or is it generally sold at places like Menards…Lowe’s…HomeDepot..Walmart?

  6. Reply

    Corinna - For My Love Of

    June 19, 2015

    Definitely a color I would avoid but so pretty and bright! Love the hardware you used with it! Lots of good things to know here if I ever paint anything!

    • Reply

      brepurposed

      June 21, 2015

      Thanks Corinna!!

  7. Reply

    Amy | Canary Street Crafts

    June 19, 2015

    It’s gorgeous, Bre! I’m excited to try the GF finishing wax. I’m also not a big fan of regular wax. And honestly with my kids, I don’t feel like it gives a strong enough finish. Do you think it’s a more durable finish than regular wax or about equal? Either way I’m really looking forward to trying it out!

    • Reply

      brepurposed

      June 21, 2015

      Thank you Amy!! You’ll love the finishing wax, it’s so easy to use! I’ve only used it a couple times so far but it seems like it provides a strong finish! I haven’t used it on any pieces that I’ve kept around the house so I haven’t been able to really monitor the wear and tear.

  8. Reply

    Erica

    June 18, 2015

    You got that for $5?? Score! Another makeover that I just love! That green is so fun. (And can I say that I just adore that typewriter?!?)

  9. Reply

    Suzan

    June 18, 2015

    What a perfect shade of green – and a beautiful transformation !!!
    ( love how you staged it too )
    xxx

  10. Reply

    Kimm at Reinvented

    June 18, 2015

    Beautiful! I LOVE that green. Haven’t tried milk paint yet, I’m still so madly in love with chalk paint I haven’t dated anyone else… ;). I am going to e-mail Stacy now to join the group! 🙂

    • Reply

      brepurposed

      June 18, 2015

      Thanks Kimm! And you definitely should. I totally agree, I’m more of a chalk paint gal, but milk paint is so fun to use! And yay! I’m so excited you’re going to join the group!

  11. Reply

    Anam @ Delicious And DIY

    June 18, 2015

    What a beautiful transformation!

    • Reply

      brepurposed

      June 18, 2015

      Thank you Anam!!

  12. Reply

    Marie@The Interior Frugalista

    June 17, 2015

    It’s a beaut Bre! It’s been awhile since I played with milk paint but I remember it being a ton of fun because it has a mind of it’s own without the bonding agent. Love the color and those pretty knobs. Oh girl I hear ya re: waxing – so much work. You’ve got me VERY intrigued by the General Finishes Satin Finishing Wax and it’s been added to my shopping list.
    P.S. Your whitewashed backdrop made this piece pop!

    • Reply

      brepurposed

      June 17, 2015

      Thanks Marie!! Milk paint is definitely fun to use, I was kind of disappointed that it didn’t chip more! And I’m telling you, you will LOVE the finishing wax. It’s amazing!!

  13. Reply

    Rachel | The Crafted Life

    June 17, 2015

    Dang Bre you are SO good at furniture makeovers! I’m so jealous!

    • Reply

      brepurposed

      June 17, 2015

      Girl you know I feel the same way about your crafting skills!

  14. Reply

    Shauna

    June 17, 2015

    That pop of green is unexpected, and I love it!

    • Reply

      brepurposed

      June 17, 2015

      Thanks Shauna! It was fun to try a new color!

  15. Reply

    Katie @ Little House of Four

    June 17, 2015

    That green is so fun and looks great against your new backdrop! Another fab makeover as always!

    • Reply

      brepurposed

      June 17, 2015

      Thanks Katie!!! <3

  16. Reply

    Kristi

    June 17, 2015

    It’s beautiful Bre! The colour, those knobs (as always), the paper! LOVE it!

    • Reply

      brepurposed

      June 17, 2015

      Thanks Kristi! This color made me think of you and Carson’s room 😉

  17. Reply

    Gilly @ Colour Saturated Life

    June 17, 2015

    New backdrop looks amazing!!! Different, but still looks like you! The desk looks beautiful, I love you colour choice. My best advice with Milk Paint is only add as much water as you need to get the consistency you want, the amount they say is generally wrong 🙂

    • Reply

      brepurposed

      June 17, 2015

      Thanks Gilly! I’m loving how it looks too! And thanks for the tip, I can definitely tell that it’s more of a trial and error thing to see what works best 🙂

  18. Reply

    cassie @ primitive & proper

    June 17, 2015

    i love this- what a gorgeous color!

    • Reply

      brepurposed

      June 17, 2015

      Thanks Cassie!!

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