Coastal Makeover in Fusion Milk Paint “Sea Glass”
THE DRIFTWOOD EDIT — No. 01
An old dresser gets a coastal refresh in Fusion Milk Paint’s “Sea Glass”, plus a little of what I’ve been reading, burning, buying, and loving lately.
01 / THE PROJECT
I bought this dresser through Craigslist several years ago, back when Craigslist was the preferred place for buying cheap furniture – pre-Facebook Marketplace. If you’re relatively young, say 30 and below, Craigslist may seem like a sketchy platform where serial killers and people of questionable morals reside. But for us Millennials, Craigslist was where you found the best furniture deals, mostly because the older generations selling all their awesome stuff only knew how to use Craigslist.
This piece was quarter-sawn oak veneer with a decent amount of wear and tear, but its size was originally what caught my eye. It was too small to be a full-grown buffet for a dining room, but for my son’s room as a TV console? Perfect. It housed all of his DVDs (another Millennial treasure), books, puzzles, and everything else that accumulated along the way.
And there it stayed for several years, until he eventually outgrew it and it became less of a functional piece of furniture and more of a collection point for random bits of broken toys and Pokémon cards.
Because of its size, I knew this piece needed a bright, vibrant color with some character. I wanted it to be able to serve a bunch of different purposes – a bar, an entryway piece, office storage, you name it, without disappearing into its surroundings in a neutral color.
My philosophy with smaller furniture is that bolder is usually better. Smaller pieces have the opportunity to become accents in a room as something you can actually build around. I tend to take the opposite approach with really large pieces, where I often want the finish to visually “shrink” the furniture so it complements what’s already there instead of taking over the entire room.
So I chose Fusion’s Sea Glass from their Milk Paint line. It’s a beautiful coastal blue that can bend to a lot of different tastes. For someone who normally gravitates toward neutrals, it’s an easy way to introduce color in a more layered, livable way. But if your tastes run bigger and bolder, Sea Glass has enough personality that the blue doesn’t have to simply complement the room, it can lead it.
Milk paint also made the finish itself an easy choice. If you’re drawn to weathered, naturally aged finishes with variation and character, milk paint does a lot of that work for you. And the process was refreshingly simple:
| No sanding. Just clean, mix, and paint.
After three coats had dried, I gave the piece a light scuff sanding to smooth the finish and add some subtle distressing, then sealed everything with wax. I kept the top in a driftwood finish to provide some contrast and, more importantly, preserve a warm wood element against all that Sea Glass.
THE DETAILS
THE PIECE
Quarter-sawn oak veneer
THE PAINT
Fusion Milk Paint
THE COLOR
Sea Glass
THE FINISH
Wax + Driftwood-finished top
02 / WHAT I USED
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03 / THE REVEAL
And here she is. Sea Glass gave this little dresser exactly what it needed. Just enough color to make it interesting, while the warm wood top keeps it grounded and a little imperfect.
And while we’re here, a few other things I’ve been loving lately…
04 / ON MY NIGHTSTAND
CURRENTLY READING
The Couple Next Door
by Shari Lapena
I picked this one up because I’m a huge fan of thrillers. I love a book that grabs my attention from the start and keeps me guessing until the end, and this one definitely delivered. Full of suspense and plenty of questionable characters, it absolutely lives up to its ominous cover.
I’m nearing the end now, and while the biggest reveal is already out there, there are still a few loose ends to tie everything together. I’m always a fan of those “you never really know who the villain is” kinds of stories, and this one has kept me second-guessing everyone.
05 / CURRENTLY BURNING
SCENT NOTES
VANILLA & TOBACCO
This one has been in my top three since the very beginning of my candle line and years later, it’s still one I burn on repeat. It’s also remained a year-round bestseller, and for good reason. Rich tobacco leaf and sweet vanilla create a scent that’s warm, sultry, and just a little masculine without leaning too far in either direction.
It’s one of those rare fragrances that seems to appeal equally to men and women. Think antique books, worn leather, dark wood, and a little sweetness in the air. There’s a reason this one has never left my rotation.
06 / FOUND & LOVED
That’s a wrap on the very first Driftwood Edit. As I’ve shared before, I’m shifting toward more of an all-inclusive lifestyle blog, and I’m hoping The Driftwood Edit becomes a place where I can bring together all the things I love in one easy post. A furniture makeover, a good book, something burning in the background, and a few things I’ve been loving lately; basically, a little bit of everything that tends to find its way into life around here. And hopefully, everything you need to recreate, discover, or shop a few of those things for yourself.
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