Trying a new milk paint: Shackteau Interiors

Im taking this COVID time to catch up on blogging because my “to-do” list keeps growing and I need to handle that quickly. I seem to have gotten in over my head with home projects and ideas for my business. As it turns out, I’m procrastinating because it’s so overwhelming. Over the years there was a bunch of projects I did, but never really blogged about because I never thought to take process photos or many before-and-afters. However, the Spring cleaning vibes have hit my blog and I’ve narrowed down my list of furniture projects and this cute farmhouse style dresser painted in Shackteau Interiors Milk Paint is one of them.

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This dresser was a Facebook Marketplace find. Facebook Marketplace is a great place to find your furniture projects because often times sellers need them gone asap, they are negotiable on price and sometimes even offer delivery. I look out for solid wood pieces usually made between 1890-1960 because during that time period, furniture was still a handcrafted business and mass production wasn’t quite as prominent. People wanted pieces that would pass the test of time so they are always my first pick when shopping for furniture.

I loved the pretty lines of this dresser and it was an even bigger bonus it still had the original mirror attached to it. It was the perfect candidate for chippy milk paint. The color I had been dying to try was “Magnolia Pier” by Shackteau Interiors. Its a weathered gray/brown color that looks just like the color of salt-washed wood.

The list of supplies I used to complete this project is listed below but to the prep is my usual routine: cleaning, vacuuming, debugging and scuff sanding.

Chippy Milk Paint Tip: If you want to get some chippy goodness, the secret is to lay off the sanding. If you want more control over it without using bonding agent, you should scuff sand and let the milk paint do its thing.

Two coats of Magnolia Pier was all this dresser and mirror needed and after a bit of distressing, the dresser was perfect! I sealed it with a couple layers of clear and white wax and buffed in-between. Sometimes you can get a really great satin luster with wax and it helps to preserve the texture and color variation of milk paint.

This color is so versatile and it would pair well with many accent colors. I chose small white knobs with a brass base to compliment the white wax and a pretty floral paper to sit in the drawers. Pieces like this now have another lifetime to go (with many other looks in the future) but it feels good to give these pieces a much needed makeover.

Leaving the legs the natural wood color also gives this piece a really great contrast. I am a huge fan of mixing wood and paint elements, so the natural legs are a good nod to my tastes.

Supply List:

• Shackteau Interiors Milk Paint in “Magnolia Pier“
• Sandpaper
• Orbital Sander
• Tack Cloths
• ShopVac
• Simple Green Cleaner
• Fusion Mineral Paint “White Wax“
• Fusion Mineral Paint “Clear Wax“
• Small white knobs
• Your favorite liner (I get a lot of mine here)