Chip Chip Hooray!

CUSTOM FINISH 

This beautiful table was brought in by one of our clients for custom work. She wanted a very specific look. Chippy, crackled and aged! We choose one of our lines we carry at The Vintage Brush called, Homestead House Milk Paint. This product is environmentally friendly, non toxic and contains zero VOCs. Without using their Bonding Agent, Milk Paint will resist some pre-finished surfaces leaving you with an authentic distressed or chippy finish.

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CHOOSING THE RIGHT PRODUCTS FOR YOUR PROJECT

Our client wanted a bright white finish so she chose, Homestead House Milk Paint, Sturbridge White.
​Shades of white can be the most challenging to work with. I recommend using a shade of grey as a primer. I chose to use Homestead House Milk Paint Bedford. Others products I used in this line was a wax puck and Clear Furniture Wax.

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PREP MAKES PERFECT!

Prepping your piece of furniture is one of the most important steps. Milk Paint requires a porous surface to absorb. If you project has been previously painted or has a sealer on it, I'd recommend adding the Bonding Agent product to your first coat. However since my client wanted an authentic aged look, I decided to skip this step and see what happens. I lightly sanded the entire piece with a fine grit sanding pad. These are great because they form around curves. Next I cleaned the piece off with Windex. This is a great household product to use as Windex contains ammonia which breaks down on any oils used over time on the wood. 
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WAX...PRIME...CRACKLE...CHIP

The next few steps are my favorite. Its a chance to get creative and let the milk paint do its thing. First I used a wax puck on all the edges and curves where natural ware would occur. By applying wax to certain areas this repeals the paint so that its easier for distressing. Next I primed the piece with Homestead House Milk Paint, Bedford. I then applied heat using a hair dryer to each layer of paint. The heat causes the paint to shrink and gives you the perfect crackle effect.
After I was satisfied with 3 coats of Homestead House Sturbridge White, I used the fine sanding pad and lightly sanded the entire piece. As I sanded, the Milk Paint flaked and chipped off, especially where I had placed wax. Its really important to have a nice smooth surface when refinishing furniture. I also used a medium grit sanding pad to really remove and distress in areas where the Milk Paint was adhering more.

THE FINISHING LINE

Now that this piece has a completely new look, its time to apply a finishing product. I used Homestead House Clear Furniture Wax on the legs to help protect the paint. Milk Paint is porous in nature and the wax will easily absorb into the surface. When the wax hardens, it seals the paint, giving it a pretty matte finish. 

Happy Painting!
~A.