Chalk & Milk Paint Tips & Techniques. Helpful How-to’s & DIYs

Sewing Machine Cupboard Makeover with MMS Milk Paint — Thanks MOM!

9/1/2017

It's pretty easy to get your hands on one of these old girls.

I was fortunate enough to unearth this beauty from my mother-in-law's garage.

Although the real oldies with the metal bases and carved drawers are lovely, I find the understated simplicity of this "newer" Mid-Century sewing machine cupboard darn gorgeous. And perfect to restyle into a desk!

Plus. It was free. ;D

Before: A vintage sewing cabinet ready to go!

A vintage sewing machine upcycled into a desk and workspace area with MMSMP

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How to Seal Floors with All Natural MMSMP Hemp Oil — Slate, Wood or Stone Flooring

25/7/2016

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It began with this photo...

Renewing a tired wood parquetry floor with MMS Hemp Oil

Yes, you can refinish tired wood floors with all natural Miss Mustard Seed's Hemp Oil. It not only revives and renews the timber, but protects and seals it as well!

Eco-friendly and ideal to use for those with an autoimmune condition, asthma or chemical sensitivities, Hemp Oil contains no chemicals or solvents and has zero VOCs — absolutely no nasties! In fact, Hemp Oil is a food-grade product so safe you can use it on cutting boards, butcher blocks and on wooden utensils. It is used in beauty and skin care products and is an ideal sealer for childrens' toys and furniture.

Hemp Oil works from the inside out penetrating the surface to create a durable, hard-wearing finish. It doesn't leave any stickiness or film and won't yellow, chip or flake with time like most traditional floor sealers.

Once dried, hemp oil has a rich natural lustre.

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The Easy Way to Distress Furniture — Wet-sanding with Hemp Oil

3/4/2016

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This beautiful but neglected captain's chair waited far too long for some lovin'.

So on the first night after Daylight Savings ended (boo!) I dragged it inside so I could spend a sexy night....sanding! (While watching a movie with the man of course.)

Here's the before.

A gorgeous, quality chair painted a couple years ago in Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint in the colour Artissimo.

Before; Painted in MMSMP in the colour Artissimo

It's moving into a coastal home, although I didn't paint this chair myself, I knew it's a very good quality oak and I wanted to get down to expose a bit of it.

Time for Hemp Oil!

And 150-grade sandpaper to create a lovely, worn vintage feel.

It went like this:

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Painting Leather with Old World Clay & Chalk Paint — The Ultimate Ikea Hack!

22/3/2016

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If you don't have one of these chairs, you've probably seen one.

You can find them on Gumtree and ebay and at garage sales (or maybe even stashed in your shed or garage?)

They still sell them at Ikea in various forms (the Poang chair) from $189 on up. They're a useful piece, solid construction and can squeeze into a tight spot.

Obviously this one had seen better days — what better to play on?

BEFORE: Ikea chair in need of love...

Let's go coastal with Old World Clay & Chalk Paint.

The awesome thing about painting this chair? The seat cushion and headrest slipped right off the frame.

WIP: Painting with a Cling On Brush using Old World Paint in the colour City Lights

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Rescuing a Little Australian History — Painting and Reloving an Antique Wood Toolbox

2/7/2015

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Sometimes it's all about timing — or luck.
But other times, I believe it's fate.
On the drive home from a meeting with our insurance agent,
(honestly...boring-as, right?)
My husband spotted an elderly gentleman swinging
this amazingly tool caddy into a rubbish skip.
Knowing me well,
he pointed it out and at my urging screeched
into a U-turn and pulled up kerbside.
I hopped out and approached the gentlemen
to ask if I could have that beautiful solid wood toolbox.

What ensued was like a comedy routine.
He said, "I don't know why you'd want it...but take it if you like."

I told him I restore and refinish furniture
and that I generally love old stuff.
Again...he just stared at me blankly.
I'm used to that.
I've had that stare from family, friends and strangers most my life.

Eventually my enthusiasm either frightened or
intrigued him into telling me he was a retired builder.
He'd been building houses for more than 50 years.
This toolbox was one of his first projects he built
to hold his chisels and other tools.

"Don't you want to keep it?" I asked again.

"It's been collecting dust for years, it's yours if you want it," he said.
And back to that puzzled look...

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BEFORE: A little bit of Adelaide history in this vintage toolbox

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A Milk Painted Vintage Music Cupboard Becomes a Stylish Printer Stand!

8/5/2015

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Before: My vintage music cabinet score with leaded glass

What's the old adage....
a plumber's pipes are always leaking?
An accountant's books are never in order?

I rarely have time to paint for myself,
but I've slowly been working on my home office renovation
which is not only important for peace in my home,
but also for staying on top of For The Love paperwork!
A disorganised workspace helps no one.
After an exceptionally busy week
I decided to reward myself by making the time to
paint something for myself.
Once my home office is finished, I will post the entire project as it's been an exciting journey.

But for today....let's look at my gorgeous printer stand/stationery cabinet.

I found this beauty the very day she turned up at one of my favourite haunts,
and before they could even slap a price tag on her,
I added her to my lay-by!
The owner told me it would've been used as a music cupboard
with sheets of music kept inside on the shelves.

I don't know if that's true, but the idea makes me love it even more.
Aside from that, it was the perfect height and width, the printer would fit on top,
there was shelving inside for bits and pieces, but mostly...
this baby has STYLE!!!!

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A Personal Journey—My Grandfather's Steamer Trunk Restoration

28/4/2015

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This trunk has been with me since I discovered it in the garage all those years ago. When I grew out of my girly bedroom, the trunk stayed as the frills and lace went. When I ventured off to college (uni), moved into my own apartment, then when I got married it came with me each time, just as it did when my husband and I bought our first house...and then made the trek from Los Angeles to Australia where it remains in my home. It stayed in its original condition earning a few more dents, scratches and stories to tell.

I lost my father over Christmas. He was a larger-than-life man with character, strength and more love than any one human should have the capacity for. Respecting and bringing new life to this trunk became very important to me, literally overnight. After years of being content to use it as-is, suddenly I felt it needed restoration, rejuvenation and to stand proud again. And maybe a bit of sparkle because the light my father brought to this earth was no longer.

The trunks of that period were built to last. Perhaps it shows how poor my grandfather was that his trunk is not in fact metal, but a low-grade of timber covered in thick cardboard. Some of the outer shell had fallen or flaked off with age and use. The leather handles had all but shredded away.

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My grandfather's trunk

The transformation begins

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Maximum Impact — 5 Easy Upcycles to Try this Weekend!

26/3/2015

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Repotted house plants with river rocks

The indestructible Ponytail Palm

1. Just Add Plant!

Let's face it, some projects are just easier than others.
A stool versus an armoire for example.
And some techniques are just faster than others.
Although there is a time for layering, distressing and experimenting with paint,
sometimes it's just good for the soul to get something done,
start to finish...and bask in the success!

I don't get much time to paint for myself, so when I can,
I squeeze in a project here and there that I can complete
quickly and easily, but with the hope of maximum impact!
Here are five such fabulous projects
to inspire the DIY Weekend Warrior in you:

It's fairly easy to find a random disused garden pot
lurking about the shed, yard or garage, right?
It's not just me who keeps random, old stuff that most people dump, right?
You can always pick one up for $1-$2 at Salvos.

On a whim I gave some river rocks a quick coat of
Lumiere Metallic Paint in True Gold and I'm so glad I did!
What a fantastic result and an unexpected addition...

We've all heard about the benefits of having indoor plants.
Bonus? They're back in fashion in interior styling so you
no longer look like the crazy-jungle-treehugger
if you have them scattered about your home.

This is a ponytail palm (Beaucarnea Guatamalensis) and
the label promises me I can't kill it.
It was $26.99 at the local hardware but
I've seen them at Ikea for a lot less.

Who doesn't need gold rocks in their life?

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Painting a Laminate Kitchen with Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint

18/3/2015

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I have this awesomely brave client in Western Australia.
She's a visionary...
Although her builders grade kitchen was lovely, she wanted more.
She wanted to put her personal stamp on it.
And she decided to do it with Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint.

Although she'd never used Milk Paint before, Mrs. S was game
to get started and we walked through it together via email, texts and a few phone calls.

BEFORE: Builder's grade laminate kitchen

New raw timber bench tops installed BEFORE Hemp Oil

The project began with replacing the laminate countertops with
affordable raw timber bench tops from the local hardware store.
The cost? Only $69.
Nice!

Although Mrs. S originally intended to stain and varnish the bench tops,
we instead discussed the benefits of staining with Milk Paint and
using Miss Mustard Seed's Hemp Oil to seal it.
She liked that Hemp Oil is waterproof, heatproof and
most importantly, food-safe.

Once she and Mr. S tested the Hemp Oil on an inconspicuous spot,
they were sold! They scrapped the idea of staining the timber
they were so happy with the rich, beautiful finish the Hemp Oil
brought to the mid-grade timber.

AFTER: Timber benchtops come alive with Hemp Oil

kitchen-renovation-mmsmilkpaint-australia

Benchtops sealed and new laminate upper cabinets installed

The next step was painting the laminate cabinetry.
She chose Miss Mustard Seed's Artissimo, a rich, deep midnight blue
that perfectly complements the white glass splash back in this coastal home.

What's the key to getting a beautiful finish with Milk Paint??? Patience.
Here's what Mrs. S had to say about mixing the paint,
"The paint went on like a dream. The key was, as you said, mix and rest, mix and rest."

For a project like this, mixing Milk Paint to a smooth and
even consistency is key. Don't rush the process.
Allow the paint time.

Once mixed Bonding Agent was added to ensure bonding with the laminate
and to prevent any "chippy" from happening.
Our natural bristle Paint Brushes were used to ensure
a smooth, even application.

"All up the brushes are sooooo easy to take care of, " says Mrs. S.
"I've never been able to keep brushes before, this was a first!
Worth every penny."

Progress shot, the drawer at the front sealed with a coat of Hemp Oil

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Detail shot of the final finish on a drawer front

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Who wouldn't want to cook in this kitchen??!!

Here's a bit more of what my awesome client had to say:
"The colour and paint is just beautiful.
The photos do not do this colour justice.
I abolutely looooooovvvvveee it.
Thank you for your awesome paints!"

I think Mrs. S has officially been bitten by the Miss Mustard Seed bug.
She has already ordered Curio, Grain Sack and Kitchen Scale...
I cannot wait to see what she gets up to next!

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"Milked and hemped," says my fab client

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Nearly finished...

So amazed, impressed and proud, proving again that there is no going wrong with Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint

One coat of Artissimo painted, the next day a second coat was applied.
The following day they were sealed with Hemp Oil.
What a result!

The stunning end result...a kitchen to be proud of.
And I'm so proud to have her as a client and
to have been a small part of this stunning kitchen renovation.