Creating a Chippy & Rustic Dresser with Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint — Finding Inspiration Everywhere

Outback Australia

When asked how to come up with colour ideas my best answer is — look for inspiration everywhere you go! It may take practice, but soon you will see things in terms of colour and be overwhelmed with ideas.

On a roadtrip through the Australian Outback, some may have been bored with hour after hour of scrub, trees and desolation. I found it beautiful and inspiring. Nature always does that for me!

Stopping at a billabong along the way, the colours of this gum tree were so striking, I decided then and there to paint something in these shades when I returned to the studio. 

This tree, inspired this piece!

The black of the trunk with the pale green leaves....against the red dirt,
it had a haunting beauty, even in the
bright sunlight of the day.

When I was back in the studio,
there stood this dated pine dresser in need of love.
​The perfect volunteer.

Before: A simple, but dated pine dresser

I used Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint in the colour Typewriter
to roughly paint the entire frame.

​It was a warm day and I distressed the piece as it was drying with a wet rag.  
Any areas where I removed too much paint
(like the top, I didn't like that "patch of pine"),
once dried I brushed on a bit more Milk Paint to cover more of the timber. 

And that is the beauty and fun of MMS Milk Paint,
you can change your mind, experiment,
​play and mix things up as you go along the way!

The "ugly stage" you can reach when using natural paints like Milk Paint or Chalk Paint

The drawers were painted with Luckett's Green
and wet-distressed once the paint had mostly dried.

​Chipping may have happened on its own,
​but I helped it along with a damp rag.

Loving the Luckett's Green

All natural paints like Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint
​and Old World Clay & Chalk Paint can look a bit flat once dried.
Don't let this worry you,
this changes once you seal the finish...

Drawers before and during waxing stage...brining the finish to life!

The dresser was sealed with Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Wax --
 a clear, smooth and creamy wax with no nasties.

One coat was brushed on with a MMS Wax Brush,
​allowed to sit for about an hour, then buffed to a stunning finish.

Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Wax

MMSMP Dual Paint Wax Brush

Artwork by Esther Orloff Art, email us to purchase

You don't have to visit far-off exotic locations,
but allowing yourself to be inspired by the things around you,
​can lead to beautiful and unexpected results.
​

It's all here...for the love...
Sada