a vintage vanity gets a makeover with boxwood by miss mustard seed’s milk paint
witches fly north 2019 – october 4th & 5th
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Things are shaping up great for the 2019 Witches Fly North Antiques and Artisan Show on October 4-5. I’m scheduled to be a vendor there and will also be holding Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint demos both days.
I’m super excited to be dressing my booth up for the Fall too! My latest piece for the market event is painted in Boxwood by Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint.
This vibrant shade of green is a fabulous color choice for Fall!
Tips for painting with boxwood
Boxwood is a beautiful color to paint with, but it can be a bit tricky if you’re not to used to it. This rich grassy shade of green has a high concentration of blue and yellow pigments in it (because blue and yellow make green). These pigments have different densities and they like to separate as a result. This can cause inconsistencies is your color as you work your way across a piece.
So while you’re working with Boxwood, follow these tips:
- Stir Boxwood frequently – I like to stir mine every few brushstrokes.
- Do not touch up Boxwood – If you need to touch a spot on a Boxwood piece, paint on an entire coat. This will help keep your color consistent. As a result, you may need more paint than you think and you may have some left over. Have a small project like a photo frame or mirror nearby to use up the extra paint!
- Use lukewarm or slightly warm water to mix it – This will help dissolve all of the powder and help you avoid getting streaks of undissolved limestone and clay in your paint.
distressing the vanity
My vintage makeup vanity took two coats of Boxwood Milk Paint to cover it completely. When it was completely dry, I smooth sanded it down with 400 grit sandpaper. This helps get rid of any rough patches and gives you a finish that’s smooth as butter!
I bumped down to 100 grit sandpaper to distress the edges and high points of the vanity to add age.
People often ask me what grit they should use to distress. My advice is to use whatever does the job! Just try to stay away from anything that’s too scratchy.
As I distressed, I paid special attention to the areas of the vanity that had gatored texture. I LOVE seeing those parts rubbed back!
sealing the vanity
Boxwood looks beautiful when topped with Miss Mustard Seed’s Hemp Oil, but I actually opted for her Furniture Wax for this piece.
This wax is buttery soft and has the consistency of a thick lotion or whipped cake icing. It’s not stiff and hard to spread, like some waxes on the paint market today. It does not have a strong odor and goes on like a dream! I always tell people to try this wax if they’ve had bad experiences using wax in the past. It’s THAT easy to apply! You can watch a tutorial video on how to use Furniture Wax by using the link below:
https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18015700075234938/
Furniture Wax has a bit more protection than Hemp Oil does, so I thought it would be the perfect finish for my makeup vanity! If you need help deciding which finish in the Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint line is right for you, check out this Facebook live:
keeping the doors and drawers natural
The veneer on the two top drawers and bottom doors was really beautiful.
I didn’t want to paint over it, so I sanded off the original finish and sealed the wood with Hemp Oil. I topped the wood off with a bit more Furniture Wax for added durability.
The wood practically shines now!
The combination of the warmth of the wood veneer and the vibrance of the Boxwood Milk Paint is absolutely gorgeous!
The drawers are in good condition, and they’re clean inside, but they do have some signs of wear and tear from years of use. I chose to line them with a lovely navy paper.
It’s a nice little surprise when you open the drawers!
To add a bit of shine to the handles, I applied Rub N Buff metallic wax in the color “Grecian Gold”.
This is my favorite technique for shining up tarnished hardware. It’s much easier than spray painting, in my opinion!
morgantown market accessories
When I first brought this makeup vanity upstairs (with Marc’s help), I was a little nervous that my color choice was too bold. As I surveyed my stash of staging props, I saw some fabulous finds that I purchased from Morgantown Market that would pair with this piece perfectly.
The crystal lamps and oil painting are from Vernon’s booth in The Parlor. The bundle of black carpentry books is from the owner, Stacey. Her booth is right by the register. And of course, the piece itself was purchased from Crystal’s space, Country Cozy Homes.
Not only do I work and sell at Morgantown Market, I buy there too! It’s a great place to shop if you need affordable and adorable smalls for your furniture staging! I’d be remiss if I didn’t give them a big ‘ol shoutout for the way this piece turned out!
