Spinet desk in general finishes perfect gray milk paint and graystone wood stain
If you asked me what a spinet desks was a year ago, I would have no clue what you were talking about. Now, they seem to be finding me just about every week! My latest project out of the workshop is another spinet desk. This pretty piece is my third one I’ve refinished! It’s been given the royal General Finishes treatment using two of their new products – Perfect Gray Milk Paint and Graystone Water Based Wood Stain.
Perfect gray milk paint by general finishes
General Finishes named “Perfect Gray” Milk Paint appropriately, because it is the perfect shade of gray!
It’s a great color option if you want an on-trend shade of gray. It has warmth to it that’s very lovely and it doesn’t lean purple like some grays tend to do.
I used it on this buffet and it turned out AMAZING!
You can decorate this shade of gray with cool or warm accents. I chose to pair it with a set of vintage crystal lamps that I bought at Morgantown Market.
Even though the paint color is gray, you can pick up on its warmth if you surround it with wood tones and brass accents.
general finishes Stain blocker
Because Perfect Gray is a lighter shade of gray, I wasn’t sure if I would have to worry about bleed through or not. Just to be safe, I applied 2 coats of General Finishes Stain Blocker Primer for extra insurance.
Stain Blocker is my new favorite water-based primer. This stuff is the real deal. It blocks everything I’ve ever had to worry about on my projects. This high solids content primer is easy to spray or brush on, and can be cleaned up with soap and water. It’s the only water-based primer I use anymore because I can rest easy knowing it’s going to work. I’ve had other primers fail on me before, despite following the manufacturer’s recommendations. You can use this primer underneath Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint too! While it is pricey, it’s formulated for performance and General Finishes is very up front about that. You can check out Stain Blocker in my online shop.
I primed my spinet desk by spraying Stain Blocker in my Earlex 5500 system. I applied 2 coats, waiting 24 hours in between to ensure adequate dry time. It made short work of all of those cubbies too!
Graystone water based wood stain
Originally, I had sprayed the entire spinet desk and all of it’s components in Stain Blocker and Perfect Gray. The problem with that plan though was that I couldn’t get the pull-out writing surface back in. The layers of primer and paint had created a thick layer of product that didn’t allow the surface to slide in and out.
To fix the problem, I grabbed my orbital sander and took all of the product off the writing surface, the track underneath it, and the surface in front of it. Once the primer was gone, I stained the wood using General Finishes new “Graystone” Water Based Wood Stain.
This stain color is quickly becoming my absolute favorite! It’s so on-trend and has a warm gray tone to it that goes with just about anything! It looks dynamite on my desk.
It creates lovely variations of gray across the wood surface, and I just love that effect!
I left the primer in the little hand holes on the front because they would be too hard to sand out. But now, that tray slides in and out like a champ. It also breaks up the surface so it’s not one big gray box, you know?
Hopefully my little “oops” moment will encourage you to troubleshoot your own refinishing project. I’ve been painting furniture for years now, and I still run into head scratching moments. You just have to roll with it and get creative. This little hiccup cost me extra time and materials, but it was worth it to create a piece that functions properly.
Available at morgantown market
Last night, I took this spinet desk over to booth at Morgantown Market. I decorated it with fall themed decor and it looks right at home!
I’m happy to deliver if you’re a few hours away, and shipping is also available if you’re out of state. Ask me for a quote!
If you want to see other spinet desk projects I’ve finished in the past, check out these blog posts:
MMSMP Farmhouse White Spinet Desk
