Freebie Finds - My Teal Dresser

The Dresser Before

My husband likes to pick up junk off the side of the road.  It use to be metal, and he'd take it to the scrap yard for a few dollars.  Now it's furniture.  He's convinced I can transform and sell anything he finds.  I have to give him credit, because he's usually right. Well the other day this is what he picked up.  I thought it was butt ugly, and didn't want anything to do with it.  But, it was taking up room in our garage, so I finally committed to it.  I'm glad I did, because I love the way it turned out and decided to keep it.

Glossy Furniture Finish

So after watching multiple episodes of "Sarah 101", I started to become increasingly jealous of all these vintage finds that she sends to get professionally painted.  They come back absolutely gorgeous - a flawless finish with a beautiful sheen.

Today I went searching.  I read blog after blog of 'how to paint furniture', and I think I finally nailed it.  There's a step process that's important to follow each step.  Mark had some end tables sitting in the garage that he found on the side of the road, so I decided to experiment on those.

Left over milk paint

So in my garage I have a full shelving unit full of paint.  I love experimenting with different colors, so I'm always buying more paint.  I saw this idea on Pinterest and decided to give it a whirl with some of my left over milk paint.  My sister-in-law, Laura, was down for the week helping me with the babies.  This was our little project.  She picked these wooden salt and pepper shakers up at a thrift store for $4, and I gave them a new life.  My projects sure have scaled down in size after having the twins!

31 Weeks Preggers... and still going strong.
This past weekend, my husband and I embarked on a camping trip to Wheatly Provincial Park.  This park had the most beautiful birds.  We really enjoyed the chirping and calling of birds all weekend... never really experienced anything like it.  He snapped this photo of me when we went over to Pelee Island for the day and rented bikes.  Wow I'm getting large!

 Milk Paint

Today I tried milk paint for the first time.  I've read a lot about milk paint and have always wanted to try it, but had trouble finding it.  I finally found a manufacturer in Toronto, called Homestead House.  They have a whole line of milk paints and different organic, natural, and chemical-free finishes.                    
This is the hutch I finished, using their "Quaker Blue" colour.  I must say, I loved the finish.  Once it was all sanded down, the finish was smooth and flawless.  I rubbed on the Beeswax for protection and shine, and I'm thrilled with the result.  You can find it on Kijiji for $650.

How to repurpose an old chair

How to revamp an old chair

How to Paint Furniture

How To Paint Furniture... and make it look like a professional job.
A comprehensive guide to prepping, painting, and finishing a piece of used furniture.