Rustic French Country Milk & Chalk Paint Grandfather's Clock Makeover

Today I'm sharing a rustic French country painted Grandfather's clock that I made over using both Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint.  I love using both types of paint on the same piece and have been doing it for a couple of years because I really like the crusty, rustic, layered effect that I can achieve by layering ASCP and MMS (with bonding agent).

Furniture Makeover Tutorial: Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint and Paper Napkin Decoupage

Today I'd like to show you a new way to use an old technique to brighten up painted furniture. I used printed paper napkins as a part of the makeover for this customer piece.  The flowers and butterflies on the Miss Mustard Seed milk paint table above are paper napkins which have been decoupaged onto the piece using Mod Podge. 

Reader Painted Furniture DIY Help #2: Maureen's Chalk Painted French Linen Armoire Cabinet

The second reader painted furniture piece in this year's series is Maureen's armoire. To tell you the truth, I wondered if someone would have an armoire to paint this year after Nancy's  fabulous armoire which we transformed using ASCP Provence with dark wax, last year so I was really excited when Maureen messaged me about her pine cupboard. 

If you haven't seen Nancy's cabinet, you really should (click the link above to view the original post). It's one of my most popular painted furniture projects with over 7,500 pins and shares to date!

Reader Painted Furniture DIY Help #1: Elaine's ASCP French Table Makeover

It's that time of year again! No, not spring...I thought that it was going to be spring last week when the temperatures climbed into the upper sixties for a day...but then it snowed again yesterday.  I'm referring to my annual Free Help With YOUR painted furniture Project offer.

Product Review: Fusion Mineral Paint, General Finishes Gel Stain,Gel Topcoat

Today I'm reviewing three different products that you have probably been hearing a lot about: Fusion Mineral Paint and General Finishes Gel Stain (Java) and Gel TopCoat. These are the products that I used to make over this sweet little book table for a customer. 

American Paint Company Paint and Wax Review: Piano Bench Makeover

Today, I'd like to introduce you to yet another furniture paint brand: American Paint Company clay/chalk/mineral based paint and clear wax.  I'm using the color "Dollar Bill", a beautiful medium blue green (slightly more gray than MMS Kitchen Scale and more blue than Annie Duck Egg) and "Home Plate"  a warm neutral white (a good compare to MMS Ironstone or Annie Old White) with clear wax to make over a piano bench.

Chalk Painted Child Dresser & Painted Furniture Care

Today I'm sharing this darling blue and white, nautical-inspired dresser makeover using Annie Sloan chalk paint and Valspar textured lime wash as well as giving you alternate paints to use for this look. As I was writing this post I also realized that I have never discussed how to care for painted furniture so I'm also sharing a few tips about how I care for and maintain my painted pieces which have been finished with wax.

Chalk Paint, Dark Wax and Hemp Oil Table Makeover

Today, I'm making over a coffee table/storage bench using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Miss Mustard Seed hemp oil.  I often mix brands and finishes on the same piece of furniture since there really is no single brand that is the "best" in every situation. 

Black and Gray Painted Dresser : Webster's Challk Paint Powder

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited by my sweet friends at Restyle to try a product that they carry called Webster's Chalk Paint Powder. I had a dresser that needed a makeover and I had decided on black and gray. I wanted to use a chalk finish paint but I didn't really want to purchase two quarts of paint because I knew that I really only needed a couple of cups of paint or less.

Summer Store Window with Giant Paper Flowers

I did some restyling at the shop over the holiday weekend (Vintage Fresh in Downers Grove, IL).    I installed a new summer-themed display for the shop window which includes a newsprint banner and GIANT free-standing newsprint flowers with tissue paper centers that I created.  I wanted the window to feel fresh and happy and to focus not only on summer but also on the shop's specialty: painted furniture.

Milk Paint "Stained" French Bergere Style Chair Makeover

Welcome to the latest in my ongoing list of painted furniture tutorials! Today, I'm using Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint "Curio" as stain to makeover these fabulous reproduction French Bergere chairs that my "bestie", Ann, found for me on Craigslist a year and a half ago. Yes, it has been that long...
                                                                                              
                                                                                                             ....I don't like to rush into things.

Creating a Chippy Farmstyle Finish on New Wood {Milk Paint Tutorial}

Today, I'm going to show you how to achieve that rustic, chippy, farmhouse style finish that milk paint is famous for. I'm creating an aged finish on brand new wood using another Ikea step stool. It's the same one that I used in the post about using milk paint on new wood without bonding agent that I wrote a couple of weeks ago. The finish that I'm creating today is completely different.

How to Create a Non-Chippy Milk Paint Finish on Raw Wood

I couple of weeks ago, I made a trek to my local IKEA to look at cabinets for Phase 2 of the renovation here at the farmhouse. Of course, once I finished that, I spent the next hour and a half looking at everything else including a couple of these adorable, unfinished, step stools.  I just knew that they would be perfect to use to reach the upper cabinets in the kitchen and the shelves in the garage show you how Miss Mustard Seed milk paint behaves on raw, previously unfinished, wood. Today, I'm sharing the first one which I painted using milk paint in "kitchen scale".

Milk Painted Rustic Farmhouse Linen Cabinet Tutorial

A couple of weeks ago, I finally started using the Miss Mustard Seed Milk paint products that I purchased last fall from Robyn Story designs (Link HERE). (I'd highly recommend Robyn for your MMS needs. She sometimes offers free shipping and her staff is incredibly helpful).

Two weeks ago,  I used MMS hemp oil to restore and preserve vintage, unpainted, wood pieces in my home. This week, I'm sharing a very basic paint job on a pine linen cabinet for the bathroom.

Help with YOUR DIY #4: Chalk Painted Vanity and Mirror Transformation

Today I'm sharing the big reveal for the final transformation in my "Help with YOUR DIY" series: Sadie's Vintage Dressing Table with Mirror. This piece is a little different because, instead of helping her to paint this piece, Sadie commissioned me to paint it for her. If you were wondering whether I'm available to custom paint furniture, the answer is absolutely, Yes! If you're interested, send me a message and we can discuss details.

Free Help with YOUR DIY Project #3: Janet's Table and Lamp

On Friday evening, my friend Janet and I performed a chalk paint update on her bedside table and lamp!  Unlike Nancy, the new friend who I met for the first time last week when I showed up at her door for Free Help with YOUR DIY Project #2, I've known Janet since we were in high school.

Free Help with YOUR DIY Project #2: Nancy's Chalk Painted Cabinet Makeover

I'm having a wonderful couple of weeks helping four different readers with their furniture painting projects! Today, I'm sharing chalk paint transformation number two: Nancy's dark stained armoire.  We used ASCP Provence (exterior), French Linen (interior), and dark wax on this piece.

Free Help with YOUR DIY #1: Rachel's Chalk Painted Corner Cabinet

Things have been a little slow around the Refined home since I put most of my "projects" into a storage locker in late May.   Needless to say, it's been a three weeks and I'm looking for something to do.

Roadside Rescue Side Table Chalk Paint/Tinted Wax Makeover: Before and After

Have I ever told you about Amnesty Day in our village? I know that I mentioned it a couple of weeks ago on Facebook and I'll bet that some of you wondered what in the heck I was referring to while others of you who know me and who happen to live in the Western Chicago 'burbs probably just laughed to yourselves...

Before and After: La Craie Gray and White French Painted Cabinet Makeover

By now you probably know that I LOVE painted furniture...especially when it's French!  I also love a good before and after so I'm especially glad that you stopped by today because I'd love to tell you all about my very first experience with La Craie paint and to introduce you to my latest "junk to jewel" painted French furniture transformation...meet Linnea.