DISCLAIMER: This is NOT a sponsored post. I ordered and paid for this product. I'm also not "brand loyal". I want you to know this because it means that I don't sell or represent any one brand of product. It allows me to find products that work well for a particular application and to be completely honest and unbiased about my experiences with them. This post represents my opinion and experience with Miss Mustard Seed Hemp Oil. If you're considering using it, you should always test it in an inconspicuous area prior to applying it to an entire piece.
I have several pieces of furniture in my home that will never be painted. One of them is this chest. It belonged to my grandmother and came to me nearly 25 years ago. It had been in in her breezeway. She kept with her collection of African violets on the top of it which means that, over time, the top became water damaged and the veneer began to lift. It also has a few surface scratches.
It's fairly common for pieces that are 75 or more years old, to have wood that is dry and shows signs of age. The veneer sometimes gets damaged and scratches happen. I had a professional re-glue the loose veneer on the top of this piece but I didn't want it sealed with anything that would be permanent. This is a piece that I feel looks better with a more "natural" patina.
This piece was in my walk in closet, at our last home, for 10 years and then spent the last six months in storage. The wood is very dry and needs to be nourished in order to preserve it and to prevent it from cracking. There are three "wood conditioners" that I would normally consider for this piece: 1) furniture wax 2) Tung Oil and 3) Hemp Oil.
Given that this piece has damage to the veneer, I ruled out wax immediately since wax would be difficult to apply and to buff, especially on the top. Tung Oil would absolutely have been a good choice. It has a durable finish when dry and often has a UV inhibitor in it which is a good idea for pieces that will be in direct sunlight but, since this piece is going to be at the foot of a bed, away from a window and since I applied the finish inside my home, in the winter, with the windows closed; I chose hemp oil.
Hemp oil is super easy to apply. After making sure that the piece is dust free and dry, simply pour some oil onto a soft cloth and wipe it on in direction of the grain of the wood. Re-coat in 2 hours, if necessary and wipe off any oil that remains on the surface after 12 hours. More coats mean greater protection but also mean more shine. I generally stop after one or two coats.
Hemp oil is "no VOC" and solvent free. This does not, however, mean that it is without any smell at all. It has a distinct, somewhat"earthy" smell when it's wet. It's also a natural, food safe product which means that it's safe for use in the kitchen on things like cutting boards and counter tops (and which makes it the perfect choice for another makeover that I'll show you later this month).
I applied hemp oil to the inside of this chest as well as the exterior. Since I'm going to store blankets inside the chest, I'll allow the oil to fully cure before I put anything inside. Due to the fact that MMS hemp oil has no solvents to speed up the drying process, the piece can take several days to fully cure so I've decided to leave the lid open to ensure that the inside is completely dry before I load it with blankets that may absorb the smell.
While I had it handy, I also wiped Miss Mustard Seed hemp oil onto this vintage French cabinet that I picked up at an estate sale this summer. Don't you just love the little brass knob and rustic details?
Then, I swung through the kitchen and I applied a quick coat of hemp oil to this French spice cabinet as well. I love the way that the oil protects the wood without making it really shiny. I feel that it enriches the natural color of the wood and, while the hemp oil finish will need to be reapplied at some point, it won't yellow over time like polyurethane often does.
Hemp Oil can also be used on stone, metal and over paint which I'll show you in a future post so stay tuned. I ordered a couple of different colors of Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint as well as Antiquing Wax and Hemp Oil and I'm going to share my experiences with the entire product line in the coming weeks as I use Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint products on a few pieces for the French Farmhouse.
