Chippy White Dresser Using Milk Paint

Hello Friends,

I hope you are having a great week.  It’s been a bit since I’ve posted a furniture makeover, and I have a fun one for you today.

For some time now, I have been wanting to use milk paint to get a “chippy” look.   I use true milk paint (the kind that comes in powder form and must be mixed with water) quite a bit for my furniture makeovers.  I normally add Extra-bond to prevent chipping.  Without Extra-Bond, milk paint can randomly chip and crackle, giving a furniture piece a vintage, timeworn look.  I’m a bit of a control freak when it comes to paint, and the idea not having control over where the paint chips scared me a little.

I found this solid wood dresser at the Goodwill.  It is quite old and appears to have been handmade.  I liked the size and the sweet details like the applied moldings, the fretwork at the bottom and keyhole covers. The finish was quite worn, and the piece definitely had a rustic, farmhouse feel, making it a good candidate for a chippy finish.

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I cleaned the dresser really well, and then sanded it with 220 grit sandpaper.  Because I wanted it to chip, I tried to minimize the sanding (chipping is less likely on bare wood).  I didn’t sand at all around the keyholes, the corners and the bottom fretwork.   I left all the imperfections to add to the character.

White is notoriously difficult to paint.  It can take several coats for good coverage and bleed through is also a potential issue.  Nevertheless, I decided to go for it.  I didn’t prime this piece since I wanted chipping, and fortunately there was no bleed through.

I used Old Fashioned Milk Paint in “Snow White” which is a bright white.  I painted at least 6 coats to get good coverage.  Honestly, I lost count.  Each coat dried quickly and didn’t take too long to complete.  The paint started to chip and crackle after the second coat.  For the subsequent coats, I gently painted over the chipping areas so as not to disrupt the chipping just yet.

I let it dry well and then used a putty knife to gently scrape the surface to remove the chipping. There was a moment when I was worried that all of the paint was going to chip off, but not to worry.  The chipping turned out beautifully.   I then sanded using 220 grit sandpaper to smooth it out.  To prevent further chipping, I sealed it with 3 coats of General Finishes High Performance Topcoat in Flat.

I added new chunky glass knobs from Hobby Lobby.  I wanted simple knobs that wouldn’t compete with the high contrast of the wood and white.

I styled the dresser with some of my recent thrifted finds.  I found the black felt riding hat (not sure what the proper name is) and the artwork at the Goodwill.  My kids and I spent last Saturday at a huge neighborhood garage sale and I picked up the vintage leather suitcase.  Old suitcases make great storage pieces, which goodness knows I need.

I hope you have a great weekend.  Thanks so much for stopping by.

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