Furniture Makeovers Archives | Page 19 of 110

Furniture Makeovers

landscape dresser four | part one

I’m realizing that I should probably start coming up with clever names for these landscape dressers! Well, for now, this one is “number four.” I was originally going to try watercolor over MMS Milk Paint, just to see how that worked out, but I tried it on a sample board and I didn’t like the look of it. The things I love about watercolor just didn’t happen. What looks soft on paper, looks much more intense when painted on milk paint. So, I decided to try something else. I tried using milk paint over milk paint, but more like it’s watercolor instead of milk paint. Are you tracking with me? Kriste lightly sanded the dresser and painted it in two coats of MMSMP in Farmhouse White to prep it for me. Now, it’s more like a blank canvas. I mixed up a smorgasbord of milk paint colors and squirted a few acrylics

August 25, 2016 15 Comments

All Things Home

can you repaint over wax?

Yes. End of post. Okay, not really. I will elaborate on this one. When I shared my Antiquing Wax tutorial, a reader asked if you can repaint over a waxed surface. I have heard a lot of people say you can’t paint over wax, but I’ve painted over wax numerous times, so let’s throw the “can’t” word out the window. If you paint over wax that is “wet” (even though wax isn’t really wet) or hasn’t had time to cure, the chance of the paint resisting or reacting to the wax is greater. This can be a positive thing with milk paint if you want chipping, flaking, crackling, etc. If you want the paint to stick, though, it’s important to wait for the wax to cure. The standard cure time to almost all paints and finishes is 30 days and that’s true of wax as well. Once it has cured,

August 5, 2016 22 Comments

Before and Afters

The Tricycle Dresser Reveal

It’s been a long time, but I finally painted another red piece… …and it makes me wonder why I don’t do it more often! This piece really wears red well. Here is how it started… It wasn’t bad at all, but the finish was a little tired and a refresh felt in order. I painted it in two coat of Tricycle and finished it with one coat of Antiquing Wax. You can see how I applied the Antiquing Wax HERE. The color is definitely an attention-grabber, but it’s the hardware that is the real star of this piece and I love how the red sets it off. If you look closely, you’ll notice that one of the handles was replaced at some point, but I sort of like the show of ingenuity. That’s something my Opa would’ve done. Mixed this piece with that to fix a broken handle. I had this

August 1, 2016 20 Comments

All Things Home

How to Apply Antiquing Wax

I am always in a blue & white mood. I have to work to step away from that color palette, but sometimes it just needs to be done! I’ve been feeling a red piece coming on for a while now and this antique Eastlake-style oak dresser seemed like a good candidate. And red wear antiquing wax so well, so I thought I would do an updated tutorial on how to apply antiquing wax. I painted it in Tricycle, which is the red in the MMS Milk Paint line. It really is the perfect red. While we’re talking about reds… If you’ve ever mixed Tricycle, you know it seems like it’s never going to come together! Those red pigments resist the water and just float on top, but they will eventually soak up the water and you’ll get a nice mix. I painted it in two coats in order to get

July 28, 2016 24 Comments

Before and Afters

soft milk paint landscape dresser | reveal

The “soft landscape dresser”, as I’ve been calling it, is finished! I had to struggle my way through it a bit, but I’ve learned that’s often the way it is with new creative endeavors. My first venture into sewing, my first refinished dresser, my first blog post…they were all a learning process. And let’s not even talk about the first time I attempted upholstery! Anyway, I pushed through and I really love how this one turned out. And I like how the chippiness brings some softness and a sense of age to the paint. You can find the details on the before, colors used, and how the landscape progressed in these posts… part one part two part three I have purchased a few blank canvases and I feel like I might be ready to finally put a brush to them. Furniture feels a bit safer to me, if that makes sense! When

July 24, 2016 No Comments

Before and Afters

soft landscape dresser | reveal

July 24, 2016 33 Comments

Furniture Makeovers

soft milk paint landscape dresser | part 3

I loved reading all of the feedback and suggestions shared on my post yesterday. Some of you overestimate my abilities, I think! All of the different suggestions were an encouragement to me, though. Each one of you had a different vision of how it could be finished and isn’t that just how art is? And there are no wrong answers. Just different interpretations. (My brother suggested I add robots, which made me laugh.) In the end, I did decide to add to what I shared yesterday. While I liked the simplicity of the barn, it felt unfinished to me. (Kriste said the barn had “doorways to the depths of the barn’s soul” and it needed some doors!) So, I added barn doors, a mountain ridge, a fence, a couple of bushes, and a couple of sheep. Here’s a video showing the process… And, if you didn’t notice, I selected the

July 22, 2016 No Comments

Furniture Makeovers

soft landscape dresser | part three

July 21, 2016 26 Comments

I’m Marian, a painter, writer, and lover of all things creative. From art and antiques to home projects and everyday life, I share my journey in hopes of inspiring you to embrace your own creativity and make beauty in the spaces you live.

next art sale

May 20th, 2026 at 1pm EST

Now Available for Preorder

Move Slow & Make Things

A book about creativity, intention, and making things with care. Sign up to receive updates, preorder details, and exclusive bonus content.

From the Studio

Artful pieces for your home and everyday life.

From original paintings and art prints to Pup Club releases and curated goods, each piece is created or chosen to bring warmth, creativity, and character into your home.

From the Studio and Home

Shop the Feed

A handpicked collection of items styled and shared throughout posts, projects, and social feeds. Every product is thoughtfully chosen to reflect a timeless, collected aesthetic.