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When I bought this piece, I knew I wanted to freshen it up a bit.  It didn’t need dramatic plastic surgery.  It just needed a little makeover, so it could look its best.  Before we even brought it in the house, I put wheels on the bottom and my mom and I gave it a good scrub.  I also hunted for and ordered some pulls to replace the mis-matched ones.  I know there is a charm to it as it is, but just wait until you see the makeover…

The pulls arrived over the weekend and, earlier this week, I took some time to remove the old hardware.  What I found was not what I was hoping for…

Someone had painted over the hardware. Bummer.

This isn’t such a big deal, except it left some unappealing beige paint exposed and the new pulls weren’t going to fully cover it on all of the drawers.

A part of me wanted to just put the handles on and be done with it, but I knew the beige “gaps” would always bother me and they would look sloppy.  Repainting was the best option, but I really liked the green and the fact that it was wearing some age.  I sort of hated to lose that.  I decided to mix up a green to match with MMS Milk Paint.  I knew this color was in the Lucketts Green/Boxwood neighborhood, so I mixed equal parts of those two colors.  Originally, I was just going to test the color for match, but I just went for it!

(I should’ve known I wouldn’t be content to just “test a color”.  I was standing in front of a piece of furniture with a cup of mixed milk paint.  What else could I do?!)

At first, the custom color looked like it might be a little on the yellow side, but it ended up being pretty spot on!  It was so close that I just painted the drawer fronts and left the body of the cabinet alone.

Milk paint can dry a little chalky, but I knew it would “richen up” once finished with Hemp Oil.

See the difference?

The top four drawers are finished in Hemp Oil and the application made the color almost a perfect match.  I love it when on-the-fly solutions end up working out!

I’ll show how it looks all finished, with the hardware, as well as how I decided to position the label holders tomorrow…

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    32 Comments

    1. Linda

      WOW, you did a great job matching the colors! It’s the perfect addition to your art studio.

    2. Susan

      Clearly you are a pro at color matching. Nice job! You would never know it wasn’t original

    3. Sharon

      It is so fun to watch your art at work. Your green cabinet is to die for. I wish I had you for a week or two. This piece is beautiful. And your curtains are gorgeous. I love French General fabric. But the very best if the wonderful memories you are creating with your Mom. She sounds like a very special lady. My Mom was so that way. Anything I needed, she was right there. As she got older, I did my best to help her. Even though we lived miles apart, we spent lots of time together working on projects. I always felt like she could do anything. I know you treasure your moments. On the floor pinning drapes, is exactly what Mom and I would do. God has blessed you with wonderful parents. A gift that can never be replaced.

    4. Marilee

      I loved that cabinet before … in fact, I was jealous that it wasn’t in my possession … and now? Even more so. That’s my green. Sigh.

    5. Kim

      Fabulous job! Look forward to the finished piece with handles! What a great working piece! Would love to find one like it!

    6. Janet in Kansas City

      When I first started reading your post I thought OH NO I love that green! It looks so great against the white backdrop of your studio walls. So glad it didn’t change, it’s beautiful, and can’t wait to see the finished result. Oh me of little faith. : )

    7. Connie from GA

      I just love this piece! Both the look and the functionality. Only you could match the paint color so well — and on the first try!!! 🙂

    8. mary m

      You have quite the eye for color and it is a gift. Treasure it. My father could look at
      something and he would say do this or that and he was always right.

    9. Judy

      Wow- Brilliant and spot on!

    10. Rebecca

      Hi Marion!
      Milkpaint question…. Is the Miss Mustard Seed hemp oil just an organic, nontoxic hemp oil? or is it a special type of hemp oil? I know you’ve mentioned in the past that it dries to the touch, but I was wondering if it is something that has to be reapplied periodically? I have small smidge of organic hemp oil from something….. I thought I could test that to see if I like the finish before buying the bottle from you online. I’m sure your product will be much nicer than the run of mill, but I figure I can at least see if it’s something I will like. I can’t really afford to try your brand and then not like it…. We have some serious family medical issues and money has just gotten VERY tight. I thought this might be something I could test and then if it looks good, I can buy a bottle and go to town around the house!! 🙂

      • Marian Parsons

        Rebecca, Our Hemp Oil is 100% natural hemp oil, but it’s been processed in a way that makes it good for wood finishing whereas a bottle of hemp oil purchased in the food or health section is processed to optimize nutrition. I have received e-mails from people who have used some hemp oil from the health/grocery section that they said it was a mess. You can, obviously, try a small amount of what you have on a piece, but I can’t say that it will perform the same way.

    11. Marlene Stephenson

      So glad it all worked out.

    12. Dee

      Marion. I have a similar question to Rebecca’s. I already have your hemp oil and have used it on cast iron and loved the results. I have had to refresh that finish every few years and I wonder if you need to refresh on the painted wood?
      Actually never realized you could put it over milk paint……perhaps you could redo a hemp oil tutorial or post a link..thank you
      And yes that cabinet looks awesome!
      Dee

      • Marian Parsons

        You can use Hemp Oil many things…wood, painted pieces, leather, metal, butcher block, cast iron, etc. It’s such a versatile product. It does have to be reapplied now and then, but the frequency will depend on where you live. If you’re in a dryer climate, the oil will evaporate faster and you’ll apply it more often.

    13. Sandy

      I liked the handles being all different. It wouldn’t work so well with just a few drawers but with so many it really works. Oh well.

    14. Jane

      what kind of hemp oil is this??? I have hemp oil from MMS but it is real light. Is this a new product?

      • Marian Parsons

        Nope, this is the same! Just like olive oil, the color can vary based on the press and the crop that season. Sometimes it’s very pale (like an extra light olive oil) and other times it is a rich (almost alarmingly so) green. It all works the same, though, and none of it will discolor paint/wood, etc.

        • Jane

          Thanks, good to know. I love using hemp oil and use it often.

    15. Norma Rolader

      WOW!!!! Gorgeous

    16. Susie

      My dear Grandmother had a cardigan sweater that she wore all the time – it was such a similar green to your new art cabinet. The color became known to me and all my friends as “Grandma Green”. Truly my favorite color, and I still have her cardigan, though she has been with the Lord for probably 30 years now. Every so often, on a chilly day, I wear it around the house and feel her arms around me. Great memory for me.

      Now I am waiting with baited breathe for the reveal with the new hardware.

    17. jennifer

      I really liked those mismatched pulls. Sometimes everything doesn’t have to be a perfect match. It still looks great, just “expected.”

      • Marian Parsons

        I agree, but some of these handles bothered me and some of them were very rusted and crusty, so they didn’t “feel nice”. I wanted a cleaner look.

    18. Roxanne

      I too would love to know more about hemp oil. Working on wood in a barn…we took the power washer to the inside of the barn. Cleaned the wood and now I want to put something on it that would bring the richness of the natural wood. Love all your work! Hope to meet you someday….

      • Marian Parsons

        Oh yeah, you should try Hemp Oil!

    19. Kathleen

      I love that cabinet!!! The green is amazing.

    20. Jeannie

      I generally am not a big fan of green (with some exceptions), but I love that cabinet. It looks wonderful.

      Come do my house??????????? 😉

    21. Liz

      MMS Hemp Oil is fabulous! I had my MMS Paint retailer order a gallon jug for me. I use it not only on my milk painted pieces but also on wood that looks dry to protect it.

    22. Donna Doble-Brown

      You are such a smarty pants! I love this cabinet and I KNEW you’d do something
      Perfect with it ….. gorgeous Miss Marian! ?

    23. Toni

      love it.. .good job.. Toni

    24. Rebecca Neustel

      Is your hemp oil good for cast iron cookware seasoning?

    25. Susan Owens

      It looks like an army cabinet. I love it!

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