the jelly cupboard | distressing & antiquing

by | Sep 30, 2014 | Hand Painted Furniture, Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint, Tutorials | 28 comments

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As a recap, this is how the jelly cupboard started…

It looks like wood grain, but it was actually painted brown.

I painted it in MMS Milk Paint Artissimo without the bonding agent added.  The previous coat of brown paint wasn’t glossy, so I expected the milk paint to adhere pretty well.  It chipped in just a few places, which was perfect.

The jelly cupboard had amazing texture on the finish and I wanted to bring that out by using two different blues and distressing.  To make the distressing process easier, I rubbed the surface with our natural beeswax puck.  You can use any kind of beeswax or candle wax you have on hand for this technique.

I also rubbed the edges of the piece, where the paint would naturally wear away.  When using the wax puck between layers of paint, it acts as a resist.  It makes it easier to control where the distressing happens as opposed to using sand paper alone.  It’s sort of like the crayon & water color trick we all learned in elementary school.

I then painted it in a coat of Flow Blue.  I forgot how much I love that color, since I haven’t used it in a while.

(See the start of one of our rolling walls in the background?)

I used a heavy grit sand paper (80 grit) along the edges to really pull off the paint where the wax was applied.  It comes off with very little pressure.  I then lightly sanded all over with a fine grit sand paper (180) to bring out the texture on the flat surfaces.  I do most of my distressing by hand to avoid the swirly orbital sander marks and to have more control over the look.

I was so excited when I stepped back and took in the effect.  It looks so authentic.

I then applied Antiquing Wax directly onto the paint.  I wanted to mute the colors and add an instant patina.  If you want a little patina, apply Furniture Wax, which is clear, first and then add Antiquing Wax on top of that.  That layer of Furniture Wax will prevent the paint from being stained by the pigment in the Antiquing Wax.  In this case, I wanted the color to be richer and deeper.

I spread it out with the brush and then wiped the excess away with a cotton cloth, buffing it in the process.

Do you see how layering a lighter color over the darker color creates great dimension and depth to the color?  I put a light second coat of Antiquing Wax on areas that would be discolored from the oil of human hands…like around the handles and latches.  It’s subtle, but contributes to the authenticity of the look.

The jelly cupboard reveal will be coming up soon, but here’s a sneak peek…

This piece sends my hear a-flutter, I tell you what.

Since the Chapel Market and look book two’s shared theme is French Blue Farmhouse White, we are painting a lot of things blue!  Kriste refreshed an old wooden wagon with French Enamel…

…as well as an old wooden box that is chipping to perfection…

 

More blue & white goodness and makeovers to come…

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    28 Comments

    1. Sandy A

      You worked magic on that jelly cupboard–it is just gorgeous now! All the work of layering really turns it into a beautiful piece…

    2. Karen

      Gorgeous as usual.YOUR blue and white theme is going to look so pretty. I cant wait to see pictures from the event

    3. Sharon

      *SIGH* … flutter my heart! So beautiful! Sharing this on my facebook page today!

    4. Marty

      I have metal entry doors with lots of glass. I have thought of trying a layering technique to give them a aged look. Do you think the milk paint would work alone or would I need to use the bonding agent? I thought if I put a stain gel on first and then tried the techniques you used on the jelly cupboard I might get an authentic aged look. Any thoughts? Love your blog by the way. Very inspiring.

    5. Doré @ BurlapLuxe

      Oh this cupboard amazes !!
      Love the outcome to its beauty, it’s truly a chest to love, and will look amazing with what’s planned for it.
      I just picked up a fabulous French chair, upholstered in not so great fabric, yet I may keep its original mustard paint and gold patina on it after doing a bit of sanding to hit here and there only enhancing it’s aged feel, the fabric will have to go, but I am going to wash it down and let it air dry in the last of our sunny California days and see what I think about the fabric then. I will be sharing it soon, in the mean time I am picking up inspiration visiting you with all the aged colour you so design around.
      I have lime waxed pieces in my last few postings would love to do something of what you have created here.

      Thank you for sharing your beauty.

      Xx

      Doré

    6. Sandra Cronje

      Your blue works magic on the bright Spring morning in South Africa.
      Thanks for the inspiration.
      Lots of blessings

    7. Jennifer

      Another beauty! I’d steer clear of the green zone with this one.

    8. Teresa

      This may be my favorite piece you’ve ever done. The finish is phenomenal!

    9. Carswell

      Seeing one of your soon to be rolling walls in the background reminded me of something. You were commenting in another post that the barn near your shop that has such a fabulous aged look is due for a repainting and that you may lose that as a photo backdrop.

      A friend of mine is a photographer and she took shots of some gorgeous aged plaster and wood walls and had them printed on canvas backdrops for photo shoots. (Photo supply places usually have a source for that sort of thing.) You could do a similar thing and use your wall frame as a stretcher for the canvas. They would certainly be light to move around – and you wouldn’t lose the lovely weathered barn backdrop to the upcoming repaint.

      Just a thought.

    10. Carrie

      Carswell, that’s a great idea!

    11. JeanFB

      Oh my goodness, I have to say this is one of my all time favorite pieces of yours! Absolutely beautiful, and it looks so fabulous in your studio space. I think the light in your space is especially friendly to blues…. it just glows, and with all the details that you’ve both preserved and created, it’s just fantastic.

    12. Becky

      Marian, This is Beautiful. I definitely want to try and recreate this look on a corner cabinet I have. Many years ago I came across a pie safe in a antique store with a similar look to it. The price on it was $800 and that was many years ago. When I asked the dealer why the price was so high he told me it was because it was the original milk paint finish. What you’ve created here looks so much like it. Of course that piece was way out of my price range but I never forgot it. I’ve never used the antiquing wax but I’m ready to give it a try. You are always so inspiring.

    13. Fotini Roman

      I love it! That shade of blue is just magical! The end result is just breathtaking <3

    14. logan wilhelm

      The difference in the before and after of the jelly cupboard is amazing…………its style really stands out and the color is perfect!

    15. Linda Evans

      OMG !!!! stunning, beautiful, gorgeous, awesome….looks like the real deal !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    16. Chrissie

      Oh I just love everything about this piece! The finish does look very authentic.

    17. Jill Wendt

      This was a beautiful piece of furniture to begin with. But… I am truly speechless at the amazing piece you have created! It is gorgeous! Marian, you have a gift for refinishing.
      On a side note from yesterday, when you had said you only put out a few white pumpkins. Can I just say thank you and ” HALLELUJIAH.” It is so refreshing to see that you have not done your whole house in a “fall” theme. ; )

    18. Joanne B.

      I don’t know which I love more- the cupboard itself, the color you painted it or the name of the color!
      I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again- everything you touch turns to gold. Beautiful! Love this!

    19. Lee

      It looks absolutely fabulous, perfect colour for a perfect piece.

      Lee

    20. laurie

      I LOVE the finished color! In the photo just before that it looks so much grayer. Does the antiquing wax evaporate or change or is that just the lighting?

    21. Suzi Matteson

      This is my all time favorite piece you have painted. Can’t wait to see inside it. Keep up the great work!!!!!

    22. Sue Pagels

      It’s amazing – you always do such wonderful things. I just want to attach myself to your hip. LOL!

    23. Kevin Hall

      The color of the box is truly enchanting.

    24. Cheryl Atkinson

      Hi Marian! I love this color and the wax puck really does help with the distressing. I just love it all. I do have questions!
      How much paint did you use to cover a piece this size? What if you used Farmhouse white, then how much paint would it take to cover a piece like this? The other question is when you get yummy chippyness like on the box above, how do you seal that or do you sand off the chippyness and then wax it? I’m confused on what to do if this happens to me. I won’ know what to do to keep the chippyness. I hope i get your answer quickly.

      • christine m hardine

        Hi Cheryl,
        I am Chris Hardine – and I am on the Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint Team and assist Marian with questions like yours.. We have the BEST place to find all the answers to your questions…Marian has created a private Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint Facebook group. We have a great group of over 2000 of us that help each other daily -with questions such as yours…. Marian wanted to invite you to join this group!! Click the link below…thanks so much!!

        https://www.facebook.com/groups/2411703538856981/

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