Shutter Gray Makeover

I bought a cute little writing desk back in the Fall and I painted it in Typewriter black by Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint.

It was pretty cute but it didn't sell painted in black, so I brought it home and decided to repaint it in a lighter color.

When you want to paint over a piece that has already been painted with Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint, there are a few things you need to know:

1. The finish that you put on it in the first place needs to be fully cured, which takes 20-30 days. My table had been painted back in the Fall, so it was definitely way beyond the cure period. I was in the clear there.

2. If the finish you applied is wax, then you may need to wipe it down with Mineral Spirits to break it up. You can't paint over wax because it will act as a resist and it may cause your new paint job to chip. I don't usually apply wax as a finish so I rarely need to paint over it. I also don't usually work on pieces that have already been painted, and this is one of the reasons why.

3. Give your piece a good scuff before you apply a new color.

My Mom gave the writing desk a good scuff and she applied two coats of Shutter Gray for me. I've got a few commissioned projects I'm working on, so Mom has been helping me get retail pieces finished to keep things fresh and new in my booth at Morgantown Market.

Shutter Gray is one of those colors that I don't use often, but when I do, it always makes me so happy because it's such a pretty shade!

The inspiration for Shutter Gray came from a pair of antique shutters that Miss Mustard Seed found years ago. It's a beautiful faded French blue/gray that leans all different directions depending on what's around it. Sometimes it looks gray, blue, or even lavender.

Shutter Gray lightened up the writing desk and gave it a fresh new look.

It's softer and lighter than it's previous look with Typewriter and I really like how well it plays with my faux succulent wreath.

I kept the distressing to a minimum on this piece and it's mostly full coverage.

The joinery on this drawer is so beautiful. It shows off the primitive nature of this gorgeous piece.

I wanted to swap out the wood knobs, but they're the old type that screw in from the front, so I thought better of it and let them be.

This piece has been sealed with Tough Coat so it can hold up to heavy traffic and high use.

My plan is to bring it to Morgantown Market soon. I'm working on rearranging my booth a bit but I have to do it in stages. I'd like to bring my oak kitchen table home to make some more room for fresh pieces. All of that requires coordination with Marc and the weather, so it's happening in stages.