Millstone End Tables

These end tables were a yard sale find from a few months ago. They had a smooth factory finish on them and a dated 1980's faux stain. Using General Finishes products, they are now looking much more neutral, coastal and updated to be loved again for years to come!

If you follow my Instagram stories, you've seen these tables progress in my basement workshop. I actually painted one of them during a free General Finishes demonstration at Morgantown Market!

I chose to paint them in a lovely taupe/beige from the General Finishes Milk Paint collection called Millstone.

You can see how Millstone compares with the other neutrals in the collection here:

Millstone is the darkest neutral and has the most brown and yellow undertones.

I prepped my piece by cleaning it and sanding it, then applied two full coats of Millstone. Once my two full coats dried, I finished with a touch up third coat in the spots where I needed a bit more coverage. I tend to paint with a light hand when it comes to this type of Milk Paint, so I typically need more coats than the average person. I find that multiple thin coats reduce my odds of getting drip marks and puddling.

This strategy is helpful when you have multiple vertical surfaces to paint, like table legs. For this beautiful duo, I had 8 to paint.

To add a bit more interest and softness, I glazed the tables with Winter White Glaze Effects.

I applied it heavily enough to let it lay in all of the crevices and low places on the piece. This combination of Millstone with white accents gave me the light and airy look I was going for.

One of the aspects of General Finishes Milk Paint that I love is that it preserves the grain of the wood you're painting. You can still see the design on the top thanks to the Winter White Glaze Effects.

Because these pieces are end tables and they will be exposed to high traffic use, I sealed them with multiple coats of General Finishes High Performance Topcoat in Flat.

This milk white water based topcoat goes on clear and dries hard to provide a durable surface that is ideal for table tops and kitchen cabinets.

Despite the fact that there are durable products on these end tables, you should always practice these basic procedures to care for finished surfaces:

1) Use coasters and trivets to protect against damage from water and heat.

2) Wipe up liquid spills immediately.

3) Allow your piece to cure for 20-30 days before you subject it to full use. Do not place anything heavy or scratchy on the surface until the piece has fully cured.

4) Research the products you are using to make sure they are suitable for indoor or outdoor use. General Finishes Milk Paint can go outside, but I sealed my pieces with High Performance Topcoat, which is an interior only finish. Therefore, these end tables should stay indoors.

I'm not sure where these little tables are going to go right now. Both of my spaces at Homestead Studios and Morgantown Market are full, so they're going to stay with me until a space opens up. If you're interested in these pieces, please send me an email and I can send you measurements and the price.

For now, I get to look at them a little while longer!