thrift store finds :: a headboard makeover using milk paint

On a whim last fall, I bought a can of milk paint from a friend. I didn’t really know what it was aside from being another paint product, but since I do so many small furniture and home décor projects I figured it would get used up in one way or another. I assumed it was kind of like chalk paint, which is pretty versatile to use.

Chalk paint creates a very matte, chalky finish to whatever piece you paint with it. The name is actually trademarked by the company Annie Sloan, but other companies have products that are very similar. Some are non-toxic and others are not, so just make sure you read the label if that is a concern to you! Because it is a thicker paint, in general you’ll get a more consistent coverage using chalk paint. It gives an aged appearance and can be distressed easily – perfect for redoing furniture in a vintage, antique, or farmhouse style.

Milk paint also creates a chalky appearance, but works better for giving furniture that chippy character that you might see in coastal, cottage, or shabby chic decorating. So it’s kind of like chalk paint’s more relaxed and easy-going sister. There’s also no need to do a wax or varnish coat. It’s slightly thinner paint, which can make it harder to get a consistent finish. But basically, if you’re looking for that used a million times, chippy, unique character milk paint is a great option.

All discussion aside, chalk paint and milk paint have as many similarities as differences and deciding which one to use really comes down to preference. I personally love milk paint because it helps me create a look for my furniture projects that better fits my personal home style. (Which is an eclectic conglomeration of coastal/shabby chic/farmhouse!)

So having said all that….

I’ve used the milk paint I bought to redo a dresser into a coffee bar, to put a light coat over an old French door that I’m making into wall décor for my office, and recently to switch out the headboard in our master bedroom from black to more of a shabby chic look. It’s so fun to transform the pieces I’ve picked up off the side of the road or bought for cheap at the thrift store!

Our headboard is one of my favorite finds to date. The lines and detail are very farmhouse style, and at $10 it was a no-brainer. Someday I would love to pick out a tufted headboard, but for now this is what we’ve got. I honestly don’t mind black furniture, but in trying to lighten and brighten our home overall I felt like the black was too harsh for the look I’m going for as we redo our bedroom little by little. So out came the milk paint. 🙂

There is no need to sand (or do anything, really) before using milk paint. I just started at the top left and worked my way across the front using horizontal brush strokes. The milk paint dried super fast – like almost before I got to the bottom of each section. There’s pros and cons to that! I hate having to wait around for paint to dry, but on the flip-side because it dries so quickly you do have to make sure you’re happy with the consistency before moving on to another section. I didn’t fuss too much on the first coat, but I did take my time a little bit more on the second coat to make sure that my brush strokes were even and smooth.

Painting the whole headboard in two coats took me less than 45 minutes start to finish. There’s no curing time and no need to seal or wax the end product. And because milk paint ages and self- distresses over time there’s no need to sand or distress it unless you really want to. Milk paint is hard-wearing, inexpensive, easy to use, and ages beautifully over time! I can’t wait to try using it on some other projects this spring and summer…and might even try adding some tint to it the next time I pull it out to use!

Have you used milk or chalk paint before? I’d love to hear your take on these fun alternatives for furniture redo!