A few months ago I was in New York visiting my sons. I stayed with my younger son in his apartment. Speaking of which, that house has been accumulating all sorts of pretty MCM pieces over time. I really don’t know how that happened. Every time I visit them… well, there is another one and this Mid Century Modern sideboard caught my eye!
Of course, you all didn’t think I’d be living the high life over in New York, did you? No I had to work hard all day while my son was at work. So today I’m sharing with you a piece I upcycled while visiting the boys. It’s a Mid Century Modern sideboard using my favorite new paint Old Fashioned Milk Paint.
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I’m a big fan of Mid Century Modern so I’m lucky to have this piece. I love those clean lines and simple designs. This mid century modern sideboard was in solid shape but on top it was full of scratches and gashes. I tried sanding it but it didn’t come out and I felt as if I was spinning my wheels.
I was due to leave New York in three days and had to get this one finished. Maybe if I had more time I would have taken a different route. In fact I had wanted to redo it with Tung oil and bring out the beauty of the wood. But this top was damaged beyond that point. If I had sanded it more how much wood would I end up removing? Because of time constraints I decided to paint it and hide that awful top.
I was aiming for a masculine look and chose to use Old Fashioned Milk Paint in Pitch Black. But I didn’t want it to be depressing in there so I added a tiny bit of Oyster White.
After I was finished painting the MCM sideboard I sealed the it with Daddy Van’s all Natural Beeswax and Lavender Furniture Polish.
This is how it looked after I mixed it up. I waited for 20 minutes and came back to find a nice thick paint. This was in marked contrast to last month’s Mirror project where I had also used Old Fashioned Milk Paint.
On the mirror I had used it as more of a whitewash and had thinned it out with water. Here I was looking for coverage. I added more powder and a bit less water.
This was after the first coat of paint on the sideboard. It went on really smooth. In fact, my dad who is my greatest critic was so impressed he said I had surpassed him in brush stroke techniques. Of course I wasn’t about to tell him it was the paint and not so much my technique.
It was at this point that I decided to paint the sides along with the top. It looked kind of silly having just the top painted. In the end I added three coats because I wanted to let the paint cover the scratches and gashes.
I then finished it off with the beeswax.
And is the mid century modern sideboard all finished. You can see a little bit of the white. I didn’t mix the paint thoroughly and so there were different shades in the cup. I think it gives the flat gray more dimension.
All in all I was able to finish this in two days. I waited about 2 hours between coats and on the final day I sealed it. Not bad for a rush job.
No more scratches and gashes! I was very happy with how Old Fashioned Milk Paint covered this top!
I’m kinda liking the gray against the original wood doors.
I went over the doors with the beeswax and gave some life to that tired wood.
I had talked to you all about Old Fashioned Milk Paint and how I used it for the first time last month when I redid the mirror. You may want to refer back to that post to find out about the joys of true milk paint.
As for me, I managed to finish this mid century modern sideboard refresh in the nick of time because the next day I took a flight out of New York. But I know when I go back I will find my MCM sideboard upcycled with old fashioned milk paint, waiting for me! And that is the greatest satisfaction of all.
If you love simple furniture makeovers, be sure to check out how to paint a dresser at Sustain My Craft Habit!
Now tell me, how do you feel about mid century modern? Yay or nay? And should I leave the doors as they are or paint them too? (Spoiler alert: I did end up painting the doors of my MCM sideboard after all!!!)
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Thank you for linking up with us here at Party in Your PJ’s. Your piece turned out lovely, I love the color you chose and how you mixed it. I’ve never tried that kind of paint, but I’m planning to!
Oh Mary, this looks so nice! I wonder from where you have the inspiration to do such beautiful things!
Cristina I get my inspiration from blogland. I spend so many hours in blog it’s impossible to not be inspired.
Mary, your sons are lucky to have you! You worked magic with the sideboard!
Maya I saw those scratches last time I was there and they bugged me but back then (before blogging) I was clueless as to how to handle this. Now this is a solution but you never know how it will progress.
The milk paint did a really good job of covering the wear scars. Reading up on milk paint I found out it has been around forever, but personally I haven’t tried it…..at least not yet.
I remember seeing furniture with the weave like the doors on this sideboard. Its funky and kind of bohemian looking to me.
Nicely done refurbishment as always. Leanna
Leanna you are going to love milk paint. I always thought it was just for chippy furniture or distressing but in fact it has proved to be so much more than that.
Hi Mary, it was a shame you couldn’t keep the top natural, the grain looked nice (without the scratches). I’m not a fan of the colour grey, but I do like the colour on the sideboard, and I think you were right to leave the doors natural. The different shades in the paint makes it more interesting.
xx
I only wish Debbie. I loved the natural wood look. But those scratches were too deep and I didn’t have the luxury of time. I chose the grey because going white would not have looked good in that room with all the other pieces, and black would have made the room look even darker than it is. Hopefully when I go back I’ll finish it up and make things a bit more interesting.
What a blessing for your son that you visited for a month! I say, next time you charge him, lol. Great job as always, Mary!
Haha Jas, you are so funny! He could have cared less if I did all this or not. All he wanted was for me to cook! 😉
I need to have as much fun with paint as you do. Great upcycle!
It is an adventure every time I pick up that paint brush. Lol! I never know how something will look till I’m done.
When it comes to MCM, I’m a traditionalist. I would have restored using the colors it came in. But, that’s me, and it has no bearing on what you decide to do. I would love to find some MCM furniture that I could afford!!! I think our house is screaming for it. Best wishes…Fonda
I would have loved to have done just that but I didn’t have the time to do it right. My initial idea was to use Tung oil on it. But since I had never used it before I was afraid that it would not have dried in time. The scratches on the top were pretty deep and they really needed to disappear fast. Thanks for your comment. When I go back I’ll have some more MCMs to work on and hopefully I can do them justice instead of hiding them .
Really love the way the Milk paint looks on this piece. I think a bright pop of color on the doors would bring it all together.
That is the idea Melissa. I will definitely finish it when I go back to the States. Thanks for your input.
Oh I love what you did with this, Mary! Thanks for sharing @Vintage Charm!
Such a great transformation. Love your thought process. i have never attempted such a project. kudos. Thanks for sharing your wonderful transformation at DI&DI.
I love the color. It makes a nice contrast with the doors. I think if you used the right accessories, it will make the piece pop. I would try staging it, before making any changes. Thanks for sharing on Sunday’s Best.
LOVE the doors, Mary! Nice contrast with the gray paint. Visiting from Style Showcase.
Fantastic job! I love milk paint. I’ve only used it once, but loved it. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Love the color! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm!
I’ve never used milk paint, but you now have me intrigued! This piece turned out lovely! I would love for you to share with us on Party in Your PJ’s link party. It goes live on Tuesday evening each week.
Mary, I think it turned out great. I do agree with others that the doors would look better with some gray also. Great job!
xo Dianne
Mary, what a great piece — and you did a wonderful job reviving it. When I looked at, I thought that hairpin legs may be something to consider. I saw your link at Blogger’s Pit Stop party; this is the first time I’m visiting.
Great makeover, Mary! Well, I guess I’m in the minority. I actually like the look of the warm wood and soft gray. Very clever to wax the doors to revive them. Only thing I would change is possibly the addition of legs? Guess you’ll have to travel back to the States! 😉 Take care, Cynthia
Now there’s an idea Cynthia! I will definitely have to look into that when I get back!
I am not an MCM fan, but more of a traditional, shabby chic, antique-loving, ornate-ish kind of person, but I know MCM is having its heyday again. You did a good job on the chest! Now confess…you love working hard while you’re in NY or home! Me, I don’t like to be idle either.
Mary, it turned out beautiful! I love that you kept the doors as they are; they have so much character and that mid-century vibe! 🙂
Mary, what a great chest and great makeover! Thanks for sharing. You are one of the feature at the Make it Pretty Monday party at The Dedicated House. Here is the link to this week’s bash! http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/2017/03/make-pretty-monday-week-210.html Hope you have a happy week. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse
Loving that grey custom mix Mary playing with Milk Paint is such fun! . And since you asked here’s my input, I would paint the door frames to match but add a wash on the rattan with some soft distressing for added interest.The original stain is just a tad to orange for me, to pair well with the color of paint. Hope you had a great trip!
Brenda I left feeling that it was not finished and after putting that question out to all of you my suspicions were confirmed. When I get back I will definitely have to work on those doors. Thanks for your valuable input.
I love those doors. The beeswax must have really brightened them up. The color choice on the milk paint was a good one and turned out lovely.
Thanks Debbie. I will have to eventually do something with those doors as they seem to be too jarring next to the soft grey.
Your sons are so lucky having you to revamp all their furniture for them!
I like the grey and natural wood together but I think painted doors, in a white, black or different grey shade would also look great. In fact different shades of grey for the surround and the woven bit look look good too. In the time you had you worked a miracle!
Thanks for sharing at #HandmadeMonday
Julie thanks so much. Sometimes I do a piece and then let it sit for a while to mull over it. That is obviously what I didn’t have – the luxuryof time. But I’ll go back and finish the job.
I really like how you just painted some of it and not all. Stands out and looks great!
Cheryl that is quite a contrast between the wood and the grey. When I go back to the States in a few months I’ll decide what to do with it. For now I can sit and stare.
I really need to get myself some of that Milk Paint. It seems so easy to customize to whatever you want to do and I love the sleek-y look you achieved on the sideboard. Amazing that you did it in a rush Mary. It turned out great. I’m so glad the Dad was impressed with your brush strokes. He must be super proud of his daughter. If I may, I would also paint the doors, the warm yellows clash a bit with the cool grey color on the outside, but I soooo respect the fact that you wanted to save the original natural wood.
Michelle that’s what I’m discovering about Milk Paint. You can go farmhouse on it and do chippy and distressed, but here it worked just as well to go for a sleek look. Really versatile. Yes, I will have to finish those doors when I get back. I was really undecided and figured better to leave them like this for now and finish them later when I;m sure. Thanks for your imput.
That is a beautiful color you choose Mary! I agree with the last two ladies about the doors, but that just gives you something to do when you return :). How often do you get to NY? Maybe we could meet?!
I’ll have plenty to do when I return Doreen! I expect to be back before the year is out. And of course I’d love to get together.
I agree with Mary, too. I like the color of the milk paint that you used. The color of the doors doesn’t compliment the blue-gray on the rest of the cabinet. You might want to consider painting the edges of the doors to match the cabinet and paint the woven part a lighter version of that color, so they “pop.”
Thank you for your suggestion Linda. I agree with both of you ladies. When I left I felt it was not truly a finished piece but I wasn’t sure what to do at that point. On my next trip back I will have more time to finish it.
Girl, you know how I love me some MCM and kudos to you for pulling this makeover off in just the nick of time! Here’s my two cents for whatever it’s worth. What if you painted the doors gray but left only the trim solid gray and did a wash of white over the rattan and sanded it back a little to reveal some of the gray underneath? It offers a nice contrast without the white being too stark. It would take on kind of a driftwood appearance.
I’m glad you said that Marie. I also felt that it was not really done. I really like your idea. It seems there is too much of a contrast between the grey and the wood.
I’ll have plenty more work waiting for me on my next trip. Thanks Marie!
Another amazing transformation Mary! I really thought you were living the high life in New York though! 🙂
Ntina I spend a great time with my family, that is enough for me. 😉
Yes, i’ll agree with you Mary. They grey looks great next to the furniture doors and the floor!
I originally wanted to go with white but it would not have looked good in the room. So this was a good compromise. I will eventually add a little more grey to the front. But that is for the next trip!
I love upcycling furniture or anything. Never used milk paint only chalk. Love the new look
This was only my second time using milk paint. And I am so happy with the way it covers, especially that horrid top of the sideboard. Thank you Caroline.
Hello Mary,
the grey coat is really lovely but to me it’s just a tad too much contrast to the wooden doors. I’d probably give them a touch of grey too, maybe just the woven pannels though… Sorry, I’m no good at this (that’s why I stick to my yarn and needles) but you did ask…
Have a great week,
Marjan
Marjan thank you for being honest. I would have probably done something else too had I had the luxury of time. Unfortunately I was leaving the next day. I really like your suggestion of just doing the woven panels. It will soften the whole piece quite a bit. I will definitely be making some changes when I go back.
Great job with the milk paint, Mary. It looks great and thanks for the tip about the beeswax. I have old end tables that have caning and it is faded looking and dry. Maybe beeswax would help them.
Your photography is awesome. I enjoyed clicking on your header.
That is a great idea Bonnie. The beeswax should do the trick. I’ve also tried mixing oil and vinegar to revitalize and clean old furniture.
Thanks so much, I’m glad you enjoyed the photography!
I love the colour, Mary; it really is silky smooth and much more interesting than (boring, to me) black.
Saw some comments above re: redoing the entire piece in this amazing hue, and I agree. I think it would look more unified.
It’s cold and rainy and windy here…again.
Take care,
Poppy
We have so much darkness in that room with the brown couch that I wanted to get away from the black. I am really happy with the way the color came out Poppy and will incorporate a lighter version on the doors.
Mary,
I do like a mid-century modern piece. I have to say I’m amazed with the milk paint – never used it before and I have to say I’m enjoying reading about your adventures with the paint. I say leave the piece as it is for a while because it looks great. However, doesn’t mean that some new inspiration and opportunity won’t strike again at some point . . Take care and thanks for sharing another great project! Pinned.
~Laurie
Thanks Laurie. I really love how the milk paint covers. I must say I was really surprised because we tend to associate it with chippy farmhouse but that is not the case at all. It has a solid durable finish to it.
Right now I have no choice but to wait for when I go back to see if I can do something to those doors.
The side table turned out lovely Mary! I love the color, I’m not sure whether the doors should be painted or not. It looks lovely as it is, and you finished it just in the nick of time.
Linda you have no idea. I was worried that it wouldn’t dry but the milk paint proved to be my friend and dried right away.
I like the gray but agree that the doors should be painted. But isn’t it amazing paint? You don’t think milk paint works on MCM but Old Fashioned Milk Paint works on an kind of furniture.
I was really impressed with how it went on Debra. It was like a seal … it sealed in all those cracks and scratches. You wouldn’t even know they are there now. And the finish was super smooth.
Next time I get back I’ll have to finish those doors. I agree with all of you ladies.
Mary, you did an awesome sauce job on this! 😉 I like the gray you mixed. I love the doors, I’m not sure if you should paint them or not that’s entirely up to you. I like it as is but I’m sure it would like just as awesome with painted doors. I’m glad you were able to get it finished before your trip.
Thanks Keri. I’m starting to feel like there is too much of a contrast there. I will finish them up after I get back. Make the whole thing look a litle softer.
Hi Mary – stopping by from the Handmade Monday link-up. Love your upcycled cabinet! We also like to repurpose all kinds of stuff from furniture to clothing, so I really enjoyed reading your post. Hope to catch up with you next week at Handmade Monday. Nina @ Vintage Mama’s Cottage
Nina there is nothing more satisfying than giving new life to old things so that we can continue to enjoy them for years to come.
Mary , the sideboard turned out simply beautiful . I love the color . Hugs and blessings , cindy
Cindy I do believe it would look good in your prissy room! 😉
Really loved this grey finish! It’s one of my favorite colors but I don’t have any furniture yet! Maybe I have to start thinking of painting something!
Katerina it’s never too late. This looks really nice and smooth and it dries hard as a rock. I was very impressed with this paint. The best part is you can mix it to achieve any color you want!
Mary what a wonderful sideboard! I really love the grey with the wooden doors too! It’s such an interesting look and I like the wicker in the doors, it all makes it really unique and interesting! I think it would look awesome all painted in grey as well, but this is different, so I’d leave it as is!
Katrin I literally finished it at the last minute. It is hard to paint when the weather is bad. Anyway I think of it as a work in progress when I go back I’ll probably make some changes to the doors. White would have been great too, but it doesn’t match the other things in the living room.