Eulalie's Sky & Linen Chippy Wall Cupboard

May's Colors of the Month are simply gorgeous, wouldn't you say? They are beautiful all on their own, but I recently completed a piece where they happily combined together to create the most amazing look!

It all began with this rather sad looking wall cabinet.Isn't it the most pathetic thing you've ever seen?  Those handles...ick!  The outside wasn't looking too promising, however check out the beauty on the inside.

Dear friends, it was storage heaven! These little glass-front cubbies swung out if you pushed on the corners. Each side had tons of pegs, which led me to think it was some sort of antique sewing cabinet. They're quite narrow though and a spool wouldn't have fit on them.  A few hours of Google searching revealed nothing, so I was absolutely stumped as to what it was originally used for.  

Despite its mysterious origins, it was in desperate need of a MMSMP makeover! I started on the inside.  It was musty, smelly, and unbelievably dirty!  A thorough vacuum took care of most of the problem spots, but I wound up going into the tight spaces with a toothbrush to properly rid them of spider nests and dirt.

After everything was clean, I attacked every corner with hydrating Hemp Oil.The wood was so dry and thirsty and it looked amazing when I was finished.  The glass-fronted cubbies got a few squirts of Windex too!

The outside was in desperate need of paint.  I wasn't 100% sure what color to use, but I had a feeling I would wind up with bleed-through no matter what color I picked.  My first step was to apply a layer of Tough Coat to seal in the dark stain.

In the end, I decided to paint the cabinet with Eulalie's Sky.  I thought that most people probably have white walls in their homes, and this cheerful color would add a lovely vintage pop to their space.  The color brushed on perfectly, but I had an obvious problem after I distressed.

The top I made for it was cut from a pine scrap board, and it didn't match the doors at all.  They were constructed from plywood and the dark stain caused the Eulalie's Sky to appear slightly darker and more saturated than the pine.  Nothing changed even when I added more coats of paint to the top.  I couldn't leave the cabinet uneven, so I turned to my jar of Beeswax Finish.I decided to do a Beeswax resist with the Eulalie's Sky and a coat of Linen.  I mixed up my Linen on the thicker side, not taking too much care for the texture.  I had some lumps and sediment, which I did on purpose.  I wanted the Linen to create a crusty top layer, giving the illusion of time-worn paint.Once my Linen was mixed up, I used a heavy hand with the Beeswax Finish and applied it over a small section.

I immediately picked up the Linen and painted it on thickly, taking care not to overbrush it.  My goal was to simply lay it overtop of the Beeswax finish, not to work it in.You could immediately see the Linen pulling away from the Beeswax underneath.  This was exactly what I was looking for!I repeated the process all over the cabinet, making sure to work in sections.  It took about an hour for the Linen to completely dry because I painted it on thick and it was a rainy humid day outside.

Things were starting to look perfectly chippy! After a healthy sanding, my cabinet was proudly wearing Eulalie's Sky and Linen in chippy perfection.

Now there was no color discrepancy between the top and the bottom.Because the finish was textured and chippy, I sealed it with Tough Coat. This is an ideal product to use over chippy MMS Milk Paint.

I staged my cupboard to be used as a jewelry cabinet. I thought the pegs would be perfect for rings and necklaces.  Plus, I'm not a sewer and my pathetic stash of sewing supplies would have made for poor pictures.

Here are my rings all lined up and eager to be chosen for the day.One of the drawers has dividers built in, so I thought they would be perfect for watches and bracelets.

The swing-out cubbies could hide bracelets too.

No tangled necklaces here!

The finishing touches on this piece were the (unfortunately non-working) key and a pair of glass knobs. This piece drew 4 or 5 buyers within a few hours of posting it.

I'm happy to say that it has been sold and is awaiting its new owner with eager anticipation.For more MMSMP inspiration, visit my website and subscribe to receive furniture updates at www.eighthundredfurniture.com.  Make sure you're following me on Instagram too at eight.hundred.furniture for other MMSMP tips and tricks!

How are you using Eulalie's Sky and Linen this month?  Be sure to tag Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint on social media so we can share your beautiful handiwork!  Use our hashtags for easy searching.  #mmsmp #mmsmilkpaint #iheartmilkpaint