Today I’m going to show you how to recreate this beautiful light blue milk paint dresser and end table makeover using a custom mix of general finishes paint.

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Supplies

• Palm sander and sandpaper
• Minwax wood conditioner
• Minwax Jacobean stain
• White rags
• Satin polyurethane
• Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint
• Persian Blue milk paint
• Snow White milk paint
• Paint Brush
• Foam Roller
• Sandpaper

Start with some second hand furniture

I bought this dresser as well as a side table for $40 several years ago. They were in great condition, other than that the top had some peeling paint. And I didn’t really love the hospital green color.

I actually had already painted the end table a light pink color (which was my first ever blog post!), but I wasn’t loving the color anymore. The color scheme for our two daughters’ shared bedroom is mostly blues and pinks, with pops of lime green. I wanted this dresser to fit in with those colors, and I thought light blue milk paint would be perfect.

I decided to use general finishes milk paint and mix two shades to get a custom light blue color for this dresser and side table makeover. This paint is not like other milk paints in that it doesn’t chip and peel. It’s a water-based paint that self levels and dries very hard, but you can also sand and distress it.

1. Refinish the tops

The first step to refinishing a dresser top is to remove all the old paint. You can use paint strippers, but I prefer to sand off the old finish. And if you’re at all in doubt about the age of the dresser, test the paint for lead before doing anything.

I like to use a palm sander starting with 60 grit until most of the paint is removed. I used several different sandpaper grits, and worked my way up to 180 grit for the final sand.

Then I wiped off the dust using a rag and used some Minwax wood conditioner before staining. I just wiped this on with a clean white rag and let it dry.

Next I applied Minwax Jacobean stain using a clean white rag. Wipe it on using a circular motion to get an even coverage. Let it sit for a minute or two, then wipe it off using the same rag going with the grain of the wood. Wait a few more minutes again, and give it another wipe to make sure the stain is even.

When the stain was dry, I sealed the top of the dresser using satin polyurethane. I did the first two coats using a brush, but the final coat I bought some spray can polyurethane to get a super smooth finish.

2. Mix Your Paint

For this dresser and side table makeover I wanted a very light blue color. I used a custom mix of General Finishes Persian Blue and Snow White milk paints.

I used my measuring cup to add 4 parts Snow White, 1 part Persian Blue, and mixed it all up to get a beautiful custom light blue color.

3. Paint the dresser and side table

I removed all the hardware on the dresser and bedside table and brought the drawers inside to paint. I always like to sand my pieces before painting; it gives me peace of mind knowing that the paint will adhere better.  I usually like to prime my furniture before painting, but I decided not to with this one. But that meant I had to do three coats of paint to get an even coverage.

I painted the first two coats using a paint brush. Then I did a third coat anyways using a foam roller.  I like to sand in-between coats using 100 or 120 grit sandpaper just to remove any imperfections.

Then I also updated the hardware with some oil rubbed bronze spray paint to match the finishes in the rest of the room.

Stunning blue milk paint furniture makeover!

Once the paint was dry I installed the hardware, put all the drawers back in, and we moved the dresser and side table it back into the girls’ bedroom.  I love how these turned out and I think they look amazing in the room!

I love how the light blue is so calm, but still adds some color to this side of the girls’ bedroom. The color scheme for this bedroom was inspired by that little pink dress. Both of the girls wore that dress when they were babies and it was always one of my favorites.