My first experience with milk paint

I just assembled a graduated set of Shaker boxes that were made of maple instead of my usual cherry wood. My intent was to try painting them to have a finish that looked old, faded, and distressed. So I was drawn to milk paint. I wanted to apply this as an exterior finish but keep the interior of the boxes unfinished to prevent any odor contamination with the future contents.

The paint I chose came from Woodcraft and is made by The Old Fashioned Milk Paint Co. in Groton, MA. Real milk paint comes as a powder and the size package that I bought makes a pint of liquid paint. It's like no other paint I have ever used. I don't know if I mixed it incorrectly but it was thick, dried almost too quickly to be easily spread, and had a grainy, rough texture. I believe the texture is part of the allure of milk paint. It was supposed to dry and be ready for a second coat in one hour!

And it truly was dry and workable at the end of an hour. As I sanded to prepare for a second coat, I decided that I did not even need the second coat. I had a dusty, "Lexington Green" coat with plenty of "wear and tear" marks from the sanding. It really had been an easy application to this point.

The directions that come with the paint suggest that protecting the milk paint is not necessary but would add some protection to the finish. I decided to use tung oil. The first coat of tung oil reduced the dusty look of the finish but it heightened the intensity of the color. Again, one coat seemed to be enough.

All in all, a very easy experience and I got the type of look that I wanted to try. If you're into the distressed, antique look, this would be an excellent choice. The paint gives the boxes a utilitarian look. Although I'm glad I tried this type of finish, I still like the look of the clear finish on cherry for the Shaker boxes.

I will use these boxes as the containers for other Christmas presents for my wife.