80’s sideboard modern makeover. Who doesn’t love putting on a Little Black Dress? So, we thought it’d be the perfect upgrade to this 80s dresser, and give it a bit more of a modern look. It’s incredible how a simple coat of Milk Paint by Fusion can completely transform the look of a piece. But we went a step further and remove the front panel on the two doors to make this piece look completely different!

HOW TO PAINT WITH BLACK MILK PAINT

Supplies Needed :

• Little Black Dress 1 Large Bag
• Fusion TSP
• Bonding Agent/ Ultra Grip
• Fusion SFO
• Paint brush
• Wood Filler
• Drill
• Sanding block

CLEAN YOUR FURNITURE BEFORE PAINTING

We wanted a spotless, sleek look for this makeover, so we stripped the top of the sideboard completely to the raw wood with stripping gel.

Then sanded down a good part of the drawers, we just love it when the Milk Paint soaks into the wood, it goes on so smoothly and sleek!  After stripping the top, there was quite a lot of gunk left, so it was wiped down with Fusion TSP to remove any extra dirt grime and grease.

When working on a larger piece, we always recommend getting more Milk Paint than you think you’re going to need. No sense in running out midway through your project! 

We chose the large bag of Little Black Dress 

MIXING MILK PAINT BY FUSION

We followed our mixing instructions here: 

1 part Milk Paint powder to 1 part water.  Give it a little whisk for a minute and watch the powder dissolve, then stir it again as you are painting keep stirring so the pigments don’t settle to the bottom of the cup. Just constantly stir the mixture to maintain an even texture in every coat. Since there was a lot of surface to cover, I mixed up a large amount of  Little Black Dress Fusion Milk Paint to ensure we had enough paint for our whole project.

Even though most of the original finish was sanded down, I added Ultra Grip to the milk paint to make sure there would be no chipping on the parts where the original finish had not been removed. Typically, a 1-part paint to 1-part bonding agent is recommended. 

Dark Colours for Milk Paint have amazing coverage if mixed correctly. Again always test your milk paint mix for a solid coat, no lumps or clumps and adjust accordingly. 

APPLYING MILK PAINT TO YOUR FURNITURE

After one coat of milk paint, we virtually had full coverage. A few spots needed a super-fine light coat, so I decided to give it one more thin coat all over to be even in the finish. When the paint dried, using a very fine sanding block with just a few passes we smoothed the paint finish. Wiping away the dust with a lint-free cloth after sanding to ensure a clean sound surface.

SEALING YOUR MILK PAINT

We wanted a strong durable topcoat for this dresser so we went with Fusion Stain and Finishing Oil

It is a fantastic strong finishing oil that slightly increases the sheen of the milk paint. The “Natural” colour is essentially clear, however, it also comes in other colours which can look amazing to age or glaze your piece on lighter colours. Check out all the colours here.

80’S SIDEBOARD GETS A MODERN MAKEOVER

These older-style dressers often get overlooked in thrift stores. They are not antique or even vintage really and the dark brown finish on most of the era furniture is very unattractive to modern homeowners and DIYers. Next time you are there take a really good look and see past the old worn look to what it could be!

Hardware can make a world of difference to a piece of furniture. The old hardware was removed so the old holes were covered with wood filler and new holes were drilled to fit the new pulls and knobs from Anthropologie.

Isn’t she gorgeous? To add a little makeup we accented it with black and white styling, along with bold graphic patterns in the wallpaper. To top it off we added a rug for that modern edgy look.

We love this 80’s sideboard modern makeover! do you? Let us know in the comments and be sure to tag us in your projects on social @fusionmineralpaint. Before you go..

See more Milk Paint inspiration here on the blog!

• How to paint metal with Milk Paint
• How to wax Milk Paint
• Sealing Milk Paint outdoors
• 3 Top Tips for using Milk paint
• What is Milk Paint

For more information on getting started with Milk Paint click here