Who says you can’t layer with milk paint? Actually, I did. At least I used to think it. However, I have proved my theory wrong and have layered and waxed and glazed away on my latest piece, the French Basil Dresser.
This is a gorgeous piece of furniture made by Drexel Heritage. It has curves and charm galore and gorgeous hardware. However, it was not in good shape.
Here is a quick before… 
A lot went into this piece! Here goes folks!
I first applied a coat of General Finishes Antique White. I then allowed that to dry and applied two coats of GF Basil. After sanding back and distressing, I used a clear wax (Annie Sloan) because I wanted to deepen the hue. However, it still wasn’t quite right. I went for the General Finishes Winter White glaze to add some more dimension. After using a cloth to wipe it back and allowing it to dry, I again sanded to distress. This allowed the wood to pop through. After refinishing the top, I applied General Finishes Gel Stain for a fantastic finish.
Whew!
A flew close-ups of the detail…
Layers upon layers of goodness!
And it was well worth your effort! Beautifully done! I LOVE this Basil color. Gotta get me some.
I love the color and all the layers. Good work!
Suzanne…GORGEOUS dresser! Did you sand /strip the top before applying the Gel Stain… and was it Java or another colored stain. The layering looks amazing!
Thanks, Denise! I did strip the top and sand it back first. It was in really bad condition and the original finish was peeling off everywhere. It also had some deep scratches I needed to sand out. I used GF gel stain, Candlelite. The color is really pretty and not too dark or too reddish. I still need to apply the finish top coat. I was too tired last night!
It is absolutely beautiful. What a great job you did.
Great piece of furniture….love, love the color.
You are becoming quite the GF Guru! Way to experiment and create a masterpiece! It’s very lovely! And if you get a chance, I’d love to see your answer to Denise’s questions….because as someone I deeply admire once said “Inquiring minds want to know!” 🙂
xo
Such hard work you put into that piece! As always both beautiful and inspirational to painters everywhere. I’m also glad you took time to enjoy your girls and the sunshine. After all, you deserve a break too 🙂
Hello,
Its gorgeous!!! Can i ask you hou did you get teh “whiteish” tone in same parts os the drawers and doors ?
And the “2 tones” ? It seems there are same parts where the coulour is “deepen”…love it all.
Oh wow, this piece is stunning. I love, love, love it. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me.
This is really beautiful Suzanne! And the Easter Egg Roll looks like such fun!
Beautiful as always Suzanne!
Sometimes the pieces you find remind me of the furniture my friends had in their rooms as pre-teens to teenagers. This dresser is one of those. Drexel was big back in the late 50’s and 60’s and my friend Lynn had this set.
Very pretty.