Refinished the same oak dresser two different ways 10 years apart

I bought a beat up old oak dresser for $30 back in 2010 and stripped it with chemical stripper then stained it with some Minwax. Looked okay for a few years but the stain started peeling in spots. Last month I found a nearly identical one at a thrift store for $25 and decided to try milk paint instead. Sanded it down by hand with 120 grit and did three coats of a warm gray milk paint. Two years from now I bet the milk paint will still look good while the old one would be flaking. Has anyone else had better luck with milk paint over traditional stain on older furniture?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencerl321mo ago

Milk paint is definitely more durable once it cures, but let's be real, it's still just paint and can chip if you look at it wrong. Hard to say if it's really that much better without seeing how you prepped it.

margaret_singh11mo agoMost Upvoted

Prepped right, milk paint bonds deep into the wood instead of just sitting on top like regular paint, doesn't it?