Vintage Bookshelf Makeover with SILK Mineral Paint

Hands down, vintage furniture is my fave!! They just don’t make it like they used too! I snagged this sweet little mid-century modern(MCM) piece a couple years ago & it’s been in my girls’ bedroom. I left it in original condition all the time it was storing my girls’ books. It functioned okay for them, but I finally came to terms that is was too small for their enormous book collection!

So I decided to have a different bookshelf created for their room & it’s a bookcase flip (that makeover will be revealed on the blog soon)!

As for this MCM shelf….it will now be used to house & display my new SILK paints in my retail space….. at the time I’m writing this blog, SILK paint by Dixie Belle just released in the USA & I’m thrilled with the results! So of course I gave this MCM shelf a SILK paint makeover!

SILK is an all-in-one mineral paint with a beautiful low, reflective finish! I’m excited to share all the steps I took give it a brand new look! I’m going to list the steps & then go into more detail on each step!

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1. Evaluate
2. Clean
3. Repair
4. Scuff Sand or Slick Stick
5. Clean
6. Paint
7. Let dry
8. Let cure

1.) EVALUATE— this is THE MOST IMPORTANT step!!! Okay, what are you painting & what look are you going for? This piece is solid wood, so all I need to do is clean & possibly repair knicks, holes, gouges in the wood. So look over your piece & be sure it isn’t super slick like laminate or have a really shiny factory finish.

And even if it is solid wood, it may already have a paint or stain on it & you’re not sure what was used….it’s probably best to strip any of the possible oils with Mineral Spirits. Your overall result will only be as good as your foundation. However, if your piece is super slick, like laminate for instance, you’ll need to use Dixie Belle’s SLICK STICK adhesion primer.

2.) CLEAN— so you’ve evaluated, used mineral spirits if need be & now your next step will be to clean! Dixie Belle’s White Lightning Cleaner is a TSP substitue (Trisodium Phosphate). It will degrease & degloss your piece. It is important your clean & rinse the residue from the cleaner. You will be absolutely surprised at all the dirt & grime you pull from a seemingly clean looking piece. I’m totally OBSESSED with using this cleaner before painting with SILK or chalk paint!

3.) REPAIR— My personal style tends to embrace all the imperfections of vintage furniture, but you may want to smooth everything out & fill in all the holes, gouges, cracks etc. –You’ll need wood filler or a product like the Dixie Belle’s Mud. It comes in brown, black & white and it’s paintable! You just use a putty knife to work it into the spot you’re repairing & then sand down until it’s level with the rest of wood. I skipped this step on my piece, but took some pics for your to see what kind of damage you may want to look for on your piece!

4) SCUFF SAND or SLICK STICK— if your piece is super glossy or laminate, you will follow instructions for applying Slick Stick. All other surfaces will require a Scuff Sanding, which means using a sanding block pad grit 150-180. You don’t have to put a ton of elbow grease into this part…..it’s about the same pressure you’d use with a kitchen sponge to wipe down the counter! Do this over the entire surface of your piece! This step will really help to open up all the pores on your piece, promising much better adhesion!

5.) CLEAN AGAIN— this time, just spray your piece with clean water & wipe down with lint-free rag (old white t-shirts are great). This will remove all the dust from Scuff Sanding. Let it dry before starting to paint. As an extra measure, you can use tack cloth to wipe down your piece too. It’ll get any other fine fibers/dust left behind from your prep work!

6.) PAINT— Once your piece is all dry from cleaning & prep, it’s time to paint! Use a quality, dry synthetic brush to begin applying your first coat of silk. This paint doesn’t like to be overworked……so be sure your brush is loaded with plenty of paint and start working in long, even strokes. Do your best to keep moving & don’t go back over sections but a few times to reduce brush strokes.

Also, if you are accustomed to using a fine mister bottle to help paint glide, refrain from using water with the SILK paint. Eventhough it is water-based, adding additional water will break down the qualities of the paint itself. This paint has built-in primer, stain blocker & top coat….adding water affects the recipe of the paint.

7.) Let it Dry–Temperature & humidity will vary upon location, but paint should be dry to the touch within one-three hours. If you desire to apply a 2nd coat, apply that after 1st coat has dried & allow 2nd coat to dry 24 hours before handling.

8.) Let it Cure— You will want to give your piece 21-30 days to fully CURE. Cure time & Dry time are different. Cure time means all the qualities of the paint are given time to set up. After your piece drys, just be gentle on it until that 21-30 day time frame has passed.

I like to use the analogy of having your nails painted. Nail polish can be dry to the touch within 5-20 minutes, but it’s still super easy to mess them up (I’ve done that a million times) That nail polish needs time to set up & truly harden so you can wash your hands, scratch your nose, brush up against your clothing etc. LOL…..the same goes for the paint on a furniture piece, especially SILK….so not giving proper cure time typically has to do with impatience. It’s okay, I get it….I just strongly encourage you to be patient & let the paint dry & cure to it’s fullest potential!

EXTRA TIPS & NOTES:

*If at all possible, work on your projects indoors. The SILK paint has NO VOCs, which means no odor or fumes! I simply find it easier to control the outcome of your paint job if you don’t have to worry about outdoor elements.

**If you use & love the Dixie Belle Chalk Paint line, misting with water is absolutely fine & encouraged! The Chalk Paint line is better suited for distressed & blended looks. Has more versatility as an arts & crafts type paint too! Read more about Dixie Belle’s Chalk Paint line HERE.

*If you do want to thin & use the SILK paint in a sprayer, you can add up to 1oz of water for every 16oz of paint.

*There is no need to use a sealer for this paint, but you absolutely can if you”d like additional protection or a glossier sheen than the SILK provides. Silk has a beautiful, low, reflective sheen similar to a satin, but not quite as shiny.

*Store your paint in a location 50-90 degrees

*Viscosity of the paint will vary with color of paint as the pigments are different to create each color. If you notice a color you use is thinner or thicker than another, that is perfectly normal.

*Instead of rinsing your brush after first coat, store it in a ziplock bag to simply pull back out for 2nd coat

I hope you feel inspired to paint your first piece in SILK All-In-One Mineral Paint! My bookshelf definitely passes the scratch test & I’m so pleased with how it came out! You can also follow along in the Dixie Belle Silk Paint Group for extra inspiration! Happy Painting!!