Dark Green Buffet Makeover

Perhaps your buffet is starting to feel outdated and uninspiring. If you’re craving a change and want to give your space a fresh look, consider this dark green buffet makeover! A green painted furniture project may seem intimidating at first, but with a little bit of creativity and some helpful tips, you’ll have a stunning piece that will bring new life to your room.

These antique buffets are some of my very favorite pieces of furniture to paint! I love keeping those long turned legs in a stained wood finish and painting the rest.

antique buffet before getting painted in dark green milk paint

When it comes to choosing a paint color for your furniture makeover, green may not be the first shade that comes to mind.

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Dark green furniture can appear bold and dramatic, but when done right, it can also add a touch of sophistication and elegance to your space.

This is why painting your buffet in a rich dark green hue may just be the perfect choice for a stylish upgrade. Read on to see the full makeover for this dark green painted buffet!

This time I tried something a little bit new with creating a distressed look. I also mixed up a new paint color (find the exact recipe below!)

We found this buffet at our local Goodwill. This is what it looked like when we found it!

buffet at goodwill thrift store

Supplies Used For Dark Green Buffet Makeover

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Clean Buffet

First, clean your furniture with a grease/oil-cutting cleaner. I like to use Krud Kutter. Check out this post to learn more about how to clean furniture before painting and why it’s so important!

Mix the Milk Paint

The dark green paint that I used on this buffet was a mix of 3 different Shackteau Interiors Milk Paint colors.

powdered shackteau interiors milk paint in blue moon, black beach and clarke pond green

To recreate this color, use:

  • 6 Tablespoons Clarke Pond Green
  • 2 Tablespoons Blue Moon
  • 1 Tablespoon Black Beach

To mix milk paint colors together, mix them in powdered form, and then mix the deep green custom color with warm water to turn it into paint. Learn how to mix milk paint colors here.

Learn about mixing milk paint into liquid paint here, including how much water to mix into the powder, and the easiest way to mix powdered milk paint.

Check out my comparison between milk paint vs chalk paint here.

a paintbrush dipped into dark green milk paint

Remember to only mix a small amount of paint because mixed-up milk paint doesn’t last very long.

Apply Vaseline (optional)

This step is for those who don’t want to sand the milk paint to distress it. Basically, anywhere you put some Vaseline, the paint won’t stick. I tried it on this piece, and honestly, I didn’t love it.

applying vaseline onto furniture

It’s hard to control the vaseline, so you end up with large distressed areas instead of the more natural looking distressing that comes from 220 grit sandpaper.

Read this post to learn the pros and cons of distressing furniture with these 6 methods.

But if you really don’t want to sand, the vaseline can be a good option. After the piece is painted, just use a damp lint-free rag to remove any paint from those areas.

Tape Off Buffet Legs

Since I kept the legs stained, I taped off the top of the legs and any edges where I would paint into with painters tape.

Paint Buffet

Now it’s time to paint! Paint 2 coats of milk paint letting the milk paint dry in between coats.

I personally love using a Zibra paint brush with milk paint. They just go so well together! Read all about the best paint brushes for painting furniture here!

If you have a paint sprayer, you can spray milk paint! Learn how to spray milk paint here.

brushing green milk paint on buffet
distressed paint with vaseline
The areas without paint is where the vaseline was. applied before the paint.

Distress Painted Buffet and Scuff the Legs

Distressing with 220-grit sandpaper creates a more authentic distressed look. It also helps the milk paint chip. Though I didn’t really get much chipping on this piece.

If you really want your milk paint to chip, use this secret to get milk paint to have a chippy paint finish every time.

I just distressed the milk paint by sanding it by hand. And then I removed the tape on the legs.

And scuff sanded the legs to smooth out the rough old finish, and to smooth out any scratches on the legs. Then remove the dust with a vacuum hose attachment and/or a damp lint free rag.

For the best dust removal, I like to use these tack cloths! They pick up all the dust and don’t leave any lint behind! Check out more distressed painted furniture ideas here.

Seal Milk Painted Buffet

For this buffet, I chose to seal the milk paint with Shackteau Interiors hemp oil. Learn the 3 best ways to seal milk paint here.

To seal milk paint with hemp oil, simply brush the hemp oil onto the paint with a cheap chip brush or dollar store brush that you can throw away.

Let the hemp oil sink into the paint and then wipe off the excess with a lint-free rag.

Hemp oil needs to dry for a couple of days before you put stuff on it or use the surface, so I don’t use hemp oil very often. Read more about all the different topcoats for painting furniture.

Brush Dark Wax Onto Buffet Legs

The legs were in decent condition before, so I decided to keep the original finish on them, but freshen them up.

The easiest way to freshen up the old finish is to brush some dark wax onto the scuff-sanded legs. A little bit of wax goes a long way, so brush it on in a very light coat.

Once it dries overnight, go back and buff it out with a clean lint-free rag, just until it feels smooth.

** You could also easily freshen up the legs with gel stain – learn more on this tutorial in this post: how to stain wood darker!

Step back and enjoy your creation! Make sure to be super super careful with your new paint job for at least 30 days, until the products that you used are cured.

Get more painted buffet ideas here.

closeup of dark green distressed buffet with stained wood legs
dark green painted distressed buffet with stained legs

More Before And After Makeovers

Click any of these “before” photos below to view the “after” of that makeover.

closeup of distressed dark green painted buffet

Can I mix different colors of milk paint together?

Yes, as we did in this makeover, you can mix different colors of milk paint to create custom shades. This allows you to have more control over the final color of your piece and make it unique.

Just make sure to mix enough paint for your entire project, as it can be difficult to recreate the exact same shade if you run out.

If you’re new to milk paint, it may be easier to start with pre-mixed colors before experimenting with mixing your own.

This will give you a better understanding of how milk paint works and what results you can expect from different colors.

Once you feel more comfortable, you can start mixing your own custom shades and create truly one-of-a-kind pieces.

What does dark wax do on furniture?

Dark wax is a finishing product used on painted furniture to add depth, dimension, and an aged look. It also adds a protective layer to the furniture and helps seal in the paint.

Dark wax can also be used to cover minor imperfections in the wood, such as scratches or light stains.

If you need to freshen up the finish on your furniture, dark wax can also be used on its own without paint. It will add a rich color and shine to the wood, while still providing a protective barrier.

Overall, it adds character and enhances the beauty of any piece of furniture.

Dark Green Buffet Makeover

dark green painted buffet with stained wood legs

Spruce up your old antique buffet with some milk paint. Here's how to paint this dark green buffet makeover.

Instructions

  1. Remove the hardware and clean your buffet with a grease-cutting cleaner.
  2. Mix the powdered milk paint with warm water. Mix a small amount of paint only because mixed-up milk paint doesn’t last very long.
  3. If you don’t want to sand the milk paint to distress it, put Vaseline where you don't want the paint to stick.
  4. Tape off the buffet legs to avoid getting paint on them.
  5. Paint 2 coats of milk paint on the buffet, letting the paint dry between coats.
  6. If you didn't use Vaseline, you can distress the paint now with sandpaper. Scuff sand the buffet legs to smooth out the rough old finish, and to smooth out any scratches. Then remove the dust with a vacuum hose and wipe with a lint-free rag or tack cloth.
  7. Seal the milk paint with hemp oil by simply brushing the hemp oil onto the paint with a cheap chip brush or dollar store brush that you can throw away. Let the hemp oil sink into the paint and then wipe off the excess with a lint-free rag.
  8. Freshen up the buffet legs by brushing a very light coat of dark wax on them. Once the wax dries overnight, go back and buff it out with a clean lint-free rag, just until it feels smooth.
  9. Be super super careful with your new paint job for at least 30 days, until the products that you used are cured!

Recommended Products

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before and after of dark green painted antique buffet
antique buffet before getting painted in dark green milk paint

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