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One the 2nd of January, in an attempt to assuage my guilt at having spent most of the 1st in bed, I went on a cleaning spree which accidentally led to painting my kitchen units matt black. 
I have always loved a project, Sunday’s rarely go by without me painting something, sewing something or rearranging all my furniture but in recent years, as Acanthus grew I’ve found less time to fit it all in.
The new year/new kitchen epiphany came about because I’ve been obsessing over the textural brass starfish door knobs we stock and I felt they needed a suitably dramatic backdrop to set them off. I happened to have a tin of black Milk Paint from General finishes at home (useful items like this tend to migrate from the shop just in case).
Amazingly the whole fitted kitchen (10 standard units of doors, drawers and kick-plates) only took around 3 hours. Once everything was dry I fitted the knobs which were, as I suspected they would be, perfect! The pleasure of the finished kitchen is going to sustain me through the dismal weather I can only assume is on the way, through the dark nights and well into the summer. The cost was well under £200 but the effect has been dramatic!

I know chalk paints are widely assumed to be a miracle paint but they Do have significant drawbacks. I used to use chalk paint for furniture and kitchens however we were introduced to Milk Paint several years ago and have never looked back. Like chalk paint, milk paint is water based, so no nasty smells and easy to clean up.
The big difference between the two products is the ease which which you can achieve a professional looking finish with milk paint and it’s hard wearing durability.
Chalk paints are very sensitive to oils and moisture, chip and mark very easily and have to be finished with wax which means you can’t easily repair any damage. With milk paint the opposite is true which is why I use it for everything from floors and kitchen units to coffee tables and bookcases.

Recipe;
1 quart tin of General Finishes Lamp Black
1 pint tin of General Finishes Flat Out Flat
1 sponge roller
1 small sponge brush
1 large sponge brush
14 Brass Starfish Cupboard Knobs

Method
Wipe down the piece you’re going to paint to ensure it’s free from oil, wax etc. If they have a very shiny surface you could give them a light sand down to give the paint a helping hand.
Pour your Milk Paint into a tray and apply to your chosen surface. Apply it as thinly as possible, it goes a long way and dries quickly so you’ll be able to build up the layers for a really strong, durable finish.
Use the small sponge brushes to get into any mouldings, carving etc and to coat the edges of drawers and doors. Three layers of paint should usually do the trick although Lamp Black seems to give particularly good coverage as do some of the other darker colours and it will depend on what you’re painting over.
Leave to dry and then apply the Flat Out Flat, I usually sweep this on with a kitchen sponge for speed and ease of use. As with the paint, stretch it out as thin as you can, two thin layers will look and perform better than one thick one.
Add your knobs and sit back to enjoy your handywork.

To help you revolutionise your unloved furniture we have two Deluxe Furniture Painting Kits to giveaway, simply follow us on Facebook and/or Instagram and tag your most creative friend for the chance to win a kit for each of you!
The kits include the paint colour of your choice, a Flat Out Flat Sealant, 3 sizes of sponge brush and 2 sanding pads to get you started.

Happy painting!!!