When you have a beautiful piece of furniture or a surface you want to paint, it can be time-consuming to figure out which tools to use or how best to apply the primer, paint, or sealer. That’s why Amy Howard At Home has spent years developing tools that give even the newest DIYers the ability to rescue furniture they love.

In this week’s Finish Friday, Amy and her husband Gene show some of their favorite tools for painting furniture — and share some great tips about when to use them.

Top 5 Tools for Your Furniture Painting Projects

1. Microfiber brushes. When you’re needing to apply a very steady, consistent coat of paint, Amy recommends microfiber brushes. Using One Step Paint makes it easy to finish projects quickly and without priming or sealing — but you’ll need the right brush. So make sure you use a microfiber brush like our 1.5” Nylon Tapered Brush to lay down the first coat of One Step Paint.
2. Glazing brushes. Using our Glazed Over product, you can pull off a striated, brushed look on cabinets or other furniture. Natural bristle brushes that are rounded allow for great glazing coverage while also leaving room for finishes that show character. The long handle on our 2” Round Tapered Brush allows for a lighter hand and the hog hair bristles make for easy cleaning.
3. Wax brushes. Speaking of hog hair, our round hog hair brush is perfect for use with our Light Antique Wax. With the right application, you can buff and shine your piece to perfection — without overloading it with oily coatings that never seem to dry. The Amy Howard At Home 1.5” chip brushes are also great for applying Dark Wax.
4. Chip brushes for milk paint. The Amy Howard At Home chip brushes, with all natural bristles, are twice the thickness of an average chip brush. These are perfect for the Toscana Milk Paint, as the thicker bristles hold the water-based paint beautifully. In the video, Amy reminds us to not use synthetic brushes for milk paint; mixing synthetic brushes with natural paint won’t give you the results you want! Instead, natural bristle brushes lay milk paint on a lot smoother, and they’re also great for our Legno Gesso.
5. Paint Sprayer. A paint sprayer is great and it can definitely make your project go faster — but, as Gene reminds us in the video, you will use a little bit more paint than you would by hand. When mixing paint for the paint sprayer, also make sure you have paint filter cones. This will remove any leftover clumps. Amy and Gene show you how to prepare the paint for your sprayer, as well as how to use it.

The Amy Howard At Home Handheld Paint Sprayer has a different gauge than other sprayers on the market, designed to allow you to spray thicker, oil-based paints or water-based, thinner paints. The entire paint sprayer comes in a set for one price and it’s easy to use for beginners who may otherwise feel hesitant to use this useful tool.

Other Tools to Add to Your DIY Cabinet

In this week’s video, Amy also covers a few other tools that are great to have in your DIY cabinet. These include:

• An artist’s brush for gilding or striping furniture
• Sponge brushes
• Metal spatulas
• Paint scrapers
• Microfiber Cloths

Of course, there are many more tools to add to your arsenal if you love refinishing and reviving old pieces. Amy and Gene have been furniture finishers for 30+ years and the products and tools they shared in this video are the results of all their experience and passion for rescuing and restoring. They know that having the right tools and knowing how to use them will make all the difference in your final project. In this video, Amy also announces the winner of the paint sprayer giveaway, so be sure to check that out!

Of course, Amy is always showing us how to use the Amy Howard At Home tools and paints each Friday at noon CST, so make sure to tune in live on Facebook. Amy will even answer your questions!  

 

Did you know that 28 million tons of furniture are thrown away each year in the U.S? That’s an excessive amount of unnecessary waste! However, it can be cut down drastically when you realize that you can make old pieces like new again with a little cleaning, prepping, and refinishing.

 

When you’re ready to dive into a refinishing or painting project, most of us want to go straight to the fun part. But by cutting the cleaning and prepping process short — or by skipping it altogether — we’re actually risking the quality finish we really want. That’s why Amy is talking all about how to clean and prepare your furniture on this week’s Finish Friday video.

 

Step One: Assess the Damage

 

If you have a solid wood piece, a wicker chair, or something with veneer, you’ll need to look at it thoroughly to determine what needs the most prep. For example, a veneered piece may be warped from moisture or even be separating from the wood, which will require water-based wood glue and pressure. Wicker, on the other hand, may need some wood filler and a tape wrap to re-adhere loose threads.

 

In this week’s video, Amy’s husband, Gene Howard, makes a guest appearance to share his many years of expertise in restoring and refinishing furniture. Together, Amy and Gene show you how to apply glue and pressure to repair veneer for a better finish. They also share their tips on how to fill holes from hardware or keyholes, as well as what type of clamps to buy for your preparation process.

 

Then, once you’ve reversed some of the deeper damage, you’ll be able to get your piece’s surface clean and ready for painting!

 

Step Two: Clean the Piece Thoroughly

 

Depending on the age of the furniture you’re wanting to update, you may actually need to do more than clean it with a rag and some warm water. In some cases, varnish or very old sealants may need to be scrubbed off. But one thing Amy and Gene advise against is using oil-based cleaners, as this prevents paint from bonding well to the furniture. For a thorough clean that doesn’t negatively affect your finish or paint, you can use Amy Howard At Home Clean Slate. Clean Slate removes old finishes and oily, waxy residue, making it possible to clean your furniture with just one product.

 

Sanding or scraping may also be needed for pieces that have dents or scrapes in the wood, stickers, or deep-set stains. You can also use wood putty to fill in deeper dents or scrapes that can’t be sanded out. Of course, make sure to let any wood putty dry and let your piece sit for at least an hour after using the Clean Slate. Then, go over the piece with a clean, lint-free rag to make sure all residue is gone before you paint.

 

Step Three: Get Creative!

 

After your furniture is properly repaired and prepped, it’s time to have a little fun. Depending on the surface you’ll be refinishing, you can use lacquer, One Step Paint, or even Toscana Milk Paint and our waxes to get the look you really want. Once a surface is properly prepped, there’s nothing stopping you from making it beautiful!

 

This is a great tutorial for anyone who is hoping to give new life to a piece for their homes or creative spaces. As Amy says, “We know that the success of your project starts with this,” so don’t miss this week’s Finish Friday on cleaning and prepping your furniture.

 

And of course, tune into more Finish Fridays at noon Central on our Facebook page. If you’re interested in winning free product, watch our Facebook page to enter each week’s giveaway!

 

 

One of the most exciting parts of creating a beautiful home is finding pieces you can’t wait to spruce up. Whether it’s at a neighbor’s garage sale or your favorite antique shop, you’ve likely run into something that you just love -- and can see becoming an important fixture in your home.

 

But the most common questions Amy gets are:

 

“When I go shopping, what should I look for?”

 

“How do I know if a piece can be rescued and restored?”

 

On this week’s Finish Friday, Amy is taking us on a live tour of one of her favorite antique shops to show us exactly what she looks for in pieces before she brings them home.

 

Look for pieces you can actually use (or resell)

 

If you’re out antique hunting, it can be easy to get distracted by all the pretty pieces. But before you fall in love with something, ask yourself: Where would I put this? Could I use it year-round? And if you’re a reseller for your refinished pieces, ask yourself: Would someone use this piece? Is it priced so I can make a profit on it? While pricing and reselling your pieces is a whole other discussion, it’s an important quality to keep in mind as you shop!

 

Make sure it’s in good shape

 

While the finish and color of a piece is something you can fix, you can’t always fix a broken drawer, leg, or missing pieces. Before you say “I do” to the dresser, table, or other antique item you’ve found, make sure you can open it, move it, and put a reasonable amount of weight on it. This will save you heartbreak when you get home and realize the piece can’t even be used!

 

Consider what the piece is made of

 

One of the most important things you should do when you see a piece that speaks to you is consider what it’s made of. Is it oak? Is it metal? Is it plastic? Does it have a wood veneer? Is the veneer intact?

 

Whatever it’s materials, you will need to make sure that it can be cleaned thoroughly so the proper paint or primer can be applied. Depending on the look you’re going for, a couple layers of Amy Howard at Home’s One Step Paint is great, or you may consider our Furniture Lacquer for a more modern, edgy finish. The Toscana Milk Paint is another great option for pieces you want age authentically. You can decide which one is right for your piece based on the material it’s composed of, your desired finish, and the overall style of the piece – do you want a more antique, matte finish or a modern statement finish? Amy gives her tips for different materials and styles in today’s Finish Friday broadcast, so make sure to check that out!

 

Consider how old it is

 

Another great tip Amy shares in the video is to consider the age of the piece you’ve found. In most furniture created or used in the 1970s and ‘80s, Liquid Gold was used to seal the stain and paint. This sealant is very oily and hard to clean, which means a simple scrub won’t help you refinish it. You’ll need to use a stronger product like Clean Slate to remove such materials, as well as to clear off the years of use if the piece has been well-loved.

 

Have fun with different items

 

Refinishing isn’t just for furniture! You can use One Step Paint and other Amy Howard At Home products on lamps, mirrors, frames, metal file cabinets, clay pots, and virtually any surface you find during your antiquing adventures. Amy’s last tip is to find pieces that you love – that will make the process of finding, refinishing, and using your “new again” antique all the more fun. Check out this week’s Finish Friday video to tag along with Amy as she goes on her weekly antique hunt, and to get more tips on how to transform your own finds.

 

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Curious about how to properly clean and prep your new finds? Stay tuned for next week’s Finish Friday on Facebook where you can see all of Amy’s tips and tricks for starting a new refinishing project! We go live every Friday at 12pm CST.

 

One of the most underestimated components of DIY refinishing and refurbishing is waxing. While the paint, plaster, sanding, and sealing are all important, waxing is a finishing technique you can use to take your pieces to the next level. Waxing does not have to be just for protection, either! It can add a layer of color and texture that no other material can provide to your piece. It also can highlight the depth and design of your furniture, wall decor, wood features, and more! Best of all, it gives an Old World look to any piece -- a look that cannot be replicated in the same way with other techniques.

 

Combining Paints and Waxes for Old World Looks

 

Amy Howard At Home offers a number of wax products you can use to create Old World finishes. Using a variety of carnauba (a hard wax used for bowling lanes) and softer beeswax, these products are high quality and easy to use.

 

During this week’s Finish Friday, Amy demonstrates how to layer wax and paint to give an aged, Old World look to nearly any surface. While you may want to use our harder Dark Wax, Light Wax, or Liming Wax to brighten or shine your finished pieces, our line of soft waxes is just as amazing.

 

In today’s Finish Friday, Amy focuses on how you can mix our line of soft waxes with our specially formulated paint.

 

To pull off this Old World waxing technique, Amy shows us how to mix a squeezable wax, such as the Vintage Cerusing Wax, with your favorite color of One Step Paint or Toscana Milk Paint. Of course, always make sure to offload excess tinted wax before applying it to your piece! This evenly distributes the wax on the brush, making your wax application smoother and more consistent.

 

In the video, Amy also shows us how wax can be used with Dust of Ages to create depth and texture, as well as give an antique but solid finish. This provides a unique aged look to almost any surface, and looks especially nice on wood or plaster!

 

You can create colored and metallic waxes with our range of One Step or Toscana Milk Paints to use on furniture, kitchen cabinets, and accessories. This involves a simple mix of squeezable wax, paint products, and careful application, but the result is a unique Old World finish that you can’t get with any other combination!

 

Curious how this works? Make sure to watch the Finish Friday broadcast for all of Amy’s great tips!

 

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Did you love this tutorial? Stay tuned to next week’s Finish Friday broadcast on Facebook at noon CST. You can also find us live on Instagram!

 

How to Use Venetian Plaster & Toscana Milk Paint

 

Plaster is one of the oldest building materials in history, with the first evidence of it dating back nearly 9,500 years. Venetian plaster became popular around the 15th century, when it was made from slaked (crumbled) limestone and marble. Painters and artists found that applying several layers of plaster to a wall would provide depth and smooth texture that couldn’t be replicated with other paint.

 

In ancient times, as in modern times, Venetian plaster is thinly applied to a wall to create a visual and textual richness that resembles polished stone. Over time, the slaked stone also ages into a finish that is stronger than any painted wall, which is why Venetian plaster has retained its popularity even today. Venetian plaster also has a unique, crystalline finish that isn’t found in other plasters. This is what gives Venetian plaster that shine you can’t find elsewhere.

 

At Amy Howard at Home, we’ve created a high-quality Venetian plaster that provides truly endless possibilities for a variety of projects. Easy to work with and highly textured, our Venetian plaster has three ingredients: lime, calcium carbonate, and marble dust. This simple recipe is perfect for creating an organic, natural, historic look in your home.

 

But many people wonder how to get colored plaster since our Venetian plaster comes in a beautiful creamy white. The answer is simple: milk paint! Milk Paint and Venetian Plaster Create Superb Finishes

 

Our Toscana Milk Paint can’t be rivaled in terms of quality or rich color, and it’s a perfect complement to our Venetian plaster. That’s because many of our milk paint pigments are sourced from Italy, using all-natural colors from quarries in the region. It also comes in a powder, instead of a liquid, which means that it can be added to the plaster without compromising the texture or quality.

 

You can mix our milk paint with our Venetian plaster to get the color and the texture you want for your creations. Amy demonstrates the right portions of plaster, milk paint, and water in the video, but it’s important to always mix powder first before adding water. You’ll also need to prime a surface with One Step Paint to ensure the plaster adheres properly.

 

You can also finish your Venetian plaster surfaces with beautiful Light Wax to create an aged, yet polished, surface, which Amy models in the video. She also shows you how to use our stencils to create wall or furniture accents that last a lifetime.

 

With this mixture of Toscana Milk Paint and Venetian Plaster, you can really explore your creativity and test new, unique applications all over your home. Our variety of Toscana Milk Paint colors will make it easy to customize your next project and make it a perfect fit for your home – simply mix and add water!

 

Make sure to see how Amy applies the milk paint and Venetian plaster in this week’s Finish Friday, as well as her tips for priming and finishing your surfaces. You can also tune in next Friday to see the newest episode of Finish Fridays, which airs live at noon CST on Instagram and on our Facebook page.

 

 

One of the questions we get most often on Finish Fridays is how to create layers and finishes that look truly “Old World.”

While milk paint provides a velvety, vintage finish that you can’t get from any other paint, many people don’t know that it can also be used for cracked finishes and color layering when you want to achieve a distressed Old World look.

In this Finish Friday broadcast, Amy shares how to create a multi-layered project using Amy Howard at Home Milk Paint. She explains how our milk paint is formulated without actual cow or goat milk, but still uses casein and other essential ingredients for an authentic finish.

All of our pigments are shipped directly from natural quarries in Italy, which creates the rich Toscana finishes and colors you get from our milk paint. Best of all, our milk paint is VOC-free and contains no commercial ingredients that are considered toxic, unlike traditional commercial paints. Because of this, our milk paint is safe to use on virtually any decorative surface.

 

Introducing you to the Toscana Milk Paint, Amy explains that all you need to create an amazing, layered finish is a horizontal surface, milk paint, and water. Mix the combination thoroughly until all clumps and foam are removed. Depending on the look you’re going for – maybe a thin glazed patina or a multi-layered antique finish – Amy shows you how to add water and additional coats of paint as needed.

 

Because of the nature of milk paint, Amy also shows you how to layer many different paints and create layers of color with different Amy Howard At Home products. Instead of using sandpaper to get an aged, smooth surface, she shares how to use a base layer of Legno Gesso (pronounced jess-o). Our cracked gesso, which has its own unique ingredients, goes on any surface smoothly and separates into an aged, cracked finished. Best of all, Legno Gesso serves as a beautiful white undercoating for Toscana Milk Paint.

 

After creating a cracked gesso base, Amy shows you how to apply your first coat of Toscana Milk Paint, which should go on smoothly thanks to its watery texture. Once that first layer is dry, you’ll likely see it begin to separate and crack into a beautiful, aged pattern. You can continue to layer your milk paint for richer color and a more pronounced patina, or you can choose to move on to the Antiquing Glaze and a blended mix of Light Antique Wax and Dark Antique Wax.

 

The Antiquing Glaze will give an unmistakably Toscana finish to virtually any raw surface, as you use a sea sponge to imitate an aged texture. Amy demonstrates how the glaze will lighten areas of the milk paint’s color and also how (once the glaze is dry) the light and dark wax can highlight the grooves and designs. As a finishing touch, Amy loves using Dust of Ages, which lends a delicate and truly historical feel to any piece.

 

Make sure to watch this week’s installment of Finish Friday to catch a few of Amy’s extra tips about applying paints, glazes, and wax to create cracks and layers in your DIY project. Stay tuned for next week’s Finish Friday broadcast by following Amy Howard At Home on Facebook and Instagram.

 

 

Back before the seemingly infinite rows of paint chips you find yourself looking through at the home improvement store…. back before the large-scale manufacturing of gallons and gallons of paint… back before having to carefully choose between eggshell, satin, matte, glossy, and so many other finishes…

 

Thousands of years before the world of spray paint, acrylic paint, oil-based paint, latex paint, chalkboard paint, and even washable paints… there was milk paint.

 

Some of the earliest cave paintings known to man were created with a very basic combination of milk, lime, and earth pigments. As these formulations were refined over time, milk paint coatings became more and more beautiful and durable. Many ancient artifacts still retained their vibrant painted designs upon discovery, giving us a unique peek into the color preferences of these historic cultures. Traveling painters in Old World Europe and colonial America would carry pigments with them, mixing their powders with milk and lime from the farm once they happened upon a home where their craft was needed.

 

Although we no longer need access to goats from the farm to make milk paint, it still must be formulated with casein, a protein found in milk, to achieve its unique velvety finish. So the name “milk paint” remains a perfect fit even though it can now be commercially manufactured.

 

Milk paint is essentially a versatile and authentic way to create an Old World finish on any piece of furniture, cabinetry, decorative accent, or even artwork – no matter the age of the actual surface you are refinishing.

 

In its original powder form, true milk paint has an unlimited shelf life. Each of the rich, luxurious pigments in Amy Howard At Home Toscana Milk Paint were sourced from Italy and the South of France. Their authentic provenance from the heart of the Old World ensures a superior finish, color, and vibrancy. With no VOCs or other unsafe commercial ingredients, this milk paint is safe to use anywhere in the home. After mixing with water and removing any clumps or foam, Toscana Milk Paint can be used as-is, thinned to create a glazed patina, or layered multiple times for luxurious, antique depth.

 

Working with Toscana Milk Paint requires close attention, although beautiful results are easy to achieve. It is much thinner than commercial paint you might be more used to, as it it is completely all natural. Working on a horizontal surface is necessary, and several coats are usually needed to create the look you are envisioning. As you agitate your paint and work through a wet edge, imagine yourself in southern Italy painting alongside the old masters in this same way, using the same methodology and brush strokes!

 

In the past, you had to search for years or spend thousands to find a piece with this kind of elegance and drama. Now you can recreate this iconic historic patina in your own garage. Once you are comfortable with the basics, try some of Amy’s more advanced aging techniques using waxes, Dust of Ages, and even Antiquing Glaze with your favorite Toscana Milk Paint colors!

 

Getting Started with Toscana Milk Paint:

1). Choose your favorite Toscana Milk Paint color. Remember, your mixed paint will dry to that exact shade!

 

2). Use this 2.5″ Flat Paint Chip Brush with your milk paint and the specialty 2.0” Round Hog Hair Paint Brush for any waxes you may apply.

 

3). Be sure to protect and seal your painted finish with Matte Sealer or Amy Howard At Home Waxes.

4). For advanced milk paint techniques check out Amy’s latest book Rescue Restore Redecorate.

 

 

Known by many names, glazing & whitewashing techniques can transform any stained or painted surface into something completely new and unique.

 

In this Finishing School broadcast, Amy explained the differences between cerusing, pickling, and liming live on the Amy Howard At Home Facebook page. Workshop viewers gained the DIY and refinishing skills to apply these techniques to wood, brick, kitchen cabinets, furniture, and floors!

Amy first shares the basics of cerusing with Glazed Over after painting a cabinet door with your choice of Amy Howard At Home - One Step Paint. To get this effect, simply mix these two water-based, no VOCs formulas with each other using a recipe of one part glaze, one part paint, and one part water.

The right tools can make all the difference in whether your project is successful. When cerusing, use two paint brushes – one for applying the glaze and one for offloading. Watch Amy demonstrate proper painting techniques as she walks you through creating this elegant, timeless finish step-by-step! Remember, Glazed Over and our One Step Paint do not have to be sealed! So once you complete your finish, you are done!

You can use this same glaze mixture and process on raw wood to create a pickling effect. Amy shows you exactly how to use a brush and a rag on a simple oak flooring sample, a wood that's perfect for pickling because of all its beautiful natural grain. Finally, get a little peek at the depth and sheen a bit of carnuba wax can add to your work. Be sure to seal your wood floors with our Matte Sealer to protect your finish!

Next, Amy demonstrates how you can use our Cerusing Wax to transform stained or painted wood finishes using a chip brush and steel wool. Experiment on small, thrifted surfaces to figure out your favorite methods for pulling through the wax. You can even play around with buffing to get your preferred level of sheen!

Next, Amy shows how you can use a glazing technique to refresh brick. All you need is your One Step Paint, Glazed Over, a natural sea wool sponge and water.

If refinishing your fireplace, be sure to thoroughly clean with Clean Slate and then simply sponge on your glaze. This technique using a natural sea wool sponge creates an authentic, mottled aesthetic that is very beautiful for your interior brick finishes!

Amy goes live every Friday at noon Central on the Amy Howard at Home Facebook page. Join us next time!

Amy Howard At Home Products Mentioned:

One Step Paint

Glazed Over

Chip Brush

Matte Finish

Mind Your Own Beeswax

Cerusing Wax

Clean Slate

It can easily be said that our 100% natural One Step Paint™ is what set the Amy Howard At Home® line on the map. The methanol free, Non-VOC, certifiable green formulation is in a league of it’s own.

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I am often asked how to easily and affordably create a painted finish with all of the depth, graininess and color contrast of real wood. Though many other tutorials might claim they will help you create that authentic appeal,  I have created a finish that will give you the graininess you desire while keeping the depth of color you wish to expose.

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