Remember when I first shared my ideas and mood board for the bedroom? It feels like ages ago. I’d been stalled on this project for a long time, indecisive about the overall bedroom scheme and especially unsure what to do with these two Mid Century Modern (MCM) furniture pieces. Should I paint them grey? Which parts should be painted? Or should I paint the entire pieces one color? The options felt endless.
The real issue was too much furniture and too many competing colors in a small room. I wanted the two pieces to read as a cohesive set without making a bold statement. After experimenting, I’m back to show what I did and how I paired these MCM pieces to create a single, unified look.
The lower piece was originally a sideboard that I had painted a soft grey. That helped at first, but the contrast between the sides and the front doors was still too strong. My goal was a softer, more consistent appearance that would let the two pieces feel like one cohesive unit.
What I Used:
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- Old Fashioned Milk Paint in Snow White (SafePaint formula)
- Old Fashioned Milk Paint in Slate (SafePaint formula)
- Sandpaper
- Daddy Van’s All Natural Beeswax and Furniture Polish in Lavender
- Paint brushes
- Brush for waxing
- Rags for waxing
The How To:
I started by covering the existing soft grey with Snow White milk paint (SafePaint formula). This paint comes in two versions: a traditional milk paint ideal for bare wood, and a SafePaint version formulated to adhere well to previously painted surfaces. If you’re using regular milk paint on painted surfaces, consider using an adhesion agent designed for milk paint.
Once the white coat dried, I applied the Slate color—a soft blue—over it. I did two coats of Slate using long, even brushstrokes; the coverage was smooth and clean.
The doors were the feature that had been calling the most attention, so they needed special treatment. I painted the outer frames Snow White and the door exteriors Slate. For the rattan inserts I used a dry-brush technique: I loaded the brush, dabbed excess paint onto a rag, and then brushed lightly so paint only kissed the rattan texture. The result is a soft, airy finish where the rattan texture still reads through.
After painting, I sealed the painted surfaces with wax. The waxing softened the finish even more because a little of the dry-brushed paint rubbed away, blending the look and toning down contrast.
The top half is a small Mid Century Modern dresser—three drawers—that I rescued from my dad’s garage. He had been using it to hold tools; I couldn’t resist bringing it back to life. I treated it the same way: one coat of Snow White followed by multiple coats of Slate. For the dresser I ended up doing three coats of Slate, finishing each coat with long, consistent brushstrokes to keep the surface even.
For the drawer faces I chose Snow White to match the sideboard doors. I applied several coats, alternating brush direction—horizontal on one coat, vertical on the next—to create a subtle textured effect. Then I lightly sanded the faces to reveal gentle light and dark variations for visual interest.
To seal everything, I used Daddy Van’s All Natural Beeswax and Lavender Furniture Polish, applied with a round brush to speed the process. The wax locked in the milk paint finish and added a gentle sheen while protecting the surfaces.
And here’s the final result. The two pieces now read as one cohesive unit—soft, muted, and harmonious. The rattan doors no longer create a harsh contrast, and the dresser drawer fronts have a cloud-like softness that I really love. Functionally, this “two-piece” will store paperwork and printing paper, with the printer sitting on top—pretty but practical.
My dad’s reaction was the icing on the cake. When he inspected his former tool storage, he raised an eyebrow and, rare as it is, actually smiled: “It came out very nice!” That’s high praise from someone who values utility over aesthetics.
This wraps up my bedroom furniture dilemma. Just a few more pieces to finish and this room will be complete. What do you think—did I succeed in creating a unified look by pairing these two Mid Century Modern pieces?
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