Now that we are in full swing in painting and refinishing furniture, I wanted to share my thoughts on milk paint vs. chalk paint.
First off, I know many of you have never heard of milk paint, so let me tell you about it…Milk paint is an ancient paint dating back to the pyramids in Egypt, that is made from 5 all natural ingredients, one of the main ingredients is a milk protein, and it is non-toxic and safe for children. Most old painted furniture and antiques were usually finished in milk paint. It comes in a powder form and is mixed with water to create the paint. Because of its texture, milk paint is perfect for creating an authentic aged furniture look.
Here is a recent piece we refinished in milk paint using the “chippy method”. You can achieve this by applying the milk paint onto a “finished” piece, (previously sealed or painted), of furniture and it can create this effect naturally by chipping off and not adhering to the piece completely. It gives the furniture a very old, worn, paint chipped off over many years effect! You can also use milk paint to create a solid canvas as well with a bonding agent or by sanding the area first, but one of the coolest things we love about milk paint is that it creates a natural old looking chippy masterpiece!
So now that we have used milk paint, and frequently use chalk paint, what are the benefits of each in the chalk paint vs. milk paint debacle? Well in my opinion, chalk paint is definitely easier to paint with, because you don’t have to mix it, it is a thicker paint, and gives a nice uniform color and texture. BUT milk paint definitely gives a more natural aged finish, making it look more authentic. Although chalk paint is very easy to find and use, not all of them are non-toxic and safe for children. So if we know we are painting a piece for a babies room, I will use milk paint just to be safe! As far as the finish, both are a matte finish, and can be equally distressed or sanded smooth. We usually use a polycrylic satin sealer by minwax on our pieces for protection and a little shine. But I do love using both chalk paint and milk paint, and will continue to use both on pieces we refinish!
So if you want to refinish a piece, and are just starting out, try chalk paint first. It still gives pieces an amazing finish, looks good distressed or not, and is very easy to use! If you have tried chalk paint and want to try another technique and look at painting as more of an “art”, than a project, you will want to try milk paint! Milk paint is a lot of fun to use, especially the chippiness! You can purchase chalk paint at almost any arts and crafts store, or online, and for milk paint, I would definitely recommend “Miss Mustard Seeds” milk paint. We purchased her entire kit and are slowly trying all her amazing products! The piece we finished above is in the color “Marzipan”! So pretty!
Keep an eye on our “Shop” page for recent items for sale, both milk paint and chalk painted pieces, and for inspiring ideas and colors too!
Have you ever repainted a piece of furniture? What color and paint did you use?? I would love to hear it in the comments below!