Paint your home greener with milk paint: an update

Back in 2007 (!!!), we posted about Milk Paint, which was described as “chemically safe, environmentally friendly paint.” Because we’re currently revisiting our old posts and seeing if some of the companies and products are still around or if there have been any new developments in certain materials and technologies, we took another look and found out that milk paint remains very much in use.

According to Wikipedia, milk paint is “a nontoxic, milk-based paint bound with casein. It can be made from milk and lime, generally with pigments added for color. In other recipes, borax is mixed with milk’s casein protein in order to activate the casein and as a preservative.” Supposedly, it can last for centuries if the surface or item is protected from the elements. It’s nontoxic and doesn’t emit any harmful fumes, and it could be used to lend a rustic, distressed look to a wall or furniture.

The first brand we linked to all those years ago was Milk Paint, which now carries a total of 32 colors and offers paint lines such as Old-Fashioned Milk Paint, Sweet Pickins, and Farmhouse Finishes Safe Paint; the last one isn’t milk paint but is eco-friendly nevertheless. Check out their post for more information on milk paint and how to prepare an item for milk paint application.

As it turned out, there are quite a few companies that also offer milk paint. Another brand is The Real Milk Paint, which began in Pennsylvania and launched 10 colors in 1995. Today, the company, now based in Tennessee, remains family owned and offers 56 colors.

_{Image from the Homestead House blog}

In Canada, Homestead House Paint Company prides itself on being the only independent milk paint manufacturer in the country, and its colors are a callback to the hues and shades that were popular during the pioneer and colonial eras.

Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint is also worth a look. They’ve been around since 2012 and have long been committed to providing products that are good for people and the planet. They currently have 28 colors and 3 collections of milk paint.

Have you heard of milk paint, and have you used it as well? What’s your favorite brand? We’d love to know!

_{Main image from Sweet Pickins/Milk Paint}