Milk or chalk paint?

Shanna C
by Shanna C
Can someone one tell me if Milk or Chalk Paint is better, and why?
  4 answers
  • Shari Shari on Aug 19, 2014
    I have used Annie Sloan chalk paint and Miss Mustard Seed's milk paint so those are the two I will compare. Frankly, I'm not wild about either one of them but if I had to pick one over the other, I'd probably pick MMS milk paint. Here's why I'm not a fan. I'm somewhat of a perfectionist. I don't expect my painted furniture to look like it came out of a high end furniture store but I don't want it to look like a kindergartener painted it either. I'm also not fond of the heavily distressed (or antiquing with dark wax) look that is so popular right now. In my opinion, both chalk paint and milk paint are better suited (equally) for pieces you want to look more rustic, very old and well-used. I find it very hard and time-consuming to try to coax the finer finish I prefer out of these paints. Also, since both paints dry with a matte finish, you have to use something to bring up the sheen level and protect the paint. I hate waxing and top coats, and although Miss Mustard Seed's Hemp Oil is easy to apply, I can't seem to get much sheen from it and it doesn't seem to last. I've got a couple pieces of furniture I painted several months ago that are already looking flat and like they need more Hemp Oil. From the convenience standpoint, AS chalk paint is easy to use because it is premixed-just open the can and start painting. There are more AS chalk paint colors than MMS milk paint colors to chose from but I'm put off by the price of ASCP. I think it's too expensive. MMS milk paint is more reasonably priced and although she only has about 18 colors in her line right now, I love almost every single one of them and most of them are a good fit for the colors I like to use in my home. MMS milk paint comes in powder form and you mix it with water. It's a bit messier than just opening a can of chalk paint but it's nice to be able to mix only what you need and mix the thickness you desire. You have the option of adding the Bonding Agent to MMS milk paint if you don't want any natural chippiness to occur (I always add LOTS of Bonding Agent because the perfectionist in me doesn't want ANY chipping!) The different dry pigment colors that are in the milk paint powder can sometimes give you variations of the color as you paint, especially with the darker colors. This can be fun to watch and add an interesting look to whatever you're painting. For example, I painted an end table in MMS's "Boxwood" (green) milk paint. Every brush stroke was a little different. Some of the paint brushed on dark green, some of it was a little lighter and in a few places I could even see some subtle streaks of yellowish-green tint from the yellow pigments in the paint. (Sometimes the perfectionist in me can deal with the variations, sometimes I can't!) Bottom line: Since I think both paints end up giving very similar results, I suppose the decision of whether you chose AS chalk paint or MMS milk paint depends on your budget, what color you want, and the level of (mixing or no mixing) convenience you desire. Also, another factor to consider is which paint is most convenient for you to purchase. Robyn Story Designs (in Tampa, FL) offers free shipping on all Miss Mustard Seed milk paint products so I can have it delivered right to my door at no extra cost. Robin Story Designs also carries AS chalk paint but shipping on it is expensive (those quart cans of paint are large and heavy) and if I drive to the shop to buy it, it takes me minimally 1 hour (but usually longer), round trip. To me, free shipping on the MMS milk paint is incentive enough to chose MMS milk paint products over AS chalk paint.
  • Shanna C Shanna C on Aug 19, 2014
    Shari, I can't thank you enough for your detailed answer, our taste/style are very similar. A patio chair I bought had been painted with either Chalk or Milk paint but it's so flat, it's driving me crazy. What you said about Kindergarden describes this chair! I'm new to the painting world so your reply was extremely helpful. Thank you, Thank you!
  • Shanna C Shanna C on Aug 19, 2014
    Hannah, Thank you for pointing this out to me. I'll check it out.