How much milk paint do I need for my project?

This is a question we get every day. We could tell you that a pint of General Finishes milk paint covers about 75 square feet; a quart covers 150 square feet, and a gallon will cover 400 square feet.  

​But let's see if we can break it down to more practical guidelines you can follow when choosing paint for your next project.

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General Finishes milk paints now come in a wider color palette than ever before.

Here are some general guidelines for buying enough paint for your project. Bear in mind that lighter colors (Snow White, Alabaster, Antique White) can take 3-4 coats of paint due to their translucent nature.

One pint will cover....

• 10-15 frames
• 2-3 night stands (or side tables,) depending on their size
• 2-3 dining chairs
• 1 small desk or vanity
• 1 small bookcase
• 1 twin bed (headboard & footboard)
• 1 basic full/queen headboard
• 1 2-shelf coffee table
• 1 small bench with back
• 1 single-sink bathroom vanity

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One quart will cover....

• 1 typical dining table with a leaf or two
• 1 large queen or king headboard & footboard
• 1 typical 5-6 foot long hutch (base and top)
• 1 5-drawer chest-on-chest or 6-7 drawer dresser
• 1 armoire or wardrobe
• 1 double-sink bathroom vanity with multiple drawer fronts and cabinet doors

For larger projects such as kitchen cabinets, you'll need to calculate your cabinet square footage. Remember you'll be painting two sides of each cabinet door, which doubles the painted surface area. And consider that lighter colors will take an extra coat or two.

We try to keep a few gallons in neutral colors in stock, but if you know you've got a big project coming up, we can add gallon sizes to our next order and save you some shipping costs.

With premixed colors, you can be certain if you need to grab another pint or quart to finish up or touch up a project, it will match what you've already painted.

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