How to Choose The Right Paint for your Project

We've come a long way from the days when your paint choices were mainly oil or water...or perhaps you know it as enamel vs. latex. But long before the first sealable paint cans were patented in the 1860s, people formulated their own whitewash solutions from salt and hydrated lime, and milk or casein paint from milk proteins.

​Suffice it to say, pigment plus minerals have been a winning combo that have stood the test of time.

So which paint is right for your project? Let's take a quick look at both milk paint and chalk mineral paint.

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The answer is, it depends.

We are your hometown favorite paint store and proud retailer for both General Finishes milk paint and Dixie Belle chalk mineral paint, and we use and recommend both lines to our customers.

If you ask us for a recommendation, here are three questions we're probably going to ask you in order to steer you to the right paint for your project:

1. What color are you wanting to use? If it's a white or off-white, we are most likely to steer you to Dixie Belle's Cotton or Fluff because of their quick coverage: 2-3 coats vs. 4-5 for milk paint. If your choice is a gray or black, the choice between chalk and milk is all yours. Dixie Belle has a wider color palette of colors to choose from, so that may factor into your decision as well.
2. What finish are you wanting? If smooth and not distressed is your goal, we'll steer you to the milk paint line, as it comes out of the can smoother and doesn't need to be sanded to achieve a satiny smooth finish. Dixie Belle is a chalk mineral paint, so you'll need to sand it if you want a smooth finish.
3. How do you plan to seal your piece? Both paints can be sealed with a polycrilic sealer (and both Dixie Belle and General Finishes have complete lines of sealers, from matte to gloss.) But if you want a true hand-rubbed wax finish, Dixie Belle's porous surface will look beautiful with a coat of clear wax.

Other questions we get are....

Can I use a sprayer? Yes to both paints for spraying.. Just thin it according to your spray gun's viscosity guidelines.

How do I prep my piece before I paint? The advice is the same for either paint: clean, scuff sand with 220 grit sandpaper, and you're ready to paint. Prime only if it's likely to bleed through, or it is laminate and you need extra adhesion.

And now you can browse and buy ALL our paints online, and pick up curbside! Happy painting!