Old Fashioned Milk Paint, a centuries old paint formula, is now in the UK

I am so proud to be the official distributor of Old Fashioned Milk Paint in the UK. This amazing paint has been part of my life since I first discovered it in 2002, when I opened my shop The Blueberry Store, importing and selling traditional Shaker furniture, folk art and home decor from New England. This original brand of milk paint was being used by the Shaker Workshop to create authentic period colour on their beautiful reproduction furniture I was selling. The Shakers would have used this type of paint in the 19th century on their original furniture pieces, but then it would have been home-made. Fast forward to 1974, Charles Thibeau, a furniture maker in Groton, Massachusetts, had his “Eureka” moment while trying to replicate an authentic finish for his Colonial furniture reproductions. He was not trying to revolutionize the paint world, but his discovery changed the concept of what modern paint is and can be. He introduced a whole new generation to a time-tested, back-to-basics formulation in the process. He had been involved in Boston's first Earth Day in 1970, and his dedication to the environment insured that his milk paint formula kept true to the natural recipes of Colonial America. So Old Fashioned MIlk Paint became the first commercially produced milk paint and since then, milk paint has gained huge following in the North America.

Back in 2002, I tried the paint for myself on an old pine chest of drawers, and from then on I was hooked on furniture painting! So I decided I just had to stock the paint too, and as the trend for furniture makeovers grew, so did my customers' the interest in milk paint. Milk paint as a concept was less well known in Europe and the UK, where, ironically,  chalk and mineral paints had been developed to replicate the flat, chalky look of antique painted furniture - in other words, to mimic milk paint. Well, here I had the real deal, so, I thought, I need to let people know about it!

So in 2018 I launched www.oldfashionedmilkpaint.co.uk, dedicated to selling this wonderful paint and range of complimentary bonds, finishes and accessories. I simply cannot believe how quickly it took off and fast it is still growing. People are loving our milk paint. 

Then, in 2019, the Thibeau family sold the business to Sausha Khoundet, AKA Sweet Pickins Milk Paint! As Sweet Pickins, Sausha had worked with OFMP to produce her own range of colours, and had a huge following in the US with her furniture painting blog and website. So now the two companies were one, and since April this year, Sweet Pickins Milk Paint's beautiful "Modern country", romantic colours have also been available through our UK site, meaning we now have 64 stunning colours to choose from across the two brands.

Alongside the original formula milk paint, we also have Farmhouse Finishes Safepaint, a milk paint formulated for walls and interiors. Farmhouse Finishes is formulated for use on non-porous surfaces such as previously painted walls. It will also adhere to other surfaces such as metal, or prior finished wood, cabinetry, furniture, etc. And you can certainly use it on porous surfaces like bare wood as well. 

I am so excited to be able to bring this wonderful product to the UK market, and will be working hard to promote all three brands in the UK. Look out for us in the press and home decor publications in the coming weeks and months.

**We are actively seeking stockists in all regions of the UK. If you would like to become a stockist, please contact us for more information**

Carolyn Moore

Founder, Old Fashioned Milk Paint UK