Factors That Impact The Coverage of Milk Paint

Have you ever been at your local MMSMP retailer and wondered whether you should purchase one or two quarts for your project? Do you have a bedroom suite to paint and aren’t sure how many quarts to buy? Curious to know how far one quart goes?

Let's talk about the coverage of MMS Milk Paint and some factors that can impact it.

Color Impacts Coverage

The color you choose directly impacts how much paint you’ll need for your project. Our colors have different coverages due to their opacity and hiding properties.

It's a well-known fact that lighter colors tend to need more coats to get full coverage while darker colors need less. This is due to the fact that lighter colors, like white, have less pigment in them. This means that they have low hiding properties and are therefore a bit more translucent.

For example, two coats of Typewriter (our soft black) will provide full coverage in 1 or 2 coats while Ironstone or Farmhouse White may need 2 or 3 coats to get the same coverage.

Farmhouse White offers the best coverage out of all the whites in our line. As you can see in the photo above, there are some spots along the little table on the left that appear more transparent than the cupboard on the right.

While Miss Mustard Seed was perfectly happy with the coverage on her table (and we think it looks beautiful as well) some painters may want a third coat of paint to get a brighter white finish, like that on the cupboard.

There is a trick to helping reduce the amount of coats of white you may need, and it involves the grays in our line.  If you paint a coat of gray first (such as Shutter Gray, Trophy, or Schloss), it will reduce the amount of subsequent coats of white you'll need.  Painting a layer of gray first gives your piece a neutral base and helps to cover dark wood or paint better than using white alone.

In this photo, a layer of Shutter Gray was applied first and allowed to dry. Then, Farmhouse White was brushed on. You can see how well the Farmhouse White is covering thanks to that gray base! 

Consistency of Your Milk Paint

One of the fabulous features of our Milk Paint is that it can be mixed to different consistencies. This allows you the freedom to use it as a stain, regular opaque paint, or a thick textured paint.

How thick you mix your Milk Paint will have an impact on its coverage because a thinner paint won't have the same coverage as a thicker paint.

For the best coverage, we recommend mixing one part powder to one part paint. That means you add the same amount of powder as you do water. For example, if you measure out 1/4 cup of paint, then add 1/4 cup of water to your cup. This basic ratio will provide you with the ideal consistency and provide you with lovely coverage. 

Although it does the trick 99% of the time, every now and then your Milk Paint may mix thick or thin. It’s kind of like baking biscuits - some days you need 4 tablespoons of water, and other days you may need 6. In the event the one to one ratio doesn’t work, just add a bit more powder or water to get the right consistency. 

We recommend you aim for the viscosity of melted ice cream. If the Milk Paint flows off of a stir stick in a nice steady stream, you've got the right blend!

Milk Paint will always be thinner than modern paints on the market, but it will still be creamy when properly mixed. (That's the powdered milk protein, or casein, doing its job!) If it's chunky and lumpy, keep stirring and add a little water.  If it’s drippy and thin like skim milk, add a little more powder.

Don't stress about this step!  If you can mix hot chocolate, boxed brownie mix, or have ever made pancakes, you can mix Milk Paint! 

Check out our helpful blog post on mixing Milk Paint.

Most Pieces Require 2 Coats

Remember that the majority of pieces require two coats of paint. This is an industry standard across most paint lines. It’s rare to get a perfect paint finish in just one coat. After all, you’re only human and bound to miss some spots!

Our paint typically requires two coats if you’re applying it like normal i.e. not a stain. Keep in mind that the first coat of Milk Paint will look streaky, uneven and a bit ugly!

That's completely normal, so don't be disheartened when you step back and your dresser looks like the one above.

Can you see how much better the second coat looks?

Again, the key to getting this kind of coverage is mixing your Milk Paint to a creamy consistency.

Surface Being Painted

It goes without saying that some pieces paint up faster and require less coats of paint than others. This is largely dependent upon the type of surface being painted.

Raw wood soaks up Milk Paint like a sponge, so two coats is typical for a piece that does not have any pre-existing finish.  Heavily knotted woods, such as pine, can lead to bleed through and may require you to seal the knots, adding to the coats of paint you'll need. But for the most part, raw wood is ideal for Milk Paint coverage!

Dark wood pieces may require more coats of paint, especially if you're using a lighter color, such as Grain Sack or Farmhouse White.  This antique display case required three coats of Farmhouse White when Miss Mustard Seed painted it back in 2016.  She could have gotten away with two, but she wanted really good coverage. 

It paid off, wouldn't you say?

Here's another piece that required three coats of Milk Paint.  This workbench was extremely dark and dingy when Miss Mustard Seed brought it to her old Pennsylvania studio.

She mixed a custom color of five parts Grain Sack to one part Trophy, and it took three full coats to get it to this stage: Even though this piece was dry wood, and the existing finish on it wasn't very glossy or shiny, it started off very dark, which equated to more coats of a lighter color to fully cover the piece. Once again, it definitely paid off!

PAINTING TECHNIQUE

The last aspect that impacts how well your Milk Paint will cover is the technique you use to paint. Everyone has their own style of painting, so there will naturally be slight variations from one person to the next. Some of you may be more heavy-handed when applying your paint, and you may load up your brush more so than another. We recommending loading your brush up about 1/4 of the way, kind of like this:

Or this:

Basically, try to avoid "dunking" your brush all the way in like a cookie in a glass of milk!

How Much Milk Paint Should You Mix?

So now that you know a bit more about all of the different factors that can impact the coverage of your Milk Paint, let's talk about figuring out how much paint you should mix to cover different sized projects. These amounts are how much Milk Paint you'll need total to complete a particular project.  (Again, these guidelines are all subject to variation due to the factors we just discussed.)  

1 - 4 Tablespoons of Milk Paint

A few tablespoons of Milk Paint will take you further than you think!  This measurement is ideal for a myriad of small projects like picture frames, windows, and chalkboards.

1/4 Cup of Milk Paint

As you get into more substantial pieces of furniture, you'll need to bump up the amount of Milk Paint powder in your cup.  A rough 1/4 cup will take you through the coats needed to cover small to medium projects such as nightstands, chairs, small tables and shutters.

The table base in the photo above can also probably be painted using 1/4 cup of paint. 

1/2 Cup of Milk Paint

This amount of Milk Paint will start to carry you into the world of dressers. Again, depending on the size of the piece you're working on, a normal sized dresser will need anywhere between 1/4 and 1/2 cup of paint.  

It will also cover the outside of a wardrobe or armoire. 

If you want to paint the interior too, that may push you into the 1 cup territory.

1/2 cup of Milk Paint will also cover small to medium sized hutches and buffets.

1 Cup of Milk Paint

One cup of Milk Paint is needed for big projects.  We're talking super large hutch cabinets, long buffets, and cupboards that are painted inside and out. 

Basically, if you consider your project a bit of a beast, then start with a cup!

It’s Okay to Mix More or Less Than What You Need!

We hope this lengthy post will help you determine how much paint you'll need for your next project. Remember, you can always mix less than what you'll need and make more batches as you go.

If you do wind up mixing more than is necessary, you can store your Milk Paint in an airtight container overnight and revive it with some water the next day. Because Milk Paint is perishable once mixed, you'll need to use it sooner than later, and it won't hold up much more than 24-48 hours after being mixed.

As you work with the product more, you'll get a better feel for your personal painting style, how heavy-handed you are with the paint, and before you know it, you'll be able to eyeball how much Milk Paint you'll need like a pro!