HOW IT ALL STARTED
Since 1974 - Often Copied, Never Equaled
For 50 years, The Old-Fashioned Milk Paint Company has been faithfully producing a genuine Milk Paint as close as possible to the old primitive, home-made paint made on the back porch with skim milk or buttermilk, crushed limestone and pigments found around clay pits, or chimney soot and mineral colors crushed and powdered. This original paint goes back about 6000 and more years as evidence by early cave paintings.
Naturally, for authenticity, we had to stick with the original ingredients. We were able to make one concession in order to ship our paint anywhere. We used all dry ingredients, still faithful to the history and “that’s the end of the story”.
Old Fashioned Milk Paint – our original formula
50 years ago our very 1st paint line was released to the public, Old Fashioned Milk Paint. This was after lots of trial and error trying to replicate the old milk painted finishes found in historic homes and that were used on colonial furniture. Our founder, Charles Thibeau experimented and came up with a powdered milk paint that could be sold to the masses (he was the 1st one to release a commercial milk paint on the market!). Originally 8 historic colors were released and then slowly more colors were added and now we are at 32 colors. This paint line is used by woodworkers, crafters, furniture painters/restorers and anyone looking to achieve the old world, historic finish that only a true milk paint can do.
Farmhouse Finishes Safe Paint – wall paint
After the success of our original milk paint formula, customers were looking to paint their walls with milk paint. Our original formula can be used on walls in some circumstances, but we wanted a formula that was made specifically for drywall. While the original formula is best for porous surfaces, our Farmhouse Finishes Safe Paint line is made for non-porous surfaces. It can be used over existing latex, over some plasters and bare drywall (can also be used on wood, furniture, etc.). This formula is still very much a true milk paint but is formulated a bit differently and binds to non-porous surfaces. Overall, the look is very similar to our original formula, but it tends to be more uniform in color and less of a mottled appearance. This line currently has the same 32 colors and same names as our original milk paint line.
Sweet Pickins Milk Paint – same formula as the original
The formula for Sweet Pickins is the same as our original formula, Old Fashioned Milk Paint. I (Sausha) started my Sweet Pickins line in 2014. I purchased paint in bulk from Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company and privately labeled it. I then came out with my own custom color blends and renamed all the original colors with new names. My paint line became popular with a couple hundred boutiques and online shops carrying this line.
Forward to 2018, I bought the Old Fashioned Milk Paint Co. and brought the operation to Utah (it was formerly in Massachusetts). The old owners were ready to move on to other things and it was time for them to turn it over to someone else and luckily that was me!
Now I own both the Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company and my original company Sweet Pickins Milk Paint. We thought about combining those 2 lines as they are the same formula, but with each line already established and popular with their own type of customer base, it didn’t make sense to combine.
Sweet Pickins has 30 of the same colors as Old Fashioned and Farmhouse Finishes lines, but has different names for each color plus an additional 24 colors that are exclusive to the Sweet Pickins line.
Eco-Orchard – for use on trees
Finally we have our Eco-Orchard line. This is our newest formula and is for use on delicate tree trunks to avoid sun scald. This is mainly used by nurseries but is available to customers through our website.