Anne Thibeau - Owner

AT: Our vision is simply to make the world aware of milk paint- a healthy alternative to the chemically based paints that are making people sick and polluting our earth. Milk paint was widely used in this country before the advent of modern (latex) paints, which were seen as a major convenience to a public that was tired of making paint from scratch. At the time, people were unaware of the health risks they were taking by using such chemicals found in these modern paints. We'd like to see people go back to using natural paint. It's more healthy for people and the planet.

Also, there are so many chemically sensitive people now- people who are very sick from the everyday toxins that they are exposed to. Many of them cannot tolerate other, modern, chemically-based paints. It makes us feel good to be able to help them.

AT: I believe I have seen milk paints used in India – maybe it was called lime wash. There have been traces of milk paint found in King Tut's tomb and in early cave paintings in France. It is one of the most ancient forms of paint known, and because it is so durable and permanant that's why these examples still exist today.

A lime wash is not as permanent if it does not contain the milk protein (casein) used as a binder. The typical whitewash or limewash that Tom Sawyer used to paint the fence did not contain the binder- it was meant as a temporary, inexpensive way of brightening up a surface, but would have to be applied on a regular basis as it could wash off.

To illustrate an example of why the milk protein is such a strong binder, look at the residue left from a glass of milk left overnight on a bedside table. That is really hard to clean if left to harden. With milk paint the milk protein/lime emulsion gets harder and harder with time. It cures like concrete. So if you are restoring an old house or an old peice of furntiure and you get down to that one last layer of paint that just won't come off-that's milk paint.

AT: This is a family owned company, started by my father Charles Thibeau, in 1974. He was making copies of museum pieces by hand- four poster beds, Windsor chairs etc., and many of the country furniture pieces he was reproducing had been originally painted with milk paint. He spent a year or so researching countless old milk paint formulas at the Boston Public Library and MIT library, and conducted a couple hundred experiments in the basement before coming up with the right formula that worked well for his furniture- using only ingredients that would have been used in the original formulas, and no preservatives- that is why he made it in powder form. You mix it fresh with water when you are ready to paint- no need for preservatives. There are tons of old milk paint formulas out there- some work better than others.

At the time, Yankee Magazine was doing a series of books on the forgotten arts. One such book was to contain a chapter on making paint from scratch. They'd heard that there was a furnituremaker down in Groton making his own milk paint. They interviewed him for the book, and after it was published our phone started ringing off the hook with people wanting to buy his milk paint. Thus, the Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company was born.

AT: Good question. If they follow the old formulas and use the same natural ingredients they are. But again, there are milk paints and there are milk paints. I can't vouch for any of the other companies that have sprouted up over the years making powdered paints like ours. Sometimes you see "milk paints" in a can. Thse are usually just "milk paint colors" or simulated milk paints, and are often an acrylic or latex paint, in reality.

AT: Other no-voc paints may be safe, but they are not always all natural. It's hard to say if they are equally as safe. Also, we developed our traditional formula for porous surfaces such as bare wood- it also works fine on other porous surfaces like traditional plaster and raw masonry.

We are excited to have finally come up with a new formulation- just as natural and free of voc's as our original formula- but tweaked so that it will adhere well to other, nonporous surfaces, like previously painted or primed walls. It's coming out in July, and we are calling it SafePaint-Organic Milk Paint for Walls.

Milk paint has a timeless look to it, I think- it is equally beautiful on antiques, reproductions, and modern furnishings and interiors. There are lots of examples in our website gallery.

AT: Everywhere, especially now that we have a new formula that can be used on nonporous surfaces! I should mention that milk paint will water-spot white if not sealed, though, and that is a problem for exterior surfaces. Our new SafePaint seems to have much better water-resistance, though, so that is leading us down a path toward an exterior formula. Traditionally, linseed oil was added into the milk paint to help prevent water-spotting. It helped to a degree, but probably always remained a little gummy. Today people can apply tung oils or beeswax or other clear sealers over the milk paint to help protect the finish and promote washability.

AT: We have always been involved in the environment- my father was involved in the first Earth Day in Boston with his organization- in the late 60's/early 70's he started a non-profit foundation called the National Foundation for Environmental Control, who published the first directory of environmental resources. There are many such directories out there now, but at the time not too many people were aware of what was going on with our environment. Our milk paint is entirely made in the USA and is a totally biodegradeable product.

AT: We do. Today we not only have about 400 dealers across the USA, but we also have distributors in Canada, Japan, Germany, the U.K., Belgium and Australia.

AT: Just to please visit our website and let us know if we can answer any of your questions.

http://www.milkpaint.com

http://www.milkpaint.com/purchase_dealer.html