Did you know that the Canadian paint company that manufactures Miss Mustard Seed milk paint, Homestead House Paint Co., also makes Fusion paint? Not only that, but they also have a full line of milk paint that is not packaged with the Miss Mustard Seed branding. It is manufactured with the same ingredients and is pretty much the same exact stuff, except it comes in different colors (you check out those colors here). As it turns out, a lot of the Fusion paint colors started out as Homestead House milk paint colors.
Recently the Homestead House people offered to send me some samples of their milk paint to play around with. I asked them to send me some of their Midnight Blue milk paint specifically so that I could compare it with the Midnight Blue Fusion paint. And thus, this blog post was born. A show down between milk paint and Fusion paint. Which one is better?
Before I move on with the detailed comparison, I’m going to give you the answer to that question. It’s sort of like reading the last page of the book first, but who doesn’t do that every now and then? And the answer is: ‘neither’, or ‘both’, or ‘it depends on what you like’.
So let’s compare, shall we?
I happened to have a pair of chairs that I snagged curbside for free last spring at the White Bear Lake Trash to Treasure day.
Painting one with Fusion paint and one with Homestead House milk paint is a great way to compare the qualities of these two types of paint side by side and in the same color.
Right off the bat we have a big difference between the two products. The Fusion paint is ready to go right out of the jar, the milk paint powder has to be mixed with water. I’ve spoken with some painters who don’t like having to mix milk paint themselves, but I kind of enjoy it in a ‘making mud pies’ sort of way. It feels a little like a science experiment to me. Mix powder and water and it makes paint, kinda cool, right? For the Midnight Blue I used a little more water than powder since it’s a nice dark color. With lighter colors I go with more of a one to one ratio of water to paint. I mixed my paint before starting to prep my chairs to give it some time for the color pigments to dissolve and blend well.
To keep a level playing field for this experiment, I did the same amount of prep on both chairs. Very little. I removed the seats and then I didn’t bother with sanding them, I just wiped them down with a damp cloth. This is not the recommended procedure for either paint. The recommended prep work is to sand lightly to give your surface more paint gripping power, then wipe down. I skipped the sanding because I wanted to encourage chipping on the milk painted chair, and also because I was feeling a little lazy.
I started with the Fusion chair. Painting with Fusion is fairly straightforward. Just dip your brush and paint it on. Here it is after the first coat of paint. You’ll have to excuse the purple-ish look, it was a bright sunny day when I took these photos and there was a little too much reflection coming from the wet paint. As you’ll see later, this is really a navy blue.
I almost could have gotten away with just one coat of the Fusion paint except for a few spots that didn’t quite have enough coverage.
While that dried I painted the milk paint chair (ditto the above regarding the purplish look, too much glare). Right away I noticed the difference in applying the two kinds of paint. The Fusion paint feels heavier on the brush and takes just a little more effort to brush on. The milk paint is very light and almost watery by comparison. This makes it really easy to paint on. But it also tends to get a little drippy. It’s easy to just keep an eye out for drips and wipe them away with a pass of the brush though.
Once I had the first coat of paint on the milk paint chair, I went back to add a quick second coat to the Fusion chair. Unfortunately it wasn’t quite yet dry. It does take just a bit longer for the Fusion to dry. This is another quality that I love about milk paint, it dries very quickly often allowing me to complete painting projects requiring two coats of paint in one evening after work.
Since the Fusion chair wasn’t quite dry yet, I took a quick break and dug out some fabric for recovering the chair seats. I cut the fabric to fit and ran a quick hot iron over it to smooth out any creases. In the time it took to do that, the paint was dry and it was time for a second coat on each chair.
I’ve learned that it is much easier to distress Fusion paint shortly after applying it. The longer you wait, the more the paint cures and the more durable it becomes. This is great for long term durability, but can be frustrating if you want to purposely distress your piece and you didn’t get to it right away.
So as soon as the paint was dry, I used a sanding block to lightly distress areas on the Fusion chair that would normally show some wear and tear over time such as the edges. I did not sand the flat surfaces at all. I then used a very small amount of wax on a cloth to darken up any spots of fresh wood that were revealed by the sanding. This not only protects that bare wood, but it darkens it up and makes it look more naturally distressed instead of looking freshly sanded. It just took a quick minute to do, I didn’t thoroughly wax the whole chair by any means.
Next I turned to the milk paint chair. I was really happy to see that it had some spots where the paint was already flaking up. I wanted to see some chipping and in my opinion this is where milk paint really shines. I ran some sand paper over the entire chair (including flat surfaces) and did get some paint off, but I wanted more chipping so I used one of my favorite secret tips, masking tape. Imagine using masking tape to de-lint your black dress pants, it’s the same idea. Press the tape onto the surface and then pull it off. Voila! Chipping!
Once done with that I ran my shop-vac over the chair to remove any remaining dust or paint chips.
And now we’ve come to the moment in time where I admit that there is one more step required for the milk paint chair that is not necessary with Fusion paint. A top coat.
I opted to use hemp oil as my top coat. It’s a little easier to apply than wax and I like the way it darkens up the Midnight Blue a bit more than wax would.
At this point I think the difference in the final look between the two paints is pretty obvious.
The milk paint finish looks more genuinely aged. I know this chippy look doesn’t appeal to everyone, but personally I love it. For me, nothing compares to the chippy look you can get with milk paint. But as I think I’ve pointed out, it’s just a tad more work to use milk paint rather than Fusion paint.
Is it worth the extra work? I think that depends on the piece. Some pieces really come alive with a chippy milk paint finish, while others are better off with a more solid Fusion finish.
Another thing to consider is that the Fusion finish is more durable and washable than a milk paint finish. If you’re painting kitchen cabinets, you’re definitely better off with Fusion paint.
So, which one is better? Neither. Both. Depends on what you like. For me personally I prefer the chippy milk paint finish. When I’m painting pieces to keep for myself I almost always choose milk paint.
How about you, do you have a preference?
Good morning, thank you for the interesting and informative post! I think both paints have their appropriate application. I like both.
Really enjoy your blog from Canada.
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You’re welcome Laura! And thanks for following along from Canada 😉
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I have NOT used milk paint in a long while….I like the look, as you do!! I will have to try it again soon!!! REAL SOON!!! I can say I have used a LOT of different chalk paints, just about ALL the different types out there…..Well??? lets say about 8/9 different ones.There are so, so, so many, and some I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO TRY… just not willing to pay for shipping at this point…. at least not yet!!! I do have my favorites…and for the COST….Fusion Paints are a GREAT choice!! AND…not just cost, but its all around a really good chalk paint to work with!! One of my favorites!! Thanks for sharing!!
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You should stay tuned Paulie Girl. I’m planning a giveaway on my upcoming blogiversary that will include some milk paint and some Little Billy Goat chalky paint. Be sure to watch for it!
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thanks for the comparison. I’ve bought quite a bit of MMS’s milk paint, but just haven’t gotten up the courage to try it. Hoping to find a piece of furniture to give it a try.
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I recommend trying it on something small first. Like a small stool or maybe a picture frame. Or even just a board that you can then add a stencil and turn into a sign. The beauty of milk paint is that you can mix up just a very small amount of paint and do some experimenting before you dive into a big piece of furniture.
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Excellent demonstration!
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Thanks Ruth!
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I like both but I prefer the Fusion more. I lime the ease and the less chippiness of the fusion. I really like that color. I may have to do my two in that color too.
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That was like not lime.
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I think I have enough paint left for your chairs too.
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I think I’m more of a Fushion person. I like chippy, just a touch though. Love the nany colors. Good job on the comparisons!
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Thanks Terri!
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Great comparison! I love this colour. And I love the masking tape chippy tip.
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The masking tape trick works really well. I’ve used it many times.
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This is great info, I am going to try the Fusion paint based on your post! As always, lovely work. Love the blue color.
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Thanks Paula! I think you’ll like working with the Fusion paint.
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A product comparison is such a good idea and I am glad to read your reviews of paint brands I have never tried. I have used and liked both paints and have to say that I choose my paint type by comparing the lines and style of the piece with the finish characteristics of the paints. Can the piece support chipping or does it need a velvety, lightly distressed personality. I’m sure I overthink it!
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Not at all, that is pretty much the process I go through with each piece too. I think it’s wise to be thoughtful about the look you choose for each piece.
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It’s great they have some colours in both the Fusion and in the Milk Paint, especially when there is too much chipping, it can easily be corrected with the Fusion.
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I’ve been told that the colors may not always match exactly, so you might want to be careful with that. However, I can see where one might want to use both types of paint on one project. For example using Fusion on the inside of a cupboard for durability (and because it can be a real pain to have to add a topcoat of wax) and milk paint on the outside for a chippy look.
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I like the look of the Fusion painted chair, it looks like it is an antique that has been lovingly cared for. The Milk Paint ‘chipping look’ reminds me of something that has not been cared for or appreciated. Just my opinion.
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I always find that there are those who just love the chippy milk paint, and those who don’t. I’m one who does. But I know lots of people who prefer the Fusion look. I like to mix it up and use both of them!
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This is a fabulous post and answers so many questions. I will pin it to my Fusion board and my milk paint board. I also LOVE both finishes. In my more traditional home, I have to sneak in the chippy pieces where I can, but I surely do love them. But that fabulous Fusion is perfect for every room in my house. So I vote both… LOL. My preference is both. Susie from Chelsea Project
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I have to say that I love both finishes as well!
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I’m with you, I would pick milk paint over Fusion, but agree that there are time Fusion makes more sense!! Thanks for doing this great post comparing the two on an equal playing field!! Love your blog!!
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Thanks Lori! I think milk paint will always be nearest and dearest to my heart 🙂
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