Conversation in real life is full of half-finished sentences and overlapping talk. Why shouldn't painting be, too? - Edgar Degas

We paint wood furniture with milk paint, or casein. We start with the powdered milk paint (liquefied with water). After several base coats of color, we create designs with Shiva casein paints and the colors we mix with the powdered milk paint. The beauty of these eco-friendly paints is that they are comprised of naturally occurring substances-milk, lime, and earth pigments. The colors are warm and robust, such as yellow ochre, slate, umber, chocolate, lantern black, white, cream, sea green, cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, barn red, sienna, and other colors that occur in nature. Casein/milk paint has an exceptional integrity of color and produces subtle and complex differences in shading.

Unlike synthetic (acrylic and latex) paint, milk paint both reflects and refracts light. This accounts for the luminous, alluring depth of color that you see and the mystical, ethereal, but earthy quality to each piece. When milk paint dries, it has a matte luster similar to oil paints. Age improves its beauty. Over time, the newly painted piece develops character and evolves to a complex, intricate finish. A breathable paint, milk paint dries through evaporation and will not chip or crack. It is sturdy and tenacious and does not emit any toxins.

We top coat the furniture for extra protection and to enhance its natural beauty. We use either pure tung oil (not the chemically enhanced tung oil sold at hardware stores) or a soybean-based oil, which when dried is toxin-free. We also use a variety of earth-friendly waxes when appropriate.

Use the piece as you would normally, as the furniture maintains it function and does not need delicate or special treatment. Avoid water spotting and heavy moisture for the first six months. When fully "cured," or dried, it adheres like cement and remains resistant to moisture.

Milk paint has been seen in 9,000 yr.-old cave paintings, on the treasures in King Tut's tomb, and on walls and furniture of Colonial America. To clean, you just wipe with a barely damp cloth.

Our furniture comes from various sources. As long as it is wood, it is a viable product for Scratch Everything. We paint new or used furniture, including furniture supplied by the client, or furniture that we supply for you.

The following links provide information on the products that we use:
Color/Product reference
Color chart
Austin earth-friendly store
About casein
Color reference