Monday, May 20, 2013

Paint Dating and Finding THE ONE

Over the last year I have made it a point to date every paint.  Experienced and experimented with every brand on the market.  Was a total paint ho.  I even dated brands that weren't on the market yet.  All in the interest of using and perhaps even selling the very best I could find.  Marrying a line, so to speak.
I dated so many hardware store brands, fancypants brands, totally unheard of brands.  I tried them all.  I dated their waxes, their topcoats, their glazes.
There were a few that I liked and dated off and on, more that I settled on, and many more that were a one-time thing.
I mean, Persnickety's is our name and when it comes to products...well, the name fits.
Persnickety's paint test checklist:
Must cover evenly and quickly with no more than 2 coats (3 for whites, yellows, and reds).
Must be true, vivid color in a rad palette.
Little to no prep required.
Must be hearty and very scratch resistant.
Beautiful luminescent finish, no latex gumminess allowed.
Wax must spread easily and be easily buffed.
There are more requirements but I won't bore you with those.
I went from shop to shop and read everything there was to read and invested time into each paint's ingredients and MSDS (material safety data sheets).

So while I found lines that worked well in some ways, they didn't work well for me in other ways.
The pie in the sky dream was to find THE ONE.  The marrying kind.
One that had all the aspects of other lines that I liked but ALSO was all natural, with no VOC's (volatile organic compounds), no cancer causing agents, no toxins, and was no stank.
The stank of the waxes, man.  
Like Stetson, Drakkar Noir, and gasoline mixed together.
STANKY.
I needed something I could paint and wax with during store hours and in client homes.  Before you ask if I've tried this brand or that brand of this paint or that wax the answer is yes.  Yes, I have, and didn't like it.

And then...and only then, through absolute happenstance and an introduction from a mutual friend...it happened.
True.  Love.
THE ONE.

I tried it.  It coated an unprepped antique piece in a vintage white (Home Plate is the color name) in one coat with a little touch up.  Unheard of, I thought to myself.  Ok.  So I started waxing and held my breath out of pure habit.  Then I breathed in.  Stuck it up my nose.  Made out with it a little.  Just kidding.  Kinda.
The wax.  Has. No stank.  Beautifulness.
Mom kept pointing at things in the shop.
Wax this, she said.  Now wax that.
I did.  It was amazing.  Even Mom (who is admittedly not easy to impress and believe me I know this is a proven fact) was amazed.
I did the fingernail scratch test.  The paint does not scratch off prior to wax, is even more hearty post wax.
It's all natural.  Waxes included.
Somebody get me a settee and some smelling salts because I am SWOONING.

I'd have been happy to buy this from a local seller, but no one close was selling it yet.
Um.  Do we take the plunge?  Go all the way?
We talked about it, prayed about it.  
Quickly, because I like it fast.  Ahem.
The baseball obsessed husband looked at the color palette and in his ever awesomeness said, "They have a color called Home Plate and one called Home Turf.  It's meant to be".
Well, there ya have it.
Persnickety's is bringing in this line of amazingness!!!!

The color palette is amazeballs rad.  It's made of chalk, clay, and minerals.  Non toxic and all that jazz.  
AND there is a true black.  
Waxes in clear, light, and dark.
A water resistant top coat for even more protection (tabletops, ya'll!).
Gilding agents and cleaning agents to come soon.
We'll be carrying the entire line and it is coming REALLY SOON.
Like, a week'ish.
SWOOOOOON.
Quarts are 34.00
Sample pots are 8.00
Wax and Topcoat Prices TBA
We will also be carrying wax brushes Prices TBA
The line will also be available in our online shop as soon as we get it in!
If you think, ooh that's kinda expensive, check this out:

I painted this dresser with one and a half sample pots.  And not one moment of prep.
Time saver.  Paint saver.  No stank....oops, fan me...I'm swooning again.

I'm in love and that does not happen easily.  I'm persnickety, don't ya know?  Ask my actual husband.

Stay tuned on our Facebook page for updates on the line, you'll know the minute it arrives!!!

Got questions?  Shoot 'em my way!

PS:  My love is my own as are my opinions on other paints.  There's a paint out there for everyone and everything.  True artists are not one trick ponies.  I will always utilize the paint called for by each individual piece and every specific job.  American Paint Company is the line I choose to offer after 365 days of dating dozens of potential suitors.  This is a huge decision and not one taken lightly.  I cannot wait for you to try it and see for yourself! 

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