Magnolia Home Chalk Paint Review

I’m sure many of you have heard about the Magnolia Home Chalk Paint line from the one and only Joanna Gaines.  It’s been out for almost a year now, and I decided it was about time for me to give it a try.  I’m always looking for new paints to add to my painting toolbox.  Before trying it myself, I did a bit of online searching to see examples of how it looked and performed. I was surprised that there was relatively little about it on the internet.  If you have been curious about it yourself, I’m sharing my honest review of the Magnolia Home Chalk Paint and clear wax.  This is not a sponsored post, just my honest opinions based on my personal experience.  If you have tried it, I would love to know what you think.

I found this sweet vintage accent table at the Goodwill.  Its pretty cottage details and casual style made it a perfect candidate for a vintage chalk paint finish.  My design plan was to paint it in a fresh spring green with some distressing to bring out the vintage details.

Before

Magnolia Home Chalk Paint

Magnolia Home chalk paint comes in 44 different colors, and is sold at select retailers and through the Magnolia website.  I did a quick search and found that it is sold at Miller Paint here in Seattle, and is very close to my home.  I headed over to have a look.  This paint does not come premixed like other chalk paints.  You choose the color and then the paint store will mix it for you on site.  I picked “Magnolia Green” which is a fresh and springy green.  I decided to give their clear wax a try as well.  In the past, I haven’t been a big fan of using wax, and have found it difficult to get a consistent finish.

To prep, I gave the table a good cleaning and sanded the top only which had some major scratches.  As with other chalk style paints, the directions say no sanding or priming is required.  The paint is quite thick, but went on smoothly.  This piece took 3 coats for complete coverage, which is probably just average.  As I was painting, I did find some small white chalky clumps in the paint.  I’m not sure if this was because of inadequate mixing at the paint store, or inherent in the paint itself.  It wasn’t too much of a problem, I just had to make sure to remove the clumps from the surface and not to let them dry into the paint.

I lightly sanded between coats because that is my usual routine for a smooth finish.  The instructions don’t require this, however. The paint dried very quickly which was great.  I was able to finish all three coats in a few hours.

After the third coat, I used a bit of 220 grit sandpaper to lightly distress the edges.

Paint Pros:

• Available in a nice selection of colors
• Smooth finish
• Low VOC
• Dries very quickly
• Good adhesion
• Minimal brush strokes
• Sands easily

Paint Cons:

• Price (I paid $31.95 plus tax)
• Limited availability for purchasing
• Several white chalky clumps
• Average coverage
• Only available in quart size cans (no pints)

Other comments about the paint

There is a fair bit of variation and dimension in the color of the paint.  It reminded me a lot of how milk paint looks, if you are familiar with that.  It is great for the vintage finish I was going for with this piece, and I love the look.  If you want a consistent and totally even color in your finish, this paint might not be a good option for you.   Here is a close up so you can see the lighter and darker tones in the color.

As for the coverage, I listed it as a con, since I consider 3 coats just average coverage for a darker color like this.  At the paint store, the clerk told me that the lighter colors in this paint line actually have better coverage than the dark colors (which is the opposite of what I’m used to).  So, if you use a white or lighter paint color, you may need less coats.

Magnolia Home Clear Wax

To seal and protect the piece, I applied a coat of the Magnolia Home clear wax using a clean rag.  It went on so smooth, and it was very easy to use.  I’ve not been happy with other waxes I’ve used in the past, but this one was great.  No unpleasant smell, and it went on like butter.  The clear wax also brought out and deepened the color of the paint.

Wax Pros:

• No unpleasant smell
• Easy to apply and use
• Smooth buttery finish

Wax Cons:

• Price (I paid $27.95 plus tax)
• Limited availability for purchasing

Conclusion

Overall, I really liked the Magnolia Home Chalk Paint and wax, and would recommend them both.  They were easy to use and a great option for a quick DIY furniture project.  With these products, I was able to achieve the pretty vintage finish I was going for.  I plan to give one of their lighter colors a try next, and I will let you know how that goes.