A Decorator's Guide To Sustainable Paint

At Paint The Town Green, we believe in creating beauty that lasts - not just on your walls, but in the world around us. Taking small, conscious steps towards sustainability means choosing materials that respect our planet, and processes that minimise our environmental footprint. 

You may know that Paint The Town Green used to make our own range of environmentally friendly non-toxic paints. We soon realised that our expertise lay in the customer experience and retired our range to hone in on elevating the process of decorating.  

With over seventeen years of decorating London’s homes, we have learnt a thing or two about sustainable paint, and its one sticking point; coverage.

Why Choose Sustainable Paint?

 Conventional paints often contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can be harmful to both the environment and your health. Sustainable paints, on the other hand, are made from natural, renewable resources and have low or zero VOCs. This means cleaner air in your home and a smaller carbon footprint. However, ask any decorator which paint they would prefer to use and you’ll be hard pressed to find one that names an eco paint brand…

The natural pigments and binders in sustainable paint can provide less coverage than their non-sustainable counterparts. Good coverage means fewer coats, which saves time, money, and resources. For a paint to be truly sustainable it needs to have good coverage and apply with one or two coats while using clean ingredients.

Today, sustainable paint brands seem to be cropping up everywhere. With some exciting newcomers in the market, we share our top 5 sustainable paints that deliver exceptional coverage based on our hands-on experience and expertise.

 Here are the criteria we use to evaluate sustainable paints:

• Coverage: How well does the paint cover surfaces with minimal coats?
• Durability: Does it stand the test of time, even in high-traffic areas?
• Finish: Does it provide a smooth, even finish that enhances your walls?
• Ease of Application: Is the paint easy to work with, allowing for a professional-looking result?

Top Sustainable Paint Brands with Excellent Coverage

• LickPro

LickPro (the professional decorating arm of the very popular Lick paint brand) is a rising star in the sustainable paint market, known for their commitment to both quality and eco-friendliness. Their paints are water-based and low in VOCs, ensuring a healthier environment for your home. B Corp Certified, LickPro’s made to order paint have admirable sustainability credentials including recyclable packaging and partnering with reforestation initiatives to offset their carbon footprint.

We spoke with CEO and Co-Founder, Lucas London about the vision behind LickPro: 

We've found LickPro paints to provide fast, easy, application with excellent coverage and opacity - most colours needing just two coats for a flawless finish. The brand also offers a wide selection of contemporary colours, making it easy to find the perfect shade for any room.

• House of Hackney

House of Hackney is renowned for its luxurious and stylish designs, and their paint range is no exception. The brand offers a rich palette of colours inspired by nature, designed to enhance the aesthetic appeal of any room. We recently tried out House of Hackney paints for an upcycling tutorial. Having chosen their colour Nasturtium (a full bodied raspberry red colour which is notoriously hard to get right), we were impressed with their coverage and only required two coats for a completely opaque finish. You can watch our mirror upcycling tutorial here.

From all round recyclable packaging to a complimentary FSC-approved stirrer crafted from by-products; House of Hackney’s made to order paint is designed with minimal waste in mind. Their partnership with World Land Trust means each paint tin sold enables the brand to purchase and protect 35 square metres of forest.

• COAT

COAT is a modern paint brand dedicated to making sustainability stylish and accessible, with a focus on timeless, muted shades that never date. Our decorators particularly rate the flat matt paint for coverage, though the eggshell covers well too. COAT paints are ‘self priming’, meaning that there is no need to use primer or undercoat. Climate positive and B Corp certified, COAT’s made to order paints are definitely worth a look for your next decorating project

• Graphenstone

Graphenstone combines cutting-edge technology with sustainability to create high-performance paints that are kind to the planet. With Nobel Prize winning carbon technology Graphenstone paints offer supreme strength and durability. Graphenstone’s pigment-rich paints combine ancient, non-toxic ingredients such as artisanal lime, chalk and natural minerals with an innovative 21st-century material called 'graphene'. The addition of which helps to clean and purify indoor air, allowing decorators to create genuinely sustainable interior spaces.

As part of its ongoing green business strategy, Graphenstone plants a tree for every online order, in partnership with Switch2Zero, a leading pioneer in sustainable technology solutions.

• Keim

Keim has a long history of producing mineral-based paints that are both sustainable and exceptionally durable. We have used Keim’s leading mineral paint on many of our heritage projects including the restoration of St Andrew By The Wardrobe, and Globe House Central -  a former art deco printing works in Twickenham. Many of the most famous landmarks of the 20^th and 21^st century will have been restored by Keim, a testament to the high level of trust that the decorating world has in the formulation and longevity of the paint.

We asked Keim about our work with them on St Andrew and here’s what they had to say.

“I worked with Nat and her team on St Andrews and they were a real pleasure to work with and I was very satisfied with the results they achieved with our products. 

In terms of sustainability, we are one of a few manufacturers who have our products certified by the independent Cradle to Cradle institute. It should give customers, specifiers and decorators confidence that they have chosen and are using a safe healthy natural and sustainable paint. 

Sustainability and health are also important for you guys at the end of the brush or roller. Using man-made 'plastic' Paints can adversely affect your health over the long term.

Our long life natural earth oxide colour pigments and potassium silicate based formulation (unchanged since 1878 because it works) ensure that our paints provide great coverage and opacity along with a host of healthy benefits for both occupants and end users.”

A cheat sheet..

If you're feeling overwhelmed by all the details, take a look at the handy cheat sheet below. It provides a concise summary of the sustainability efforts of the five brands we've explored.

Tips for Applying Sustainable Paint

• Prep Properly: Good surface preparation is crucial. Clean and prime your walls to ensure the best possible adhesion and coverage.
• Use Quality Tools: Invest in high-quality brushes and rollers (we particularly like LickPro Tools and Purdey Brushes). They can make a significant difference in the finish and coverage.
• Follow Manufacturer Instructions: Each brand may have specific recommendations for application. Following these will help you achieve the best results.
• Work in Optimal Conditions: Temperature and humidity can affect how paint dries. Aim to paint in moderate conditions to ensure a smooth finish.

Choosing sustainable paint doesn't mean you have to sacrifice quality or coverage. At Paint The Town Green, We’re here to change the industry, to challenge perceptions,

and to set new standards in quality and sustainability. Paint has long been one of the greatest polluting factors in the decorating industry, and we are cheered to see brands working hard to close the loop and make decorating more sustainable and healthier for everyone involved. 

Ready to transform your space with sustainable paint? Contact us today to schedule a consultation.