How to Paint with Jolie & General Finishes

Chalk Style Paint

Jolie Matte Finish Paint

Jolie Paint is a matte, chalky finish paint that is water-based, non-toxic, and quick-drying for use on furniture, floors, walls, and home accessories. Jolie Paint requires no sanding, no stripping & no priming* (*priming may be necessary for some whites where a varnish topcoat is being used, see our FAQ's for more details on painting with whites). Achieve beautiful painted finishes, such as smooth, modern, distressed, textured and many more. Jolie Paint adheres to almost any surface, including wood, matte plastics, stone, brick, concrete, and metal. Beautiful, mixable colors & superior coverage.

Jolie Paint is the most versatile chalk style paint on the market. Add water to create a wash, brush on lightly for a dry brush, leave it out and thicken it up to create textured finishes or sand it down and distress it, the techniques and options are endless. Check out our YouTube page to see it in action.

Were you a fan of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint? Well, then you will love Jolie Paint– it’s even better! We began carrying Jolie in January 2019 after Annie Sloan moved manufacturing of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint from the US to Europe. We switched to Jolie after finding the new Annie Sloan European formula, colors and application drastically different. We are now proud Retailers of Jolie Chalk Finish Paint, which is manufactured right here in the USA and by the same manufacturer as the original US version of Annie Sloan Products. We have excellent color matches to the US Annie Sloan Chalk Paint color pallet. (Contact us if you have questions about color matching!) Jolie has a huge selection of gorgeous colors! The possibilities for a designer finish are endless.

Jolie Wax is made with a high-level of solvents, making the wax buttery-soft while drying rock hard and durable. The clear wax allows for a protective coat, whereas, the brown, black and white waxes allow you to bring out the texture in your brushwork, highlight details and moldings, and create custom finishes! The wax takes about 30 days to cure so be gentle until then. These new wax products are very easy to use and differ from the original waxes we carried before discovering Jolie. Try it, we know you’ll love it!

Paint is available in 32 oz. quarts & 4 oz. sample jars. In general, a quart will cover 2-3 medium to large pieces of furniture, while the 4oz. sample jar will cover a small side table. Waxes come in a sample size & a regular size. A sample jar of wax with do a small piece of furniture where the regular can will complete 5-7 pieces. Of course, it all depends on coverage & color.

Here is a list of FAQ’s

Modern Finish Furniture Paint

General Finishes Milk Paint

General Finishes is the leading manufacturer of water-based finishes. Founded in 1928 in Wisconsin, General Finishes grew to manufacture a multitude of high-quality water and oil-based stains, finishes & paints.

Searching for a modern, sleek finish? General Finish Milk Paint is exactly what you want! General Finishes Milk Paint is a premium interior/exterior mineral based paint named for its low-luster sheen. Unlike other Milk Paints, General Finishes Milk Paint is not powdered, it is premixed, and self-sealing. For extra protection, you may seal Milk Paint with General Finishes High Performance Topcoat, except with the color Snow White (which may yellow, even if using a non-yellowing topcoat. If you wish to work with whites on high use surfaces that need to be sealed, please review our FAQ's or contact us with project specifics for the best results).

The steps are simple! Scuff sand to break the surface tension, clean with 50:50 ratio of denatured alcohol and water then paint moderately! Each coat takes approximately 1-2 hours to dry but dries very hard and levels out beautifully. General Finishes Milk Paint fully dries in approximately two hours and cures to complete chemical, water and wear resistance in 25-30 days. Milk Paint is a premium product that can be created in a plethora of finishes! For further inspiration and help; visit our YouTube Page to see it in action.

Synthetic brushes work best with General Finishes Milk Paint. We recommend Cling On Brushes. These brushes are incredibly dense with bristles and allow the paint to go on very smoothly. Although this paint cleans up with soap and water, do not let the paint dry on the brushes. Either wash them between coats or wrap them in plastic wrap.

General Finishes Milk Paint is semi-sealing but on high traffic or high use areas, we recommend using General Finishes High Performance Topcoat in Flat, Satin or Gloss. To get an even more matte finish, use General Finishes Flat Out Flat topcoat. The paint & topcoat take about 30 days to cure to its full chemical, water & wear resistance so be gentle until then.

Paint & topcoats are available in Quarts & Pints. In general, a quart will cover 100-125 sq.ft. or about 2 medium to large pieces of furniture, the pint container will cover 50-65 sq.ft. or a small dresser or table. Of course, it all depends on coverage & color.

Here is a list of FAQ’s

General Finisher Milk Paint Antique White

General Finisher Milk Paint Seagull Gray

General Finisher Milk Paint Reverant Gray

General Finisher Milk Paint Perfect Gray

General Finisher Milk Paint Queenstown Gray

General Finisher Milk Paint Coastal Blue

General Finisher Milk Paint Key West Blue

General Finisher Milk Paint Gulf Stream Blue

General Finisher Milk Paint Patina Green

General Finisher Milk Paint Persian Blue

General Finisher Milk Paint Westminster Green

General Finisher Milk Paint Harvest Yellow

General Finisher Milk Paint Dark Chocolate

What's the difference between Jolie Matte Finish Paint & General Finishes Milk Paint?

First, let’s discuss some similarities! Jolie Chalk Type Paint & General Finishes Milk Paint are both beautiful, easy-to-use paints. Both lines, can be brushed, rolled or sprayed on and require minimal prep. You can use either paint indoor or outdoor. Jolie & General Finishes can both be layered, glazed, thinned, and mixed.

Here are some of the differences between the two lines. When it comes to distressing, Jolie can be beautifully distressed and layered, whereas, Milk Paint has a satin sheen and more of a modern, smooth finish. A smooth, solid finish is also achievable with Jolie by layering thin coats & using a Jolie Smooth brush. A layered distressed finish is also achievable with General Finishes with some additional products, like glaze & extender.

When it comes to brushes, Jolie works best with natural bristle brushes, (check them out here) while General Finishes operates best with synthetic brushes, (we’ve found Cling On brushes to work best).

Lastly, General Finishes Milk Paint should be sealed with High Performance Top-Coat whereas Jolie Paint is sealed with Wax or Jolie varnish.

Both of these paint lines are extremely fun & exciting to work with. We love them both! Let your inspiration and the piece speak to you and decide which line would work best!

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