Country Chic Paint Review

Country Chic Paint is a chalk style paint that is excellent for furniture painting, crafts, and DIY projects. I tried it and loved it! One of the best parts for me is that their ultra-low-VOC paint goes beyond current industry standards and provides a safe and low-odor paint for all your projects. It’s easy to use, readily available, comes in gorgeous colors, and updates furniture without the hassle.

Disclosure: Please note that this post contains affiliate links which allow me to earn a small commission when a purchase is made at no additional cost to you. Read more here. Two of the paint colors referenced in this review (Crinoline and Dune Grass) were gifted to me from Country Chic Paint. All opinions are my own.

Country Chic Paint is an easy-to-use paint designed for furniture painting and more. It’s considered a “chalk style paint”.

What does this mean?

• requires minimal or no prep (i.e. sanding and priming)
• dries to a matte finish
• distresses easily, but still durable

This particular paint is considered an “all-in-one” paint. This isn’t a characteristic of all chalk style paints, but for Country Chic paint it means if you want to skip the wax or top coat, you can! It’s paint with a built-in primer and top coat. You can apply it to wood and even materials like metal, laminate, and more.

The paint is available in lots of trendy colors, is ultra-low VOC and meets strict European Toy Safety Standards that deem it safe for baby/child furniture.

New to chalk painting? Grab my free chalk painting guide packed with 10 chalk painting tips to get you started!

Are All Chalk Style Paints the Same?

If you’ve ever wondered if all chalk style paints are the same, I’m here to answer that question. While there might be some distinguishing characteristics (like “no prep” claims and a matte finish), there are most certainly differences between paints.

For starters, unlike when you choose a color for your walls, you can’t necessarily choose an exact color of chalk paint. Whatever colors each brand sells is what you can choose from. This means you might gravitate towards one brand over another simply because of color preferences.

Additionally, not all paints are manufactured the same, priced the same, or readily available. So discovering the chalk style paint brand that meets your needs (which can change from project to project) is important.

What Makes Country Chic Paint Special?

There are several characteristics of Country Chic All-In-One Paint that make it stand out in a crowd. It’s an ultra-low VOC paint (love that!) available in 55 trendy colors. It’s easy to use and gives a beautiful finished product.

Plus, even though you can opt to finish it with a wax or top coat, it’s considered an “all-in-one” paint so you theoretically can save money by skipping primer and a top coat.

Note on primer: Pieces made from pine, cedar and other woods can cause massive bleed-through issues, which might require primer to solve, regardless of which chalk style paint you are using.

Let’s chat through the details!

Country Chic Paint is Ultra Low VOC

Country Chic All-In-One Paint is particularly impressive from an environmental and health standpoint. We know that certain paints can be quite toxic, and if you do a lot of furniture painting, it pays to be cautious about the paints you are using.

Country Chic Paint (and the color pigments used) has been rigorously tested and found to be ultra-low VOC. This means that you are more safe using these paints than many others available.

Country Chic Paint also has submitted their paint to testing for the European Toy Safety Standards (BS EN 71-3). These strict standards restrict the release of toxic chemicals. The paint was tested and complies with these standards, rating it safe for use on toys and furniture.

Good to Know: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (the holder of the “Chalk Paint” trademark) is also an ultra-low VOC brand. It also meets the European regulations (BS EN 71-3:2013) for children’s toys/furniture.

Country Chic Paint also participates in recycling programs to promote the safe disposal of leftover paints.

Another great note from Country Chic is that their paint does note contain any of the following chemicals: “phthalates, formaldehyde, heavy metals, turpentine, terpenes, benzene, vinyl chloride, crystalline silica, acrolein, orthodichlorobenzene, isophorone, butanone, methylene chloride and alkylphenol ethoxylates.”

Low Odor Paint

Another nice thing is that because of its improved ingredients list, Country Chic Paint is low-odor. Now, it still smells like paint to me, but a FAR lighter smell. I crack open a window when I paint (like Country Chic suggests) for air flow, but the paint is still easily used indoors.

A Small Business Supporting Small Businesses

Country Chic Paint is a small Canadian family-owned company. They source and manufacture in the USA and Canada (via family-owned companies). Country Chic Paint also gives back to their community by donating a portion of their profits each year to two charities committed to alleviating hunger in communities.

So, what about the actual painting process? Let’s walk through how it went when I painted an old dresser with Country Chic.

A Complete Review of Country Chic Paint

I recently painted an old dresser with Crinoline and stenciled a floral pattern over it using Dune Grass. I’m so happy with the way it came out. The colors are soft and perfect in my farmhouse style home. My overall experience with the paint was absolutely positive. Here’s a few of the notes I compiled:

Thickness

While some chalk style paints are quite thick, I found that Country Chic All-In-One Paint is a moderate consistency that applied easily. You can always thin chalk paints down with water if the paint still feels too thick.

Application & Coats Required

While the consistency of the paint is great for application, I found that both the colors I tested (Crinoline, a soft white, and Dune Grass, gray-blue-green) were light enough that the first coat was quite sheer.

You will definitely need at least two coats of paint and possibly three if you are using a lighter color.

On my dresser that I painted with Country Chic Paint (shown above), I ended up painting a coat of primer on the piece and then applying two coats of the All-In-One Paint over that. That gave me a nice solid base to start with and also alleviated a little bleed-through I’d experienced from the dresser’s original stain.

Final Look

Because the paint is thinner than other chalk paints (like Rust-Oleum Chalked or Annie Sloan Chalk Paint) I felt that the appearance of brushstrokes was more subtle.

The paint is branded as an “All-In-One” paint, meaning you don’t necessarily need a primer or top coat. I like using a primer to avoid bleed-through, and it’s also helpful when using a very light color.

As for top coats, I find that unfinished chalk paint is too chalkboard-feeling for my tastes so I always opt for a top coat. It provides more protection for the finished piece too.

I found that the feel and texture of Country Chic Paint without a top coat was smoother and silkier than other paints I’ve tried. This paint is a good fit if you prefer to skip the top coat step (though I still like adding it for durability).

Top Coats Used

I used Country Chic Paint Clear Wax to finish my dresser project. I also often like using Rust-Oleum Matte Clear and Minwax Matte Polycrylic for my furniture pieces.

The wax was easy to apply, had just the lightest smell (some waxes are very strong-smelling which I don’t like!), and gave a nice finish. Waxes aren’t my favorite way to seal painted furniture, but I would use this one again.

How Does Country Chic All-In-One Paint Compare to Other Chalk Paints?

If you are looking for a low-VOC paint free of many commonly used chemicals, definitely try Country Chic Paint.

While a bit more expensive than some of the other chalk style paints on the market (like Rust-Oleum or KILZ), I think it’s worth it! You get to support a small business, use an ultra-low VOC paint, and experiment with a gorgeous color palette. Not to mention the variety of waxes and specialty finishes that you can try too!

Country Chic Paint is a great choice for the furniture painter or crafter.

If you aren’t sure how much paint you’ll need, check out the guide below on how much paint to buy for the furniture you are painting. When in doubt, buy a larger size and use the leftovers for color mixing or small chalk painting projects.

A guide from Country Chic on how much paint you need:

4 ounce – 15 sq. ft. (great for a chair, side table, or small home décor projects)
8 ounce – 30 sq. ft. (works well for a coffee table or nightstand)
16 ounce – 60 sq. ft. (probably the most popular size–dining room table, end tables, or dresser)
32 ounce – 120 sq. ft. (dining room set, kitchen cabinets, wardrobe)

What is the Paint Best For?

Like other chalk style paints, I love Country Chic Paint for furniture painting (used or new furniture), small décor projects, and crafting.

Furniture ideas include: sideboards, dressers, hutches, end tables, chairs, coffee tables, headboards, and plenty more.

I avoid chalk style paints in high traffic and high-moisture areas (kitchens/bathrooms). While it seems every paint manufacturer claims their paint is fantastic for cabinets (and it may be), I think it’s safest to stick to ultra-durable paints specially designed for cabinet painting (Benjamin Moore Advance being an example).

How Much Does Country Chic Paint Cost?

Country Chic Paint is available in 4 oz, 8 oz, 16 oz, and 32 oz containers. The paint costs about $35.00 per quart (at the time of writing). That’s just about the same as Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (the trademark holder of the term “Chalk Paint”) and Magnolia Chalk Paint.

It’s a little pricier than other brands like KILZ, Behr, or Rust-Oleum (which are about $17-20 per quart).

Where Can I Buy the Paint?

Though you can purchase the paint directly from the Country Chic website, I usually buy from Amazon. The free shipping is always a plus!

Obviously browse through the gorgeous color selection, but don’t miss the specialty finishes which include furniture glazes, metallic creams, and more.

Gift Ideas

While you browse, don’t miss the gift sets! These make a lovely gift–and yes you are allowed to gift one to yourself!

You can purchase a set in small, medium, or large size. It’s a really fun package to receive!

What Paint Colors Are Available?

Country Chic Paint has a very large range of colors, 55 colors at the time of writing!

I love the colors I picked: Crinoline and Dune Grass. A few of my other favorites are, Wanderess, Lazy Linen, and Ooh La La.

Summary & Notes

I was so happy with my Country Chic Paint experience. I look forward to continuing to use the paint. It’s great to have an ultra-low VOC paint that I can use even when I’m stuck indoors.

More Chalk Painting Ideas

The Ultimate Chalk Painter’s Gift Guide
Free Guide: 10 Essential Chalk Painting Tips
Chalk Paint Versus Regular Paint