The Best Brands of Natural House Paint

Graphenstone is a cradle-to-cradle-certified vegan paint (not tested on animals) with a free colour chart (white and 96 colours), all based on lime, and as affordable as other main brands.

You can donate unwanted paint to Community Repaint where it’s used up to do up local eyesores or passed on (trade decorators can also get involved). Or enter your postcode at Paintcare to find out where to recycle.

House Paint Safety Tips 

Most house paints contain volatile organic compounds (which release gases to cause headaches and illness). No paint can be 100% green, as it needs preservatives (even washing clay causes some VOCs). But look for brands that are zero or virtually zero VOC (low VOCs is just greenwash).

Most paints contain preservatives that are fatal if inhaled (true of all paint, and preservative is needed, to stop it going off). Keep children, pets (and pregnant women) out of painted rooms until dry and aired.

Many paints contain pet-toxic titanium dioxide (also in cosmetics and sunscreen) so keep away from wet walls, or use titanium-dioxide-free paints (this post is a few years old).

Lime-based paints can also help to prevent mould and mildew (good to help prevent crib death (along with other factors) but all good green paints should let walls breathe anyway. 

If you have an older home, buy a lead painting testing kit, as it can be harmful to pets, children and pregnant/nursing women. It’s best to have a professional remove it, as you need PPE and methods to avoid creating dust/fumes. This post has good info.

The range includes:

• Matt and eggshell paints
• Air-purifying paint
• Nursery-friendly paints
• Heritage paints for listed homes
• Wood varnish
• Trade paints for decorators

Eco-Friendly Prep & Decorating Tools

Lick offers good eco-friendly decorating tools. The range includes:

• Vegan brushes with bamboo handles & recycled steel ferrules
• Biodegradable paint trays & kettles
• Biodegradable dust sheets
• Recycled polyester paint rollers

Home Strip is a nontoxic paint remover for most surfaces, also in a version to remove Artex (without turning into a gloopy mess due to polymers from 80s wallpaper).

Decorators often use this to remove asbestos paint, as it does not cause airborne  fibres). Just apply, and score with a blade, then use a long-handled scraper to lift (or apply foil overnight and leave, for best results).

To make your own sugar soap, mix half a cup of baking soda in a bucket of water and apply as a non-soaking scrub. Or just buy it commercially from Auro.

Keep children and pets well away from sanding, due to dust inhalation and possible release of titanium dioxide. Ideally wear a mask and sand in a well-ventilated area.

YesColours (paints in eco pouches, 66 colours)

YesColours are something different. Made with water from the Lake District, these are sold in easy-to-recycle pouches, that are easy to open and close, protect against moisture, mould and dust. And the packaging means you only squeeze out what you need, to avoid waste.

The clear circle window lets you check each colour, before opening. This company offers 66 colours as swatch cards (with real paint) instead of wasteful pots.

Earthborn Creamy Claypaint (72 colours)

Earthborn Claypaint is in 72 shades. This thick creamy paint has a matte finish and is good in lime plasters, and requires less coats than traditional emulsion.

It’s breathable so good in older homes that may have had damp problems, and it won’t trap moisture (which can cause bubbling and peeling).

Earthborn Eco Friendly Decorating Tools

Earthborn is a brand of natural paint, which also has launched a line of eco-friendly decorating tools. Designed to last years, these are plastic-free. Instead they make use of bamboo (the world’s fastest-growing grass), recycled materials and biodegradable products.

• The cutting-in brush (1.5″) is angled, to achieve a perfect edge.
• The detailing brush (2″) is perfect for skirting, architraves and painting furniture.

Lakeland Odourless Green Paints (many colours)

Lakeland Paints are odourless and sold in a wide range of colours. This offers paints for walls, wood, metal, floors and masonry.

Plus there are specialist paints like air-purifying paint, claypaint and MDF-passifying primers, fire-retardant paints (for combustible materials) and paints for people with asthma.

Little Knights Eco Paints (for indoors & outdoors)

Little Knights offers paints for indoors and outdoors (including radiator paints, external metal and masonry paint). These paints are pigment-rich for exceptional tones on walls.

Clayworks (naturally-coloured plaster and paint)

Clayworks is a company founded by a married couple who are experts in building cob homes and natural plasters. These plasters are made from clay and naturally coloured, so you can paint and plaster your cob home, at the same time!

The site has full information on how to use, and where to find decorators who are trained in using these plasters.

Where to Buy Eco-Friendly Wallpaper

Like paint, you can’t have 100% natural wallpaper. But there are better options. To apply wallpapers, use non-toxic wallpaper paste from Earthborn or Auro.

Traditional wallpaper is made from paper and vinyl (for moisture resistance but it contains non-biodegradable chemicals that off-gas over time). Far easier an option is the new self-adhesive wallpapers that are free from PVC, and use water-based technology so you can just peel and stick them on, then replace when you want a change.

Belle Impressions offers self-adhesive wallpapers that are easy to use and free from PVC. These wallpapers use a water-based chemical-free printing technology for colour consistency and scratch resistance, and are free from solvent inks. These are really creative, like this one of starry nights from Vincent Van Gogh!

Made of Sundays is a Finnish company that offers plastic-free wallpaper, sold on Etsy in a wide range of colours and designs. With fast shipping and a happiness guarantee, this wallpaper uses thick peel-and-stick non-woven paper, so is as easy to use, as it is kind to the planet

A portion of sales are also donated to organisations that are planting yet more trees in Finland which due to high forestry, has the cleanest air in the world.