Things to know Before Using Heirloom Traditions All-In-One Paint- Honest Review

See how I transformed a dark dated bedside table with Heirloom Traditions ALL-IN-ONE paint in Cashmere. I’ve also shared my thoughts (and mistakes) about how to use this product with an easy to follow tutorial. 

All in one paints are the “thing” today and when you walk the isles of the hardware store you will notice many of these. I’ve been intrigued for a while by this particular all-in-one paint so I decided to give Heirloom Traditions paint a try. 

They offer a free sample (8 oz sample-covers approx 35 sq feet) which is great if you are wanting to give it a try before diving in to a big project. Read on friends, for an easy Heirloom Traditions paint review. 

What is Heirloom Traditions Paint?

Heirloom Traditions paint was founded by Paula Blankenship in 2013. This amazing paint is known for its “all-in-one” ability to combine primer, paint and a top coat all in one. They also have great antiquing gels and stains if you are looking for that kind of optional finish. 

Things to note about Heirloom Traditions ALL-IN-ONE Paint before you begin your project

Heirloom Traditions gives some great tutorials and step by step instructions on how to use their paint. I would highly suggest watching them before starting a paint project. 

One thing to note (that I didn’t do a good job of following) is using a “brush and roll” or “brush and stipple” technique where you apply a full coat of paint on the surface and then immediately roll it with a foam roller or stipple it with a foam pad.

I found the hard way that this is super important because the paint is thick and it will show brush strokes. I thought I could follow my typical “painting laminate cabinets routine” where I apply the first coat with a paint brush and then the final or last two coats with a foam brush to get a smooth finish. This is not the case with this paint. That being said, this is a great versatile paint that will cover all types of cabinets, all different types of front doors and even garage doors as well. The key is in the application so pay attention. 

Related Post:

Check out five great All In One paint reviews post here!

First impression about Heirloom Traditions ALL-IN-ONE paint

• ALL-IN-ONE paint dries fast (30 minutes to one hour) 
• It has great durability similar to an enamel paint
• Water-based, non-toxic, low VOC, self-sealing paint
• Water cleanup 
• Doesn’t require a top coat which cuts down on paint time
• Be mindful of paint drips because it does dry quickly 
• It’s a thick paint that will show brush strokes if you aren’t careful- follow Heirloom Tradition’s tutorials and you shouldn’t have a problem
• It’s best to use a foam roller or paint sponge to apply it
• Loads of paint color options with great color descriptions on the website

Bedroom furniture makeover with ALL-IN-ONE paint

For this paint project I’m going to start with a bedside table makeover. We inherited this bedroom suite from a friend and the dark brownish red wood color contrasts the rest of my cottage style bedroom style. 

Before I started this project I thought hard about using primer first. I decided I would try the first table without primer because the paint states “all-in-one.” I figured worse case scenario I could always paint over it with primer and start over if I needed to.

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Supplies for bedside table makeover with ALL-IN-ONE paint:

• Paint brush- I would advise using THIS KIT instead of the paint brush I used. Heirloom Traditions also sells their own tool trio if you want to buy exclusively from their products. 
• Foam brush or Paint sponges (I would suggest the sponges over the foam brush)
• Degreaser or cleaner
• lint free towel
• ALL-IN-ONE paint in cashmere
• Drop cloth

Heirloom Traditions website states “just clean and paint.” So that’s what I did!

I started by cleaning the surface real well with Krud Kutter to degrease the bedside table. Once the surface was dry and clean, I began my paint project.

How I messed up when I first used Heirloom Traditions ALL-IN-ONE paint

Here is where I screwed up (I always try to be real with y’all, even when it shows my stupidity, LOL.) 

Like I said before, I used a paint brush for the first coat and this is where I went wrong. 

I’ve painted a lot of furniture and I guess I got a little over confident that I could use my own methods and not follow the recommended instructions for this paint product. 

Pictured above is after the first coat of paint. It doesn’t look terrible, but what you can’t see is a heavy texture that the paint leaves. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing although in this case it is because the texture makes it hard to cover up the brush strokes.

This is why the paint directions state to use a “brush and roll” or “brush and stipple” technique. 

Once I realized that I needed to even out the texture from the brush strokes, I sanded the entire table down with 220 grit sandpaper.

Once I lightly sanded and cleaned the surface, I pulled out the foam brush to see if I could smooth out the paint job.

Look how much smoother it looks already by using the foam brush!

I applied the second coat of paint with a foam brush and here is what it looks like now (I actually went over a few spots with three coats). 

It definitely still needs a full third coat and you can still see brush strokes. In my experience with painting furniture, a third coat (including primer) is almost always necessary when going from a dark color to a light color.

At this point I wondered if I should have used primer. What I should have done is start with the “paint and stipple” or “paint and roll” technique, especially with the additional coats of paint and it would have looked much smoother. Live and learn from my mistakes folks!

How far does the ALL-IN-ONE paint go?

The website says that 8 oz’s of paint will cover 35 square ft. As a point of reference I used an entire 8 oz can of cashmere on TWO COATS of this side table. On her website it says one of the sample cans should cover a single bathroom vanity. Just for your info, she also says on her website that a 32 oz Quart-covers approx 140 sq ft (apartment size kitchen cabinets) and one gallon- covers approx 500 sq ft (8×10 room). 

If I had used the right technique to begin with (duh Lindsey), this side table might have only required two coats.  

I got smart and ordered a few painting sponges to complete the third coat of paint. It looked much better after that (see below). 

Now that I’ve shown you the WRONG way to apply this paint, It’s time to share the RIGHT way to do it.

Like I said before, the recommended technique to apply this paint is a “brush and stipple” or “brush and roll” technique. 

Make sure to watch my video where I explained in real time how to apply the paint.

Can you use Heirloom Traditions All in One paint brand on an exterior surface?

Even though this paint is known as a tough and durable indoor paint, it’s great for exterior surfaces too. The website even says the paint comes with a “built in exterior grade topcoat.” 

How to apply Heirloom Traditions ALL-IN-ONE paint the right way

In a nutshell, you dip a heavy amount of paint on your brush, apply it generously on the surface and then use a foam roller or foam pad to either “roll” the surface or “stipple” the paint evenly. This prevents brush strokes and creates a smooth finish.

For bedside table #2, I used the right method! Let me show you.

You can see above where I’ve already applied the paint and used a roller and a foam pad for the first coat. 

The first paint coat is never pretty, but the most important (in my opinion). I know it looks like a hot mess, but it feels smooth to the touch and using these methods creates very little paint drips. Did I mention that this paint dries fast? You have to work quick to eliminate drips. As a matter of fact, it’s best to work in sections. 

I rolled as much as I could but due to the curves and lines in this dresser, I had to mainly use the paint sponge. 

Once the first coat was dry (dry time is only 30 minutes to 1 hour), I applied the second coat the same way as the first. 

You can see where I’m using the brush to get the paint on the surface.

Next I used the sponge to stipple the corners and edges where the paint roller won’t get to. 

Then I applied more paint to the surface with the brush and used the roller to even the paint out. 

The point in using the roller isn’t to apply the paint, but to even it out and prevent brush strokes. Don’t apply too much pressure when you are using the roller. If you have to apply pressure, you don’t have enough paint on the surface.

After the second coat is dry, asses the piece and see if you need a third coat. Since I was painting a dark wood dresser white, I did apply a third coat to the table tops and front parts of the tables.  

Look at my new bedside table now! I love the low luster matte sheen that it creates! This DIY project might have started out a bit rocky (my fault), but I’m pleased with how it ended. 

Look how much better this dresser matches the room! No more dark dated wood. If you are a novice painter looking for professional results, this paint works well. 

Is Heirloom Traditions ALL-IN-ONE paint durable?

It’s been a week since I painted the first dresser and I can honestly say that yes this paint is very durable. I can take my fingernail and apply decent pressure to the surface without any scratches. 

I would definitely recommend this paint if you want a quick, easy and one step paint product. I even used it to paint the top of the bed frame where I had to repair the wood with Bondo after my dog chewed it. 

I hope I’ve give you an easy tutorial on how to successfully use this ALL-IN-ONE paint. I really do believe it’s a great paint product. As long as you follow the recommended instructions, your project should turn out beautifully. One more thing, did you know that you can even use this paint on smooth fabrics? I haven’t tried it on fabric yet, but apparently it works well! 

Lindsey**