Choosing a paint colour is usually the enjoyable part of decorating. But increasingly, what is inside the tin matters just as much as the shade you put on the wall.
That is one of the reasons we have introduced Little Knights paint to Mash + Mint.
Made in the UK, Little Knights combines an extensive colour palette with a high-performance formulation that is 100% VOC-free, non-toxic and fume-free. But what does VOC-free actually mean, and why might you want to consider it when decorating your home?
What are VOCs in paint?
VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compound.
VOCs are chemicals that can evaporate into the air from everyday products, including some paints, coatings, cleaning products and furnishings. In paint, this release can happen during application and as the paint dries.
This is partly what creates the familiar smell associated with freshly painted rooms.
If you have ever decorated a room and immediately wanted to open every window, or experienced the lingering smell of paint for several days afterwards, VOCs and other emissions from the coating may have contributed to that experience.
What does VOC-free paint mean?
You may have seen paints described as low VOC, but low VOC and VOC-free are not quite the same thing.
Low-VOC paint contains a reduced level of volatile organic compounds. VOC-free paint goes a step further.
Little Knights has had its formulation independently tested and verified as 100% VOC-free, meaning the paint has been developed without the VOC emissions associated with many conventional coatings.
It is also completely odour-free, so decorating does not come with the strong paint smell many of us expect.
For busy homes, that can make the whole decorating process considerably more pleasant.
Why choose Little Knights paint?
VOC-free is only one part of the Little Knights formulation.
The paint is water-based, non-toxic and fume-free, with a formula designed for use throughout real family homes.
It is also free from isocyanate, MIT and xylene and has been developed with homes containing children, pets and people sensitive to conventional paint fumes in mind.
Little Knights also carries Toy Safe accreditation, making suitable formulations particularly interesting for children's furniture, cots and spaces where painted surfaces need to withstand everyday family life.
Antibacterial protection
Another unusual feature of Little Knights paint is its built-in antibacterial protection.
The formulation contains an antibacterial ingredient designed to offer additional protection from harmful bacteria and to help inhibit the growth of mould and mildew.
That makes it particularly useful when thinking beyond living room walls to hardworking areas of the home such as kitchens, bathrooms and children's spaces.
Pet-friendly paint for the home
Anyone with a dog or cat knows how difficult it can be to keep them away from a room you are decorating.
Little Knights' odour-free, non-toxic formulation is designed with pets in mind too. The paint is pet friendly and suitable for a range of environments where animals may come into contact with painted surfaces.
For us, this is an important part of what makes the range so practical: it isn't simply about producing beautiful colour, but about considering how homes are actually lived in.
Breathable, water-based paint
Little Knights paint is also breathable, allowing moisture vapour to move through the painted surface rather than creating an impermeable layer.
Breathability can be particularly useful in older properties, although good ventilation, correct preparation and dealing with the source of any damp problem remain essential.
The range is water-based too, making brushes and rollers straightforward to clean with warm soapy water after decorating.
Is VOC-free paint still durable?
Choosing a VOC-free paint does not mean having to compromise on colour or performance.
Little Knights has been developed as a high-performance decorative paint with strong pigmentation, good opacity and a hardwearing finish.
The range covers much more than standard emulsion. Depending on the colour selected, Little Knights paint is available for interior walls and ceilings, doors and skirting boards, furniture, radiators, kitchens and bathrooms and exterior surfaces including masonry, wood and metal.
There is also a choice of finishes including matte, eggshell, satin and gloss across relevant applications.
What about the colours?
This is perhaps our favourite part.
Little Knights has created a palette that moves far beyond conventional whites and greys.
There are wonderfully nuanced neutrals such as Wheat, Greige, Cotton Flower and Oyster, atmospheric greens including Sage, Oregano and Highland Green, characterful blues such as Brodick Blue, Powder Blue and Cerulean Isles, alongside richer shades including Spiced Wine, Suffolk Pink, Baked Clay and Quilton.
Many have complex undertones that change gently as the light moves through a room, giving them far more character than a flat block of colour.
Is VOC-free paint worth considering?
If you are already planning to decorate, it makes sense to think about more than colour alone.
A good paint still needs to provide the finish, coverage and durability your project requires, but understanding what is in the formulation gives you another useful way to compare your options.
For us, Little Knights brings those two sides together particularly well: beautiful colour and practical performance, with a 100% VOC-free, fume-free formulation made here in the UK.
Whether you are repainting a bedroom, refreshing the kitchen, adding colour to furniture or planning a larger decorating project, it is a range well worth discovering.
Explore the Little Knights paint collection at Mash + Mint.
