However bold you are with your decorating choices, there comes a time when you just need a trusty white emulsion. Whether it’s purely for ceilings or you love the crisp look of an all-white room, we all need a tub of great white paint to hand when we're painting a room.
I’ve tried almost every brand over the years – from store own-labels to high-end favourites – and the best white paint is from a company you’ve probably never heard of.
In my opinion, Tikkurila Anti Reflex 2, available at B&Q, is the best white paint on the market right now, and here’s why…
No streaks, ever
There’s nothing worse than spending hours painting a wall or ceiling, only for it to dry and you be left with brush or roller marks. Anti Reflex 2 is a water-based acrylic paint, which gives brilliant flat, matt coverage. Because it doesn’t reflect light back, you don’t see any roller or brush marks.
You don’t need any fancy technique with this paint but my advice for painting a ceiling, in particular, is to apply it with a large roller in 1m2 sections. Once that’s done, roll the paint off at 90-degrees to the natural light coming into the room. It’s a tip I picked up from a professional decorator and has seen me through many a ceiling paint job.
Great coverage
Don’t get me wrong, you’ll always need two coats (after your mist coat when painting new plaster), but I’ve never had to apply more than that with Tikkurila Anti Reflex 2. The acrylic base means it gives exceptional coverage. My two little girls have a habit of drawing on walls if they think they can get away with it, and this paint always covers the marks in one coat.
I also find a little of this paint goes a long way. Because of the acrylic formula, it’s designed not to splash or drip as much as some water-based paints, which means less wastage – and less cleaning paint spots off your face at 10pm.
This high-opacity, flat matt formula optically removes surface imperfections leaving a professional finish. It's low odour and can be applied with a brush, roller or spray. It will be touch dry in 30 minutes and you can apply a second coat after three hours.
Flawless touch ups
I buy 10-litre tubs of Anti Reflex 2 as they’re definitely the most cost effective. The plastic tubs come with an easy-to-reseal lid, unlike metal tins, which have lids that never go back on properly and can lead to the paint degrading.
One of my biggest bugbears when it comes to paint is not being able to touch it up. For instance, I have a pink paint in my house that I tried to touch up a week after I’d applied it and the colours just won’t match – even after the light has been on the new patches, they still stand out.
Luckily, with Tikkurila Anti Reflex 2, you can wander around with a brush and touch up any marks, safe in the knowledge that they’ll blend straight in and you won’t be able to see any joins. I may be strange but this is one of my favourite weekend pastimes as it makes the house feel fresh again.
Any downsides?
I’ve read this back and realised it sounds extremely positive – and that’s because Tikkurila Anti Reflex 2 is a product I discovered four years ago from a slightly OCD friend and have been recommending to everybody I know ever since.
My only criticism of the paint is that it is a higher price point compared to standard own-brand white paints, but given the coverage, finish and lack of wastage, it’s more than worth it, in my opinion. Especially if you can find it at a sale price and stock up.
When planning a painting project it's a good idea to have an idea of how long it will take to paint a room before you start. You can then make appropriate plans for prepping the space, storing furniture and potentially setting up a new temporary space (for example when painting a space like a kitchen or study) ensuring the work is not too disruptive.
After you've finished painting the space, don't forget to clean your paint rollers and brushes properly to keep them in pristine condition. And if you've dripped any paint on your carpet, our top tips on how to get paint off carpet will help resolve the issue.
