Polyvine Metallic Paint Review

Over the years I’ve probably written dozens of reviews of emulsion paints; I do my best to give honest and fair reviews, based on my experience in the trade, and to tease out the subtle differences between one matt emulsion and another.

But at the end of the day, they’re all matt emulsions, all designed to do similar things. Once in a while, however, I get a chance to review a paint that’s a bit different. In this case, Polyvine Metallic Paint is not something I use very often – probably only a couple of times in my twenty years as a professional decorator – but it’s a neat little product that can make a stunning difference to certain projects, so I thought I’d share my experiences with it in the form of a quick review.

Polyvine Metallic Paint – Key Facts & Figures

• Suitable for interior and exterior use
• Designed to give “a luxurious finish… and offers deep, rich colours and a sleek, shimmering finish that dries to a polished lustre”.
• Pack sizes: 0.1L, 0.5L, 1L, 2L
• Finishes: Shimmering metallic gloss
• Colours: Copper, Antique Gold, Bright Gold, Pale Gold, Pewter, Silver, Pearl (Pearl is designed to be used with Polyvine’s Acrylic Colourants to create your own metallic colours)
• Coverage: up to 10m² per litre
• Recoatable – 2-4 hours
• Can be sprayed, or applied by brush or roller
• Water-based – clean tools with water and mild detergent (such as Pretty Boy Brush Cleaner)
• Available from – Click here to see online prices

Polyvine Metallic Paint In Use

I’m not sure what this would look like if you painted a whole wall with it, but for little details and highlights on furniture, cornice, railings, mouldings etc. it really adds something extra – as one of my customers says, “Don’t forget to bring the ‘bling paint’”.

The beauty of the product is that not only can it make a dramatic difference, it’s very versatile and easy to use. You can use it inside and out (it’s durable, heat- and water-resistant, and contains high levels of UV protection too). Over previously painted surfaces you often don’t need a separate primer; a good clean and key should be all you need (on glossy surfaces I’d probably still use a grip primer, and on untreated wood or metal I’d prime first).

It can be sprayed or applied with a mini-roller, but because I usually use it for details I normally use a brush. Simply pour a small amount out into a 4-inch roller tray (you could even use a saucer if you wanted to) and work from there with your brush. I find the consistency is nice to work with, and the opacity is pretty good; if there’s a dramatic colour change you’ll definitely want three coats, but I find three seems to be better than two anyway to get a really rich, deep colour.

The first coat may look a bit thin and “patchy”, the second is much more uniform, and the third gives you the real depth. It’s also hard-wearing, so according to Polyvine you shouldn’t need to protect it with their Decorators’ Varnish. The only thing I think you need to be careful with is to make sure you apply it evenly and lay it off nicely; because of the metallic particles in it, it reflects the light differently to other paints when it’s wet, so it is possible to miss sags, “grins” or brush marks. But just take your time (the open time isn’t a problem) and brush it on evenly and you can create something really special and unique with it.

Examples of Work Using Polyvine Metallic Paint

I thought it would be useful if I showed you some of my work using Polyvine Metallic Paint so you can see what it does and how it looks. The pictures below are of two separate pieces of furniture, and I used the Antique Gold.

As you can see, I didn’t use the metallic paint over large areas. I used it to make the bits of trim and the handles really pop.

Final Thoughts

Polyvine Metallic isn’t an “everyday paint”, but it’s one of those “fun” products which on certain projects make our lives as decorators somehow a bit more enjoyable and fulfilling. Being able to turn a second hand dressing table into something really bespoke, with just a few coats of paint, is a good feeling! And the beauty of this is that it’s easy to use, it’s versatile (you can use it on plasterwork, wood, metal etc, inside or out) and it’s hard-wearing, so the only limit to its use is your imagination!

Review Summary