Natural paints & timber oils, made in New Zealand
Why I use natural products, what goes into them, and why choosing them doesn’t mean settling for a lesser finish.
Locally made, fully disclosed
The natural products I use are sourced and made here in New Zealand: paints from The Natural Paint Company in Christchurch, and timber oils and varnishes from The Natural House Company in Motueka.
People are far more aware these days of what they put in and on their bodies, and that awareness has spread to homeware and cleaning products. Painting, oiling and varnishing your home is the same choice: there is now a genuinely healthier, more environmentally friendly option.
Why use natural products?
The health risks of mainstream paint are widely known. A typical tin can list hundreds of chemicals among its ingredients, many of them volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as acetone, xylene, toluene and benzene. These are common in our homes and are linked to eye, nose and throat irritation, allergies, headaches, nausea and longer-term effects on breathing and the nervous system.
A “low VOC” or “no VOC” label doesn’t tell the whole story. Those products can still contain a host of other chemicals that affect indoor air quality and pollute the environment.
It isn’t only the drying that’s harmful. Once a conventional coating has cured and you’re living in the room, it can keep releasing toxins into the air.
Related products add to the problem: paint thinners and strippers carry similar risks, and so does sanding off old paint. It’s an unhealthy mess we’ve painted ourselves into.
Mainstream paints & oils
- Ingredient lists that can run to hundreds of chemicals
- VOCs such as acetone, xylene, toluene and benzene
- Fumes while drying, and off-gassing after curing
- Thinners, strippers and turps for clean-up
The products I use
- Chalk, china clay, plant oils and tree resins
- Tung oil, plant waxes, earth pigments and essential oils
- None to very low VOCs, and lead-free driers
- Every ingredient disclosed on the label
Does natural mean compromised quality?
Absolutely not. The Natural Paint Company and The Natural House Company both have a large client base across the country, with great reviews of their products and service.
After years of using mainstream products, I’m seriously impressed. These products don’t just live up to commercial paints and oils, they outperform them, and they’re made locally.
Who makes the products
The Natural Paint Company
Paints · ChristchurchPaint made from chalk, china clay, plant oils and tree resins, with a fully disclosed ingredient list.
- No solvents, turpentine or methylated spirits
- None to very low VOCs
- The only company in NZ with Declare certification for the Living Building Challenge, a sustainability label for product transparency
- Ingredients disclosed to customers
- For every square metre painted with their products, they buy a square metre of rainforest through the Rainforest Trust to protect it from deforestation
The Natural House Company
Timber oils & varnishes · MotuekaNatural timber oils and varnishes made with tung nut oil, tree resins, plant waxes, micro earth pigments, essential oils, lead-free driers and pure solvents, all fully disclosed.
- Natural, breathable products for a healthy home environment
- More than 20 years specialising in plant chemistry
- Fully disclosed ingredient list
- Partner of New Zealand Sustainable Forest Products, and of Hardie & Thomson, leaders in health-based building
- Their exterior oil holds Living Building Challenge Red List Free certification from the International Living Future Institute in Seattle
Enquiry Form
Want a healthier finish for your home? Send a message and I’ll be in touch promptly to talk through your project and the right natural products for it.
021 206 2967