Valspar Premium Blend v700 Paint Review: Unleashing Creativity in Home Upcycling

Are you searching for a top-quality paint that performs brilliantly on both wood and metal surfaces within your home or for your next furniture transformation project? Look no further! Our dedicated DIY enthusiast and expert reviewer, Sara Walker, recently put the renowned Valspar Premium Blend v700 interior wood and metal paint through its paces. She embarked on an exciting furniture upcycling adventure, testing the paint’s capabilities to revive a vintage piece. Join us as we delve into her experience and discover how this premium paint truly measures up to the demands of modern DIY.

Understanding Valspar Premium Blend v700 Paint: A Comprehensive Overview

The Valspar Premium Blend v700 is more than just a paint; it’s a promise of quality and performance for your home’s interior. This innovative, water-based interior wood and metal paint is engineered with the “Interior Paint Promise” at its core, guaranteeing a superior painting experience and a durable, beautiful finish. Designed for modern living, it boasts a remarkably low odor, making it ideal for indoor projects without the harsh fumes often associated with traditional paints. Its advanced formulation ensures minimal splatter during application, maximizing coverage with fewer coats and less mess. Furthermore, its exceptional wipeability and PureColour™ technology mean that your chosen shade remains vibrant and true for years, while accidental marks and everyday grime can be effortlessly cleaned away.

Whether you’re aiming for a pristine, long-lasting white finish or a custom colour to perfectly match your decor, the Valspar Premium Blend v700 delivers. These wood and metal paints are not only easy to apply and maintain but also add a flawless, professional-grade finish that elevates the aesthetic of any room. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the Valspar Premium Blend v700 stands out for its high-performance characteristics. It’s a non-yellowing formula, ensuring that whites stay bright and colours retain their integrity over time. Its excellent ‘scrubbability’ and robust stain resistance make it an ideal choice for the busiest areas of your home, such as bustling hallways, active living rooms, or children’s bedrooms, where durability is paramount. This premium paint is available in convenient 1-litre, 2.5-litre, or 5-litre tins, and comes in three versatile finishes: classic eggshell for a subtle sheen, elegant satin for a softer glow, and brilliant gloss for a high-impact, reflective look. With prices starting affordably at around £15 for a 1-litre tin, Valspar offers exceptional value. One of its most compelling features is the astounding selection of over 2,000 readily available colours, with the added flexibility to custom-mix almost any shade you desire at no extra charge, empowering you with unparalleled creative freedom to truly personalize your space.

Where to Purchase Valspar Premium Blend v700 Paint

The highly sought-after Valspar Premium Blend v700 paint is exclusively available through B&Q stores across the UK. To easily locate your nearest stockist and explore the full range of Valspar products, we recommend visiting the official Valspar website. Their online store locator will guide you to the closest outlet where you can find the perfect paint for your next home improvement project or furniture transformation.

Bringing Furniture Back to Life: A Valspar Wood Paint Upcycling Journey

As a passionate advocate for sustainable living and creative refurbishment, I am constantly on the lookout for superior quality paints that can breathe new life into forgotten treasures. My hobby involves collecting unique, vintage pieces of furniture and transforming them through the art of upcycling. While some projects might call for dramatic alterations involving power tools and structural changes, the majority of my transformations rely on the simple yet highly effective combination of careful surface preparation, a bit of sandpaper, and a fresh, vibrant coat of paint. It’s truly amazing what a little care and the right paint can achieve, turning discarded items into cherished household pieces!

The Discovery: A 1930s Dresser with Untapped Potential

A few weeks prior to this particular project, serendipity struck when a dear friend offered me a beautiful 1930s dresser. This charming piece had been patiently waiting in her garage for several years, silently destined for the landfill. Naturally, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to save it! (At this rate, I’ll soon need a larger house to accommodate all my rescued finds!). The moment I saw it, I envisioned its potential as a stylish, contemporary addition to a modern home, far removed from its current state of neglect.

Initial Deconstruction and Thorough Cleaning

My first step in reimagining this dresser was to remove its top cupboard section. My goal was to transform it into a sleek, lower sideboard or a contemporary cabinet, which would instantly give it a more modern and versatile silhouette. This part detached with surprising ease, and rather than discarding it, I carefully set it aside, recognizing its potential for a future creative project. With the top removed, the dresser’s new, streamlined form began to emerge, highlighting its elegant lines.

Next, I tackled the interior, which was a time capsule of sorts. The shelves were covered in an ancient, sticky-back plastic, requiring careful and patient removal. This often reveals hidden treasures, and indeed, I found several pre-decimal coins tucked away at the back – a charming little nod to the dresser’s long history and previous owners! After removing the plastic, a thorough cleaning was essential to remove years of dust and grime, preparing every surface for its next stage.

Addressing Structural Integrity and Essential Pest Control

Despite its considerable age, the dresser was remarkably sturdy and solid, with all its original joints perfectly intact – a testament to the craftsmanship of its era. However, a closer inspection revealed some tell-tale signs of previous woodworm activity. While the flight holes appeared old and inactive, it’s always better to be safe than sorry when dealing with vintage furniture. To ensure the dresser was completely clean and pest-free, I meticulously washed every surface, inside and out, with a damp cloth, followed by a thorough application of a reputable woodworm treatment. This crucial precautionary step guarantees the long-term integrity of the piece and prevents any potential future infestations, ensuring it remains a cherished item for years to come.

The Dilemma of Hardware: To Remove or To Paint?

My initial thought was to replace the existing key plates and drawer handles with more modern alternatives to further enhance the dresser’s updated look and streamline its aesthetic. However, the original key plates were exceptionally well-secured with four robust nails each. Removing them would have necessitated extensive filling and sanding, a process that I feared might compromise the smooth and flawless finish I was striving for. Given their prominent and very visible position on the dresser, achieving a truly seamless repair after removal would be incredibly challenging. After careful consideration, weighing the effort against the desired outcome, I decided against removal. Instead, I opted for a different approach: I chose to leave them in place and paint over them. This allowed them to blend subtly into the new colour scheme, making them less prominent and integrating them into the overall design rather than standing out as a dated feature.

Essential Surface Preparation for Flawless Adhesion

With the structural and pest control aspects expertly handled, it was time for the critical step of surface preparation – the foundation of any successful paint project. I used an electric sander equipped with fine-grade sandpaper to gently yet thoroughly ‘key’ the entire surface of the dresser. This process creates a slightly abraded texture, which is absolutely essential for the paint to adhere effectively and achieve a long-lasting, smooth, and professional-grade finish. I extended this meticulous sanding to the interior surfaces as well, as I had chosen a different, yet beautifully complementary, shade for the inside of the cupboard. Proper preparation truly makes all the difference in the final appearance and durability of your painted piece.

The Art of Colour Selection with Valspar: Endless Possibilities

Without a doubt, the most challenging and time-consuming part of this entire upcycling project was the exhilarating yet daunting task of choosing the perfect colours. Valspar truly spoils its customers with an unparalleled choice: an incredible range of 2,000 ‘off-the-shelf’ shades, with the added capability to custom-mix virtually any other colour to order, all at no extra charge. This expansive selection is made possible by Valspar’s innovative approach; all their colours, with the exception of pure white, are mixed on demand. This means that stockists only need to maintain a supply of base colours and concentrated colour capsules, rather than extensive shelves filled with bulky tins of pre-mixed finished products. This not only offers immense choice but also ensures the freshness and accuracy of every tint, giving you confidence in your colour choice.

Despite the vastness of options, the colour selection process itself (once the decision was finally made!) was surprisingly quick and efficient, taking approximately 10 minutes from start to finish at the store. After much deliberation and careful consideration of how each shade would interact with the room’s existing decor, I finally settled on a serene, chalky blue named ‘Driftwood Blues’ for the exterior of the dresser and a sophisticated, soft French grey called ‘Shrouded Lace’ for the interior. These choices promised a harmonious and elegant contrast, perfectly suited for the dresser’s new identity as a refined, contemporary piece.

Seamless Application and Remarkably Rapid Drying

Prior to application, the Valspar Premium Blend v700 paint required a thorough stir to ensure all pigments were evenly distributed and the creamy consistency was uniform. Once mixed, the paint exhibited an incredibly smooth, luxurious texture that glided effortlessly onto the prepared surfaces. Despite painting directly onto the raw, sanded wood without a primer, the coverage was so impressive that a single coat almost sufficed to achieve a solid colour. However, for maximum durability and a truly rich, lasting finish, I meticulously applied two coats. A standout feature of this paint was its exceptionally fast drying time. I was fortunate to be working outdoors in glorious warm sunshine, and by the time I completed applying the first coat over the entire piece, the starting point was already dry to the touch, allowing me to immediately commence with the second coat. This rapid drying significantly sped up the project, enabling a swift and efficient workflow that is invaluable for busy DIYers.

Achieving a ‘Minimally Distressed’ Aesthetic

Once two solid coats had been applied to both the interior and exterior surfaces of the dresser, I allowed the newly painted cupboard to dry thoroughly overnight, ensuring optimal curing. My vision for this piece was a subtly aged, ‘distressed’ look, but one that deliberately avoided the overly elaborate or overtly styled aesthetic often associated with traditional ‘shabby chic.’ I aimed for a more understated, natural wear that suggested years of gentle use and character, rather than an obvious, manufactured effect. The following day, with the paint still possessing a slight pliability – not fully hardened but stable – I meticulously used the flat side of a screwdriver. With controlled, gentle pressure, I carefully lifted off small amounts of paint precisely along the edges and corners of the unit. These are the areas where natural wear and tear would typically occur over time, such as around drawer pulls, cabinet edges, and feet. This precise technique created an authentic, soft distressed effect that perfectly complemented the dresser’s vintage charm while ensuring it retained a sophisticated, contemporary feel without appearing overly rustic.

The final outcome was incredibly satisfying and truly exceeded my expectations. This beautiful, solid piece of furniture, once destined for the tip, has been granted a vibrant new lease of life. Its refreshed charm and contemporary appeal make it ready to grace a new home, offering both style and functionality. Now, the only remaining challenge is finding the perfect spot for it within my own house – a delightful problem to have after such a successful transformation!

Expert Verdict: Valspar Premium Blend v700 Paint – A Reviewer’s Honest Opinion

Having thoroughly tested the Valspar Premium Blend v700 paint through a detailed upcycling project, I can unequivocally state that I am profoundly impressed. This premium blend paint exceeded my expectations on multiple fronts. Its application was a sheer delight, characterized by a luxurious, creamy texture that delivered exceptional coverage without feeling overly thick or cumbersome. This meant fewer drips, minimal effort, and a far more controlled and enjoyable painting experience, even for intricate details.

The unparalleled range of colour choices is, without a doubt, a significant selling point, offering endless possibilities for customisation and personal expression that simply can’t be matched by many competitors. Coupled with its excellent coverage, this vast palette makes the paint not just a quality product, but also an outstanding value for money, as less paint is typically required to achieve a flawless finish. Remarkably, the paint adhered just as beautifully and durably to the metal key plates as it did to the wood surfaces of the dresser, providing a consistently smooth, elegant matt finish across all materials – a testament to its versatility.

To truly test its proclaimed ‘wipeability’ and ‘scrubbability’, I conducted a small experiment, deliberately leaving cups on the dresser to create “tea rings” or other common marks. To my absolute satisfaction, all marks wiped away effortlessly with a damp cloth, leaving no trace or stain. This feature alone makes it incredibly practical for any busy household or high-traffic furniture piece where everyday spills are a reality. Moreover, the low odor formulation was a blessing, making the indoor painting experience far more pleasant and minimizing exposure to harsh fumes. Cleanup was also a breeze; brushes washed out easily with water, saving valuable time and effort. Frankly, after such a comprehensive test, I genuinely cannot identify any significant negative points or areas for improvement. Valspar has truly delivered a superior product with their Premium Blend v700. Top marks, Valspar – you’ve earned a permanent spot in my DIY toolkit and my highest recommendation!

Enhance Your Colour IQ: A Valspar Guide

For those seeking further inspiration and expert guidance on how to master the art of choosing paint colours, we highly recommend checking out this insightful video from Valspar. It’s an invaluable resource to help you confidently select the perfect shades and finishes for your next home improvement project, ensuring your vision comes to life:

https://youtu.be/u2JKKXrK_TE

(Disclosure: Valspar generously supplied the paint for the purposes of this detailed review. However, all expressed views and opinions are entirely our own and remain unbiased, reflecting a genuine user experience.)