Five Minutes with Mylands Paints MD Dominic Myland

Dammy Ponnuthurai speaks with Managing Director of heritage family business: Mylands Paints. They discuss collaborations, innovation and the clear philosophy that underpins the vast history the company has enjoyed.

You describe your great-grandfather as ‘honest’. Were you referring to any special
quality that reflected this?

John Myland founded Mylands in 1884 with a clear philosophy to create the finest paints and finishes without compromise. His honesty was about more than just ethics, it was about producing paints that delivered exactly what they promised; depth of colour, durability, and craftsmanship. In a world where things are changing so rapidly, that kind of steadfast reliability feels more important than ever.

Mylands is a fifth-generation paint maker. What made 2012 the turning point for selling to the consumer with your London range of paints?

Until 2012, Mylands was primarily known within the trade industry working with decorators, designers, and film and TV. We had built a reputation for exceptional quality, but we hadn’t yet brought that directly to the consumer – it was an industry secret. The Colours of London range was our way of sharing our heritage and expertise with a wider audience, allowing homeowners and interior designers to experience the richness of our colours and the depth of our formulations in an easy to navigate palette. It was also a response to the growing demand for high-quality paints that were both beautiful and long-lasting.

What was your inspiration for starting a range of plant and olive stone-based paints?

Innovation has always been a core part of Mylands as we manufacture everything ourselves at our factory in south London, but sustainability is something we’ve been particularly focused on in recent years. We like to think that we helped lead the industry on sustainability; we first launched our plant based multi-surface paints over 15 years ago. The idea behind our plant-based was to find ways to maintain the exceptional quality and performance we’re known for while reducing our environmental impact. Our Olive Stone Emulsion launched in 2023 moved this on a step further, as we used crushed olive stone – an upcycled by-product from the olive oil industry – as a filler, which means we’re repurposing a natural material that would otherwise go to waste. We have also recently launched upcycled paints, where surplus or returned paints are retinted into our bestselling colours, therefore reducing waste.

How did the collaboration come about with Beata Heuman?

Our collaboration began organically when she used Mylands paints for the restoration of her brand new home, 188 Hammersmith Road, in 2021. She selected some of our existing colours but also worked with us to create bespoke shades. From there, the idea of a dedicated collection, The Dependables, naturally took shape. Beata has an incredible eye for colour, and her meticulous approach to finding the perfect tones really chimed with our philosophy at Mylands. We share a genuine passion for colour, quality and craftmanship, and she went to great effort to create exactly the right tones. We are fortunate to have colour experts and chemists at our factory who could bring together her vision with science – it is a real skill and the results are wonderful – a palette of 24 timeless, versatile colours that reflect both her design sensibility and our commitment to quality.

Do you have any projects where your paint has been applied in a unique way, such as with a piece of reclaimed furniture?

Yes, and this is something I find particularly exciting given my background in antique furniture restoration. We’ve seen Mylands paints used in a range of creative ways, on upcycled furniture, architectural salvage pieces, and often to breathe new life into historic properties. Antique furniture can be given a whole new lease of life with paint. It’s an easy way to really lift a room and can be done in less than a day – a lovely example of painted furniture is the chest of drawers Beata painted in a rich green for her daughters’ bedroom. I also loved how she painted the whole floor of her lower ground at home a confident red in Henna, it’s creatively inspiring yet easy to live with, and the floor paint finish makes it very hardwearing.

We are of course big fans of wood-burning stoves, which provide a place to share time and take a break from technology. How do you create warmth in your home?

For me, warmth in a home comes from layers, both in terms of design and atmosphere. It’s about using earthy colours that feel inviting, natural materials that age beautifully, and good lighting. I think paint plays a huge role in the atmosphere of a home and enjoying your environment. A well-chosen wall colour, whether it’s a soft neutral like Cadogan Stone No. 59 or a deep, grounding shade like Messel No. 39 can completely transform the way a space feels, making it somewhere people naturally want to linger.

Discover more about Mylands Paints at www.mylands.com