I refinished my shutters from the extremely popular but very drab bland brown varnish to the very popular blue shade favoured by many British owners.
Initially I was going to use the traditional oil based paint that you think must be better because it is obviously more water resistant than an acrylic/water based paint.
However the big weakness with oil based paint is that once it starts to break down water gets under the paint and is trapped underneath and this causes all sorts of issues.
I actually went to a specialist French paint retailer, Unikalo on the recommendation of my French neighbour. I had always kept away from French paints due to my own experience and bad reviews from others. However Unikalo is a sort of French Brewers. It also has a trade counter, which is a good sign. I simply asked them what is the best paint to use for shutters. The paint they supplied was of extremely high quality, but expensive. However I will be going back to them for any other paint I may need.
It is an acrylic based paint but it is extremely dense, almost creamy. Once I had cleaned and prepared the shutters properly, the first coat almost obliterated the original brown varnish.
I can’t say how many years this paint will last before it requires repainting but once it does start to break down at least it is breathable and any moisture will not be trapped under the paint skin. This will slow down the breakdown process and less damage will be done to the wood.
I now have a very different view on French paint. I think that unfortunately you just get what you pay for. The cheaper own brand paints in the DIY stores are pretty inferior and pretty pointless. Go and buy where the French professionals buy their paint. They can’t afford to do a job with inferior products.
The paint is expensive like a lot of things in France but definitely worth it.
Tribute band ?
I’ve just used paint from Liberon.
Fantastic - easily as good as anything I’ve used in the UK (eg Dulux, Crown).
I love Liberon 
Me too. I’ve been using their Cire Antiquaire Black Bison for the cottage window frames - just lovely and so easy to use.
Should that be Bison of colour? 
I get through a tin a year refinishing furniture. It’s lovely stuff.
Agreed. After cleaning six centuries of dirt from our massive our massive chestnut beams, I waxed them and without further attention, they still look great eight years later. Good stuff and a lovely smell!
Le Tonkinos is a traditional finish, based on oil. Used buy the French navy no less. Anyone know where I can buy it in France, I can get it in the UK but would like to know. Outlasts anything else in the varnish lassure range.
Castorima ou amazon fr
Thank you