Is the colour from "Anna von Mangoldt" worth the money?
25/9/2025
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Anika Schulz
Five litres of wall paint for just under 200 euros. I tried out what the product can and cannot do. In the leading role: my hallway.
«You're currently renovating your home. Would you like to test the colour from 'Anna von Mangoldt'? We have it brand new in the shop.» My boss Martin approached me with this question. Three weeks later, there's a big box in my hallway. The paint manufacturer from Warburg in North Rhine-Westphalia has sent me an all-round carefree package. Five litres of wall paint, a roller, a tub, a brush, even a stirring stick.
As a thrifty person, I briefly research the price: 170 francs or 190 euros, just for the paint. For comparison: 2.5 litres of my all-time favourite paint from «Schöner Wohnen», which I recently used to spruce up my bedroom, cost 40 euros. The tools are on top of that. Gulp. Would I buy the Anna von Mangoldt paint myself for THAT price? Spoiler: No. But from the beginning.
The colour selection
A look at our range tells me: «Anna von Mangoldt» sells an incredible number of colours that only differ in nuances. You can order an antique white called «Snow White», but also white with violet-yellow undertones. Or white with a hint of pink. As I'm both shockingly in love and discreetly overwhelmed, I send an Anna von Mangoldt employee a photo of my hallway. My wish: «Something light and subtle. No green, no blue.»
The nice woman on the other end of the internet suggests the bestseller «Architect's Delight» - a light mouse grey. «Looks good in small rooms», she promises. I thankfully declined a sample, as I can't tell from a small colour chart what the whole wall will look like in the end anyway.
Here we go.
The first impression
Before painting, the paint needs to be stirred thoroughly. And that's when I realise that the mixture is incredibly thick. So thick that even the stirring rod remains upright in it. That speaks for the high quality of the colour. But I'm afraid it will be difficult to work with. After all, I have to apply the paint to the wall using muscle power. I'm looking for a hint that I can dilute the paint with a hearty sip of water if necessary, but I can't find one.
As far as opacity is concerned, a test on a piece of cardboard shows me that «Anna von Mangoldt» has not skimped on pigments. One brushstroke and the cardboard is a rich mousy grey. A glance at the composition confirms my assumption: white pigment (the basis for every colour tone) comes in second place before water. Incidentally, my «Architect's Delight» is the resist version. In other words: It is particularly smudge and impact resistant and therefore suitable for corridors, bathrooms and kitchens.
The first coat of paint
I get to work on the wall. It's papered with woodchip wallpaper and painted white. I paint the edges with a brush and am completely blown away: I've never, really never, had such a good paintbrush. It draws perfectly straight lines, no fraying, nothing. If you have a reasonably steady hand, you don't even need to mask off the skirting boards.
Unfortunately, my mood drops abruptly when I apply the paint over a large area with the roller. This is because «Architect's Delight» is so thick that it doesn't flow into the small indentations in the woodchip wallpaper. Unless I almost force the roller onto the wall. Maybe it's also because the Anna von Mangoldt team sent me a roller for smooth surfaces - and my woodchip wallpaper isn't «smooth» enough?
According to the instructions, I should apply the paint twice. Which I do. Result: my arm goes lame. What's more, pressing the colour on sometimes causes it to sharpen quite unattractively, which brings us to the next problem.
Once the paint has dripped onto the ceiling or door frame, I can hardly get it off again. I was able to wipe off paints from other manufacturers quite easily while they were still wet. Not so with the Anna von Mangoldt product. The paint contains so little water that it sets immediately. That's actually a good thing. But stupid in this case. I can only compensate for mistakes by generously brushing over the remains of my Brillux Painter White.
I confront Anna von Ketteler, the managing director of Farbmanufaktur, with my mixed impressions. Her assessment: «The fact that you were able to spread the paint so badly is most likely due to the fact that your wall was too dry. You should have primed it. Or actually dilute the paint with a little water for the first coat.» But how could I have known that as a DIYer? Especially after desperately looking for the thinning instructions on the paint bucket. Anna concedes: «'Yes, you're right about that. We still need to work on our advice. And you're certainly not the first person to have these problems. So it's good to get your feedback. A QR code that leads to DIY painting tips might help.»
Reverse Painting
Back to my hallway. Anyone who has painted their walls in colour might want to have them in white again at some point. I want to test that too. I paint over the small section of wall above and next to the door with Brillux Painter White after the mouse grey has dried overnight. And it's very tedious here too. I have to roll over the wall three times until nothing shows through. Yes, I know, that's a sign of quality, but ... hmpf. I work on the edges with my new favourite brush, which lifts my spirits, at least temporarily. Up the ladder, down the ladder. Let one coat dry. From the front. Whew. This product test is pure sport.
The clean-up
After painting, I clean the tools. After all, I'm so in love with the brush that I really want to keep using it. I rinse it out in the sink together with the roller. Because of the high pigmentation, it takes quite a long time until the water is halfway clear.
The result
After two days, I'm finally happy with the grey wall. All the little mistakes have been painted over and all the white holes on the woodchip wallpaper have disappeared. I feel like I've been run over by a paint roller, er ... a lorry, but yes: «Architect's Delight» looks great. Depending on the incidence of light, it shimmers more whitish or bluish. And although I didn't originally want a blue colour, I really like the shade. It looks particularly classy in combination with my wooden floor.
And the steep price? Yes, well. The manufacturer justifies it with the longevity of the colour, the production in Germany and the fact that every bucket undergoes strict quality control after mixing. «We take a sample and spread it. Then we hold our universal sample next to it and check whether the colour is correct», explains the Managing Director. She emphasises that DIY enthusiasts are her target group. «People come to us for the choice of colours. You don't get all the different shades of colour in DIY stores. And it's mostly homeowners who want to renovate and make themselves comfortable when they move in.»
Same as me. And yet: for just under 200 euros per five-litre bucket, I expect an easy-to-use product AND foolproof instructions. That's why I would only recommend the paint for DIY purposes with caution. At least until the Anna von Mangoldt team has revised the DIY instructions. Or you have a very solid prior knowledge of painting, then it works too. The process was too strenuous for me. Even though I now have an idea what the problem was with my hallway. However, I can well imagine having the paint applied by a professional. Maybe I'll give the product a second chance at some point.
The fact that Anna von Ketteler was so appreciative of my feedback gives me a little extra ♥️.
In a nutshell
Colour for eternity - for better or for worse
Colour for eternity - for better or for worse As a do-it-yourself product, I don't enjoy the resist colour from "Anna von Mangoldt". However, as the colour selection is great and I like the end result despite all the effort, the product gets three stars plus ♥️.
Pro
- Gigantic colour selection with many undertones
- great brush that draws perfectly straight lines
- Noble finish
Contra
- Colour very thick, painting strenuous
- Barely removable bruises
- poor instructions
Header image: Anika Schulz
Anika Schulz
Teamleader Editorial
Anika.Schulz@galaxus.deAs a child, I was socialised with Mario Kart on SNES before ending up in journalism after graduating from high school. As a team leader at Galaxus, I'm responsible for news. I'm also a trekkie and an engineer.
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