Painting an interior of a house

[DFBonnett]

Originally Posted by CaptainNJ

id like to buy the materials myself that the painter will use.

Don't. You won't save any money doing so and you will annoy the painter. We like to have colors mixed by someone we trust. Also, you want the painter's experience in dealing with amounts to be ordered. The painter will charge you full retail for the paint. He will buy it about 20% off. The difference goes to pay for sundries, which are the expendable items such as spackle, brushes and roller sleeves used up fully or partly doing the job. It also pays for cleanup time at the shop. It's standard practice. All you need to do is verify that the specified material is actually what was used on the job. A reputable contractor isn't going to try to cheat you. He wants your next job and a good word to your friends and neighbors.
Your concern is the total cost for the job, labor and material. Don't expect a bargain. Good work takes time and that costs money. Anyone who has been around long enough to know what he is doing also knows what quality work is worth. A reliable, quality oriented painter won't negotiate the price. It will be pass or fail.

[PDD]

Originally Posted by luckyshoes

I can always tell when people paint their own houses because it usually looks like crap.

For colors, the best collection is the Benjamin Moore Historical Collection (HC).

Painting home interiors is not rocket science, anybody with any amount of intelligence can do a professional looking job if thay take their time and use the color coordination charts that all paint companies provide.
Expert decorators put these charts together and they know what colors go together. Don't mix and match on your own or your paint job will look just like luckyshoes says.