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I will be starting the interior painting of my house soon. Where do you all prefer to buy your paints from and what brand? I am leaning toward using flat paint, as I prefer no sheen and touch-ups are seamless.
I have to say that over the many years that I've bought and used interior paints, I can't really think back and recall concluding, "wow, I'm so glad I used "Brand X to paint this room." I guess to me any "good quality" interior paint will do the trick - assuming the proper preparation before painting is done. I do value the customer service and attention that some stores tend to offer - and for that the independent paint stores like Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore win out over the big box stores. But you tend to pay more at those places.
As for finish - I too tend mostly to use flat paint, except in a kitchen or bath where I might use semi-gloss. I have on a few occasions used an "egg shell" or satin finish which is said to offer a bit more durability/scrubability than traditional flat, with only tiny bit of sheen to it.
Last edited by CHTransplant; 09-04-2009 at 08:03 AM..
I will be starting the interior painting of my house soon. Where do you all prefer to buy your paints from and what brand? I am leaning toward using flat paint, as I prefer no sheen and touch-ups are seamless.
My favorite paints are Devine Paints and Yolo, both no VOC and both go on like yogurt. One coat only. Amazing colors and quality. And I like these paints because even a novice and use them and they look GREAT. Some cheaper paints look ok when used by a professional but in my hands look like a 3 year old did the paint job. But Devine & Yolo come at a higher price in comparison to the big box stores.
In 2007 I read a consumer report on paint and at the time it put Behr as the best for price and quality, but they noted it does tend to fade more easily. I have some VERY sunny and sun exposed areas in my home, so I would not use Behr for those areas.
Over the last 5 years I've painted a lot and here are my favs
1) Devine & Yolo
2) Benjamin Moore
3) Sherwin Williams (But SW is #1 for exterior in my book)
4) Valspar
5) Behr (I've used this for insides of closets and such.... why use expensive paint in your closet or pantry. )
Happy painting. And remember it's all about the prep work and brush quality. (My favorite brushes come from Sherwin Williams... I think they have the best cut in brushes for the non-professional).
My favorite paints are Devine Paints and Yolo, both no VOC and both go on like yogurt. One coat only. Amazing colors and quality. And I like these paints because even a novice and use them and they look GREAT.
As for sheen, I tend to like eggshell or satin as it gives a nice rich finish but doesn't show the flaws. Flat is useful for a ceiling but on walls it doesn't look the best, IMHO.
We always paint with satin finish. Much more durable and washable - a must if you have small children and a dog like we do Our corporate apartment was painted with flat paint (probably super cheap stuff) and the paint would wash off with a damp cloth. We have mostly Behr satin finish on our walls (judging by the paint cans the previous owners left). Its our prefererred brand/finish, I painted the childrens rooms with it and Im in the process of painting the nursery (going a bit slow in the 3rd trimester!) Thanks to Mr Clean Magic Eraser and a bit of scrubbing, Ive removed crayon, marker, chocolate, blood, you name it without damaging the paint.
I used Benjamin Moore washable flat. It's pricey, but I had walls with flaws and you couldn't find any flaws now even if you searched for them. I used this in every room in the house. It's done really well in the bathrooms as well. Any scuffs just wash right off with a magic eraser. The paint makes my home look brand new and never lived in. The washable flat has a very slight sheen that you can only see when light shines directly on it. I would recommend this over plain flat, although pricey.
I used Benjamin Moore washable flat. It's pricey, but I had walls with flaws and you couldn't find any flaws now even if you searched for them. I used this in every room in the house. It's done really well in the bathrooms as well. Any scuffs just wash right off with a magic eraser. The paint makes my home look brand new and never lived in. The washable flat has a very slight sheen that you can only see when light shines directly on it. I would recommend this over plain flat, although pricey.
I will agree with you on the Washable Flat. I used Devine throughout most of my house but used the BM Washable Flat in my Dining room and Bedroom and have been very happy with it.
As for sheen, I tend to like eggshell or satin as it gives a nice rich finish but doesn't show the flaws. Flat is useful for a ceiling but on walls it doesn't look the best, IMHO.
I agree with this. Flat is also more difficult to clean. I've always used Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore and have been very happy with their paints and their service. I tend to use SW more just because it's more convenient to my house. While one coat is easier and you can get away with it with many of the better paints, I still think two coats almost always looks best, no matter how wonderful the paint is. Part of it depends on your wall surface and how textured and porous your walls are versus the actual paint.
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