Need painting... help

[Tammyla]

I'd like to paint (master bedroom, family room and bath) before summer hits with a good quality paint that will allow us to stay in the house. We need low or no odor / vocs, but in a quality that wont take too many coats.

 

 

I'm also open to color recommendations and any tips.

[LaxMom]

I painted my kitchen in Olympic no voc (from Lowe's) this winter with all the windows shut. It was great. I was very impressed by the coverage, depth of color, etc.

 

As for color, I'm never the person to ask; I love deep, rich colors and every room of our house is a different one. :)

[Tammyla]

Painting with the windows shut, wow that's a rec.

 

I painted my kitchen in Olympic no voc (from Lowe's) this winter with all the windows shut. It was great. I was very impressed by the coverage, depth of color, etc.

 

As for color, I'm never the person to ask; I love deep, rich colors and every room of our house is a different one. :)

 

Snort:lol:...me too. However, I moved into a home with wonderful colors, and I'm a closet white wall painter, because it matches everything thinker. Dh isn't sold on white and in truth I prefer colors, but choosing them throws me.

Edited May 28, 2011 by Tammyla

[BeckyFL]

Benjamin Moore Aura

[Tammyla]

Thanks...I wish the stores had an open can for me to sniff.:001_smile:

 

Benjamin Moore Aura

[Sophia]

Sherwin Williams Harmony or ProMar 200. Both excellent quality and 0 voc.

[Tammyla]

Oh, I always forget about them, and I think I have a big coupon for them.

 

Sherwin Williams Harmony or ProMar 200. Both excellent quality and 0 voc.

[mereminerals]

We always use Valspar from Lowe's when we paint. A friend of mine gave us some advice last time we painted that works really well. She adds either vanilla extract or almond extract to the paint and stirs it in really well prior to applying it to the wall. It gets rid of the any odor that might linger, especially for those that are prone to migraines or headaches from paint odor.

[Tammyla]

I heard of this, but never tried adding it. I'm one of those prone to migraines from paint fumes, so thanks for the tip.

 

We always use Valspar from Lowe's when we paint. A friend of mine gave us some advice last time we painted that works really well. She adds either vanilla extract or almond extract to the paint and stirs it in really well prior to applying it to the wall. It gets rid of the any odor that might linger, especially for those that are prone to migraines or headaches from paint odor.

[Sara R]

We're in the middle of this now. My tips:

 

Look at the paint colors from Restoration Hardware. They are beautiful colors that all kind of blend with each other.

 

There aren't many Restoration Hardware stores around, but you can figure out what color is a match from other companies at colorcharts.org. You search for the color name and company, and it tells you what the color name is from a different manufacturer.

 

For example, I wanted to paint my living room Silver Sage from Restoration Hardware. It's a light gray/blue/green color that kind of changes depending on the light. I used colorcharts and learned that Benjamin Moore's Gray Mist color was a 96% match. Then I went to Home Depot and got them to create that color in the Behr paint. I'm very happy with the result. :)

 

Also, the paint stores sell 2 oz. samples of paint now, so you can test the color on a piece of cardboard. DO IT! Paint it on a big piece of cardboard and hang it up on the walls for at least 24 hours. Move it around the room and look at it in different lights. The little paint chip isn't enough to get a sense of the color on the wall.

[Tammyla]

Thanks for the tips, especially the color testing; I'm a bit chicken to go with colors. I've chosen beautiful colors at the store in the past, painted the room and was left pretty disappointed with the color change.

 

We're in the middle of this now. My tips:

 

Look at the paint colors from Restoration Hardware. They are beautiful colors that all kind of blend with each other.

 

There aren't many Restoration Hardware stores around, but you can figure out what color is a match from other companies at colorcharts.org. You search for the color name and company, and it tells you what the color name is from a different manufacturer.

 

For example, I wanted to paint my living room Silver Sage from Restoration Hardware. It's a light gray/blue/green color that kind of changes depending on the light. I used colorcharts and learned that Benjamin Moore's Gray Mist color was a 96% match. Then I went to Home Depot and got them to create that color in the Behr paint. I'm very happy with the result. :)

 

Also, the paint stores sell 2 oz. samples of paint now, so you can test the color on a piece of cardboard. DO IT! Paint it on a big piece of cardboard and hang it up on the walls for at least 24 hours. Move it around the room and look at it in different lights. The little paint chip isn't enough to get a sense of the color on the wall.

[Sara R]

Thanks for the tips, especially the color testing; I'm a bit chicken to go with colors. I've chosen beautiful colors at the store in the past, painted the room and was left pretty disappointed with the color change.

 

Yep, me too. This latest color is the first one that I've done that has actually worked.

 

Another tip is to search Google Images with the name of the paint color. You'll probably see pictures of rooms painted that color. See if those rooms give the feel that you're looking for. This isn't exact, because the color on the monitor is not necessarily the same color as the real life paint color, but it is a good place to start.

 

I forgot to say the most important thing about Restoration Hardware paint colors: there aren't thousands! They just have a couple of dozen, but they all blend together nicely. You get overwhelmed with the thousands of paint colors. They are muted with gray and so they aren't so bright and overwhelming in a house. I've read mixed reviews of Restoration Hardware paint quality, but the colors are lovely, and you can have other paint companies replicate the color.

Edited May 28, 2011 by Sara R

[Ellesmere]

Yep, me too. This latest color is the first one that I've done that has actually worked.

 

Another tip is to search Google Images with the name of the paint color. You'll probably see pictures of rooms painted that color. See if those rooms give the feel that you're looking for. This isn't exact, because the color on the monitor is not necessarily the same color as the real life paint color, but it is a good place to start.

 

 

:iagree:

And I got a Pottery Barn catalog (never buy but I do get ideas there) that helped me see how colors looked. Again, it doesn't take the place of testing the color but it narrowed down some choices.

 

My local store has the Ben Moore Aura color samples ... small jars for three or four dollars and a dollar for a mini paint tray and roller. It's a cheap way to test the color. And if you like the color, you can have it made in a different line, if you don't care for Aura or its price.

[Tammyla]

Good ideas. I'm definitely going to get some small color samples and check the lighting in the rooms. I'm hoping to make up my mind and get some paint on the walls next weekend. Our family room was painted two years ago, and it was such a let down once it dried. It's a nice color and looks beautiful when the sun is shinning, but pretty drab in the winter.

 

Thanks again.

 

Yep, me too. This latest color is the first one that I've done that has actually worked.

 

Another tip is to search Google Images with the name of the paint color. You'll probably see pictures of rooms painted that color. See if those rooms give the feel that you're looking for. This isn't exact, because the color on the monitor is not necessarily the same color as the real life paint color, but it is a good place to start.

 

I forgot to say the most important thing about Restoration Hardware paint colors: there aren't thousands! They just have a couple of dozen, but they all blend together nicely. You get overwhelmed with the thousands of paint colors. They are muted with gray and so they aren't so bright and overwhelming in a house. I've read mixed reviews of Restoration Hardware paint quality, but the colors are lovely, and you can have other paint companies replicate the color.

 

:iagree:

And I got a Pottery Barn catalog (never buy but I do get ideas there) that helped me see how colors looked. Again, it doesn't take the place of testing the color but it narrowed down some choices.

 

My local store has the Ben Moore Aura color samples ... small jars for three or four dollars and a dollar for a mini paint tray and roller. It's a cheap way to test the color. And if you like the color, you can have it made in a different line, if you don't care for Aura or its price.

[bookfiend]

Pottery Barn also will give you a swatch book of their colors - free for the asking. They all coordinate beautifully (and I presume look good with their furniture too.)