After countless hours of hard work and a considerable amount of money spent, we have decided to repaint half of our apartment. Unfortunaletly, the paint that we chose has been such a nightmare that when we realized we were ultimately going to have to paint our kitchen again, we felt it would be a good idea to take it a step further and redo the entire living area. Just the thought of having to do this large project all over is unbelieavly daunting, but it really will be best in the end.
When we were first shopping around for paint, we chose to go with Benjamin Moore's self priming paint in a flat finish. I swear to God, all you have to do is look at this paint for it to majorly scuff. Considering we live with a toddler, our walls are already looking like shit despite the fact that it hasn't even been six months since they were painted. And the nail on the coffin would be that our countless retouches don't blend evenly into the original coat, resulting in odd patchy pieces all over our walls. Just lovely.
I am fully aware that the mistake we made was choosing a flat paint. I knew deep down in my heart that although flat paint has such a clean look to it, the only people who actually reap the benefits are people who never EVER touch their walls. Then there's Joe, who's convinced that this is all Benjamin Moore's fault, and if he even hears the name Benjamin Moore, he starts to get crazy eye. It's not pretty, guys.
So, we're starting from scratch....new paint, new colors, new finish, new brand. And that's where you come in. I need to hear all about your successful paint stories. Which brands have kickass paint colors to match their kickass quality? I'm not saying BMoore is at all bad quality, but I am saying that we've had a not so great experience and as a result, Joe is flat out refusing to give them another try. Also, too much sheen in a paint can give me a serious headache, but since flat is no longer an option, we're going with eggshell this time around. Do you think this could still work in a kitchen, or would you recommend an even higher gloss? I very seriously don't want our kitchen to look like my OB's office, but I also detest scuffs and dirty walls. It's a conundrum, really.
Photo, House Beautiful
farrow & ball, every time.
ReplyDeleteohmygod, flat paint is the WORST. it's what's on the walls of our apartment right now and it makes me so angry! but sorry - no brand names to suggest :-( we haven't had a place to renovate yet (or a place we're able to paint), so I'm kinda sparse on advice.
ReplyDeletebut what if you were to do something like this (or any half-wall situation) in the kitchen, with the bottom (aka, more high-traffic walls) in a non-flat paint? I would imagine it would be pretty cool, unless the difference between the two paints' textures is pretty obvious, which would be horrible.
all else fails, I would also ask @cevd. She is the paint master, after all.
we just did a bathroom in behr's "dolphin fin". i love it. behr has a flat enamel which is supposedly washable- but the sales associate warned us off of it for high traffic areas... so i doubt it's as washable as they say. they do have an eggshell as well, but i went with the satin since we have a little one on the way & will probably be washing the walls more often than we do now. i can't STAND sheen but it isn't bad at all, and i'd trade a little sheen for some longevity
ReplyDeleteBehr's eggshell in Sparrow has been my go to.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't nice, but it's true. I laughed when I read the second paragraph. This is because I think I suggested it. My whole house is painted in BMoore flat. I love it. I didn't even know it scuffed. However, I don't have Cheech.
ReplyDeleteEggshell finish! It's washable, but still rather flat/matte looking.
ReplyDeleteRestoration Hardware Slate Collection. Ive used Graphite, Stone and Ash in bedroom, bathroom, and main room respectively.
ReplyDeletebehr, all the way. amazing colors, great coverage, and affordable (at home depot). you might consider oil-based for durability.
ReplyDeletei've used behr cafe creme for our whole house--it's so glowy. i've used mined coal for some trim and kitchen cabs. can't recommend behr more highly!
good luck!
My entire house is painted with Benjamin Moore eggshell. I have done many touch ups and they match very nicely. Cleaning scuffs and stains has been very easy.
ReplyDeleteBehr Premium Ultra primer plus paint!
ReplyDelete