Popular Kids Room Colors

One of my favorite things to design is a child's bedroom. Its a magical place, safe haven and a place for older kid's to show expression. As the popularity of certain design companies such as Pottery Barn Kids and The Company Kids continue to emerge and set trends, my exposure to people wanting similar feels and looks also comes to the forefront. As the resident designer for myperfectcolor.com, I see a lot of what gets kids (and parents) excited in regard to color. Kids, pre-teen and teen want brighter and deeper, young pre-schoolers and early elementary tend to like softer, less offensive tones and babies (well, Moms and Dads, really) seem to gravitate toward lighter, more neutral, more serene color palattes. Whichever direction your child gravitates to in room decor, here are some of our favorite kids picks:

For babies:
Neutral- green frappe 484 (walls)/ navajo white trim INT. RM.
Girls-easrer ribbon 1381 (wall)/ primrose petals 1367 (wall)/ super white trim
Boys-silver mist 1619 (wall)/ china white INT. RM

Kids:
Girls- snugglepuss 1405 (wall)/liberty park 487 (accent wall)
Boys- kensington blue 840 (trim)/sheer romance 837 (wall/ceiling)

Teens:
Girls- mighty aprodite 1397 (wall)/ begonia (another wall option) supr white trim
Boys- athens blue 797 (wall)/hot srping stones AC-31 (ceiling)/ china white trim

These options can be adorable, fun and trendy. Don't be afraid to have fun and be unique with application-paint the ceiling a color, trim can be a color- not just white, use accent walls, etc...
Chime in with your interesting ideas and suggestions!

Classic Paint Combinations

As a myperfectcolor.com designer, I encounter various repeat questions regarding paint. One of the more common is "What are good colors for my living room, dining room and kitchen...". Obviously, if i were there physically or had fabric or material samples, I could do a perfect custom color combination dependant on the light and hues in the room. Since I do a lot of on-line consults however, I needed to come up with some standard, neutral, flowing trios of color. I wanted to take a few lines to give samples of combinations that work well (using Benjamin Moore paints) in neutral, averagely lit spaces. For example:

Living room/Dining room/Kitchen:

1) bar harbor beige 1032/chadwick brown 1160/barely beige1066
2) stone house 1039/ scarecrow 1041/ barely beige 1066
3) wheeling neutral HC-92/ nantucket gray HC-111/ everlasting 1038
4) ashen tan 996/ fieldstone 1558/ winds breath 981 (slightly cooler, bluer-tone in DR)
5) everlasting 1038/ camoufalge 2143-40/ muslin 1037 (slightly warmer, greener-tone in DR)

I feel its always best to take the deeper hues into the dining space. People tend to eat better and relax in darker spaces. The Living room should hold a tone that is lighter and more fresh by day, but calms down with darkness at night for relaxation and serenity. The kitchen tends to be a place of high energy and sociability, so lighter colors can help keep that mood going. Most importantly, keep it flowing from one room to the next with colors that are not too dramatically different in tone(color and feel) and yet flow from lighter to darker. Keep the trim colors the same if possible and the ceilings as well.

My Yellow Kitchen & Great Room

I love yellow colors. They are so bright and warm and inviting. But choosing the right yellow is really difficult. The colors always come out brighter than you expect.

We found and used a color for our Kitchen and Great Room that we really love:

Benjamin Moore 299 Firefly

We've found this color to be very warm and inviting, yet not too bright. It is a yellow but has an orange cast to it which warms it even more.

In the kitchen, which is mainly lit via incandescent bulbs, the color is fantastic.

My only gripe with the color is that it looks too dull in the great room. There are a lot of windows and the room is full of sunlight. However, it isn't the paint color's fault. Sunlight tends to wash out colors making them more dull and less vibrant. In hindsight, we could have selected an even brighter/deeper color for the great room to compensate.

One deeper color we could have used is Benjamin Moore 301 Glen Ridge Gold

And two other colors that would go well with the Benjamin Moore 299 Firefly for accents such as cabinets, furniture and artwork are Benjamin Moore 489 Oak Grove and Benjamin Moore 2080-10 Raspberry Truffle.

My Color is Too Dark, Why Can't the Paint Store Lighten it?

We get this question all the time. And unfortunately there is not much a paint store can do when a color is too dark or too deep. Here's why:

Once colorants are added to a paint base, they cannot be removed. The colorants are quite strong and most colors don't require more than a few ounces. Most of the color in a paint can is white, so if you wanted to make your color a little lighter, you'd have to add 1/2-gallon to a full gallon of additional base. So you can imagine, a paint store would have to add a huge amount of white colorant to lighten the color. These colorants are really expensive ($40 to $160 per gallon) and adding more than a few ounces would ruin the paint anyway, so when the paint store clerk says they can't lighten the paint, they are telling the truth. And even if they could, just adding white colorant would "gray out" or "mute" the color and probably wouldn't give you the desired results anyway.

You can always add more colorant (to a point), so if you think your color may be too dark or deep, start with a lighter shade or with 50% formula. Then you can try the color and if you want it darker the paint store can always add more color. Of course, you can test any color with Myperfectcolor's Anycolor Paint Sample Minicans - and you can even test any colors in lighter or darker variations (e.g. 50% lighter or 50% darker).

How are Benjamin Moore Paint Colors Created?

Benjamin Moore paint offers about 3,500 colors. All of these colors are created from formulas which are combinations of paint bases and colorants.

Each paint type and finish (e.g. Interior Acrylic Eggshell, or Exterior Acrylic Trim) comes in four bases: Pastel Base (1B), Medium Base (2B), Deep Base (3B) and Ultra-Base (4B). Each base successively has less white and more room in the can for adding colorants. For example, the Pastel Base is nearly white while the Ultra-Deep Base is more clear. Because of this, each base has a maximum color depth. You could add an entire quart of red colorant to a pastel base and the resulting color will still be pink because of all the white already in the can.

Each base also has a maximum amount of colorant that can be added. Too much colorant relative to the paint can ruin the gallon.

Benjamin Moore uses 12 colorants in its formulas to make its colors. Unlike many paint brands which use a shared colorant system like Color Your World or Huls, Benjamin Moore creates and patents its own colorants. These colorants are:
Black (BK), Blue (BB), Brown (BR), Gray (GY), Green (TG), Magenta (MA), Orange (OG), Oxide Yellow (OY), Red (Rd), Red Oxide (Rx), White (WH) and Yellow (YW)

Benjamin Moore created a brand new proprietary colorant system for its new Aura Paint. They named it their colorlock system because the colorants employ new technology that embeds the pigments much more strongly into the paint film. This explains the far superior hiding and durability of the Aura Paint.

The colorants used for Benjamin Moore Aura are:
Blue (B1), Thalo Green (G1), Magenta (M1), Orange (O1), Red Toner (R1), Organic Red (R2), Oxide Red (R3), Black (S1), Gray (S2), White (W1), Organic Yellow (Y1) (Exterior use), Organic Yellow (Y2) and Oxide Yellow (Y3)

If you ever want to experiment with creating your own paint colors, Myperfectcolor.com allows you to do this with these products:

Create Your Own Color Using Regular Paint
Create Your Own Color Using Aura Paint

This service could be extremely useful if you've already tried some colors and need them to be slightly different. You could take the formula listed on the can and recreate a new color by altering some of the components (e.g. a little more Thalo Green (TG))

Paint Finishes

Paint Finishes:

Benjamin moore paint quality and finish types. Selecting a paint finish can truly determine the quality "look" of a paint job. Let me tell you what I know about finishes...

1) Flat/Matte paints
They tend to offer ideal, non-reflective surface quality. these hard to clean surfaces are better suited for lower-use areas in the home or in new construction. Unless you choose to use Aura, by Benjamin Moore, which their matte, eggshell and satin paints are all equally washable.
2) Eggshell or Satin
These have a bit more sheen than flat paints and are ideal for places that need a cleanable surface but not a shiny finish.
3) Semigloss paints
They are shiner and easier to clean but will show imperfections more readily because of their reflective quality.
4) High-gloss finishes
These are ideal for kitchens, baths, woodwork, or children's rooms that need to be wiped frequently. High-gloss paints also produce the toughest and most stain-resistant finishes.
5) Oil based paint
These contain resins and thinners and are best suited for chalky surfaces high traffic areas such as floors, and areas that are already painted with oil-pase paint. They are a harder finish when they dry and are more durable but become more brittle over time. Because of the resins, they tend to yellow over time.

Please feel free to give your personal input on your experience with these finishes!

Where to Start When Choosing Paint Colors

You are about to start a new project and you need to pick paint colors. This blog will give you some ideas for how to find colors you will love.

Selecting the right paint color can be difficult and frustrating. Paint colors look different under different lighting conditions and in different design environments. And the selection of possible paint colors is immense. So how do you go about finding the right color for you?

First, start with what you have. What is the color of your floor, furniture, art work, or anything else you have in the room? What is the color of the adjacent areas that aren't going to be re-painted? What are your favorite colors? Start by answering these questions first.

One invaluable tool is the paint color fandeck. One of these inexpensive little books of color is invaluable. You have thousands of colors are your finger tips that you can use to help find your perfect paint color from the comfort of your home. We sell several options of Benjamin Moore fandecks (visit www.myperfectcolor.com/fandecks).

Walk around your room and select several colors from the fandeck that you think would work well. Next, test them by purchasing sample minicans (Myperfectcolor.com can make any color in a sample-sized minican). Test your colors by creating a large sample board or painting directly onto your wall. This will give you an accurate sense of what the color will look like in your home. Make sure you view your color tests in the various lighting conditions of morning, day and night. Once you have your sample, your decision should be easy. Look at it and if you like it, you are done!

If you don't like the color, figure out what you don't like about it in concrete color terms: "too dark", "too light", "too red", etc... and then find the colors that meet your new requirements and try again. Myperfectcolor.com also provides lighter or darker versions of any color in sample mini-cans. So, for example, if you think the color you've tried is just too light or too dark, you can order a pint of the color as 50% darker or 50% lighter. Then if you like the resulting color, you can order your gallons the same way.

This step-by-step method will help you find your perfect color. It takes a little longer, and you need to be willing to spend a little money for sample minicans, but in the end you will end up with colors you and your family will love. You will also avoid the costly mistake of painting with a color you don't like.

Tips for Choosing Yellow Paint Colors

Yellows are probably the most difficult paint colors to get right. This is because they become much more intense on the wall than they appear on the little 1-inch square paint chip. So if you are trying to select the right yellow for a room in your home, you are basically shooting at a moving target. You have to anticipate what the what the color may look like on a larger surface.

The trick to yellows is choosing muted colors. Now this doesn't apply if you want a very bright and intense yellow - that's easy. But if you want a soft yellow that isn't too yellow, or too intense, then this task becomes difficult.

Muted (also called toned) yellows have a grayish or netural tone to them. But once you paint a large area they are typically plenty yellow. Remember to sample the colors before buying gallons. This testing step is important for any color, but vital for yellows.

The most popular yellows we've found are these:

Benjamin Moore HC-4 Hawthorne Yellow

Benjamin Moore 290 Fresh Butter

Benjamin Moore HC-5 Weston Flax

See more popular colors at Myperfectcolor.com

Time-Saving Painting Trick: Brush in a Bag

If you are like me, you spend as little time painting as possible. Over the years we've learned many painting tricks, and this extremely simple trick is one of my favorites.

Don't wash any of your tools between coats of paint.

Simply seal your paint brush, paint roller and roller tray in a plastic bag and put it in your refrigerator. That's it! When you are ready to paint the next coat, just take the tools out of the bag and go.

You'll save 20 - 30 minutes cleaning between every coat.

Painting Tips for Touching Up

Touching up paint is something we all need to do from time to time. You may have moved a picture frame, some furniture or your three-year old drove his tractor into the wall. Regardless of the cause, you likely want to spackle any holes or dents, and then repaint the section. This post gives some simple tips to achieving good results.

The first thing you should do is set your expectations properly. No matter what you do you will proably always be able to see where you touched up. The eye can detect the slightest difference on a large wall surface. However, following these steps will make it much harder to see.

The challenge with touching up is making it blend right in. If you have your original wall paint then you are in luck. Otherwise you'll be heading to the paint store to get your color matched.

There are three things you need to consider: the wall texture, the paint color and the paint finish.

Wall Texture:
When repairing any damage to the wall surface, you need to be careful to match the surrounding texture. Many people make the mistake of repairing a spot so well that it is much smoother than the rest of the wall. This creates a shiny spot that will stand out, something you probably don't want. For example, you may want to use a medium grade sandpaper (such as 80-grit) rather than a very fine grit.

Paint Color:
If you have the original paint, then use it unless the paint is too old or the color on the wall has faded. If the wall gets a lot of direct sunlight, then the color on the wall may be very different than the paint in the original can. If this is the case, or if you no longer have the original paint, then you will need to buy more paint.

The best thing to do is to bring a piece of the wall into the paint store and have it computer color matched. If you just did a repair, then you may have a piece. Benjamin Moore paint stores typically have high-end spectrophotometers and expert staff that knows how to use it. Moreover, they'll have the skill to make any minor adjustments to the color in order to get it just right.

If you don't have a piece of wall you can bring in, then go into a closet (or other hidden area) and with a razor knife, cut a 1" square about 1/8" into the wall board. Peel the square piece of wallboard paper off and bring this to the paint store. Then you can easily repair this spot later.

Paint Finish:
You need to know the correct finish of the paint: flat, matte, eggshell, etc... You should also stick with same brand and finish of the paint you originally used. The flat finish from one paint company will not necessarily match the paint finish from another paint company.

Painting:
The trick here is to paint an area larger than the actual area that needs touching up. You want to diffuse the paint so that the painted area gradually changes to the non-painted area. For example, if you were to paint a crisp circle right on the damaged spot, then you would likely see it quite clearly. On the other hand, if you painted the damaged spot and then spread the paint away from that spot, then it would be much harder to see.

If you either cannot accurately match your paint color, or you no longer know the original finish of the paint, then you may need to paint the entire wall corner to corner. Even if your color is slightly different, chances are you would not know it as long as you paint the whole wall surface. The same color looks different on each of your walls anyway, so if one wall is a slightly different color you wouldn't know it. But if that different color were painted only on a section of a wall, then you would.

Happy painting!

Painting Over Water-Stains

A water-stain is the discoloration that exists on your wall after it gets wet. These stains are usually caused by a leaking roof or pipes and typically have a yellowish-brown coloration which is most prominent along the edge of the stain.

The first thing to do is fix the root cause of the water leak. You don't want to spend time and money fixing a water-stain only to have it reoccur from another leak.

Once you've fixed the cause of the leak, you can repair the water-stain. If the sheetrock or wall is severely damaged, then you may need to replace the sheetrock. Otherwise, simply painting over the water-stain should suffice. However, you must use a special primer in order to block the stain from bleeding through to the surface again. The best stain-blocking primers are alcohol-based. My favorite is called "BIN", a product made by Zinsser. It smells pretty bad, but dries in 45 minutes and will block any stain from bleeding through. (It will also block lipstick, smoke-stains and marker). The next best primers are oil-based. Zinsser makes a product called "Cover Stain". It doesn't work quite as well as BIN, but is still effective. Many companies make water-based primers they claim to be "stain-blocking", but in our experience, water-based primers are not nearly as effective as alcohol or oil-based products.

Tip: use a disposable brush or roller to paint the alcohol or oil-based primer. It is far better for the environment to throw away a cheap brush then to use solvents to clean the brush.

If you don't use a special stain-blocking primer, the stains will continue to bleed through your paint to the surface. Each time it will take couple days, but it will keep coming through. So just throw a coat of BIN over the stain and re-coat with the wall paint.

How to Dispose of Old Paint

If you are like most people, you have a bunch of old paint cans in your garage or basement. And you are probably wondering how to get rid of them. How do you dispose of this paint safely and legally?

If you have nearly full cans of paint, you can purchase packets of "Waste Paint Hardener" from your local paint store (or myperfectcolor.com). One packet of this product will harden 3/4-full gallon of paint. Once the paint has hardened you should be able to dispose of it in your local trash pick-up. If the paint cans are nearly empty, just put them in your garage and leave the lids off for a few days and then throw them away.

Most municipalities will accept dried water-based paint in the regular trash pick-up. Wet water-based paint will not be accepted, and neither are oil-based paints (wet or dry). Most municipalities offer some sort of hazardous waste disposal. Normally there are one or more days per year where residents can drop off old paint. Check with your specific municipality for your local rules.

The Emotion of Color

Our home is a metaphor for our lives. The color we choose to fill it with defines the very essence of the people living there. Discovering the perfect color is an important process but it doesnt have to be an intimidating one. Once you have identified the feeling you wish to create in each room, the color should reflect that emotional hue. Hence, the term "color psychology". Warm colors can be lively (reds, yellows) or add cozy intimacy (deep greens, chocolate browns). On the other hand, the cool tones can give a calm, relaxing feeling (soft blues, grays or quiet pinks) and can add spaciousness to tinier spaces. Uncomplicated schemes create a sense of serenity. More complex palattes are more dramatic and intoxicating. Colors can accentuate, add interest or even make what we dont want to see fade away behind the mask of color. When utilized well, color can be whatever we need it or want it to be!

Difference between Benjamin Moore Aura and Affinity

Benjamin Moore introduced its new Aura paint line in the spring of 2007. At the same time, Benjamin Moore also introduced the new Affinity color collection. Customers are often confusion between Aura and Affinity and how they relate to one another. Hopefully this post will clear up that confusion.

Aura is the name that Benjamin Moore gave to it's next generation paint technology platform. Aura refers to the paint itself, independent of the the color of that paint. As of the writing of this blog, Aura is available in interior matte, eggshell and satin finishes. In the spring of 2008, Benjamin Moore will introduce an exterior line of Aura paints and add a semi-gloss to the interior line. Aura paint can be tinted to any color.

"Affinity" refers to a new color collection that Benjamin Moore introduced to support the launch of the new Aura paint line. Unlike the previous color collections, the Affinity collection colors can only be made in the Aura paint. Aura paint however, can be made in any color.

Top Selling Benjamin Moore Aura Affinity Colors

See the top five selling Benjamin Moore Aura Affinity colors on http://www.myperfectcolor.com/. These new colors from Benjamin Moore are only available in the new Aura paint.

Benjamin Moore Aura AF-415 Grasshopper (New Aura Paint Color)

Benjamin Moore Aura AF-110 Coriander Seed (New Aura Paint Color)

Benjamin Moore Aura AF-440 Urban Nature (New Aura Paint Color)

Benjamin Moore Aura AF-445 Aventurine (New Aura Paint Color)

Benjamin Moore Aura AF-425 Anjou Pear (New Aura Paint Color)

See more top selling affinity colors.

The Various Benjamin Moore Paint Grades Explained

Benjamin Moore is a fantastic paint company, but not all their paint is created equally. It is important to understand the differences between Benjamin Moore's various paint lines when buying paint, especially if your painting contractor is getting the paint for you. This article focuses only on interior paint lines.

Benjamin Moore prides itself on the quality of the paint it creates. However, in order to meet the various needs of the marketplace, Benjamin Moore has multiple quality levels. After all, the needs and interests of an apartment owner or builder are very different than those of a mother with children.

Benjamin Moore produces four main quality levels of its interior paints. In order of ascending quality levels, they are: Super Hide, Super Spec, Regal and Aura. The labels of all four say "Benjamin Moore" but they are also clearly labeled with the product name so with this information you'll be able to ensure you get the right product.

Super Hide is the bottom of the line. It is considered builder's grade paint and is intended only to cover well and quickly. Builder's use it because it is cheap and it touches up really well. The problem is that it needs to touch up really well. Benjamin Moore Super Hide has almost no durability and while not entirely true, I consider it "clay water". It is intended to paint new homes that are expected to be repainted with a higher quality product in a fairly short period of time. Super Hide comes in flat, eggshell and semi-gloss and can be tinted to any color. Many low-end painters will substitute Super Hide Eggshell thinking that it is just as good as the Regal products and the customer will never know. Don't let this be you.

Super Spec is the next step up. Benjamin Moore Super Spec is definitely better than Super Hide. It was developed for commercial uses where cost is a factor and durability or quality isn't as important. Low-end painters will also substitute Super Spec for Regal products, too, and is also something to be wary of. Super Spec comes in flat, eggshell and semi-gloss and can be tinted to any color.

The Regal line is Benjamin Moore's premium paint line, and before Aura it was their best. The Regal products built Benjamin Moore into the reputable paint company it is today. And these products do keep changing. Benjamin Moore has reformulated these products numberous times over the years to keep improving them. Overall, the Regal products are fantastic and compare well to any other premium paint brand on the market. Benjamin Moore Regal comes in flat, matte, eggshell, pearl, semi-gloss and high-gloss and can be tinted to any color. Benjamin Moore Matte and Benjamin Moore Eggshell are the most popular interior finishes for walls because they are washable and Benjamin Moore Semi-Gloss is the most popular finish for trim, baseboards and doors. These finishes are also referred to as Regal Flat, Aquavelvet (eggshell), Aquapearl (pearl) and Aquaglo (semi-gloss).

Finally, the finest paint Benjamin Moore makes is Aura. Aura is unlike any other paint on the market. Benjamin Moore Aura paint is super-durable, does not require primer, will cover any color in no more than two coats, is low-odor and environmentally friendly and just looks richer for any color. Popular Science dubbed it one of the best new products of 2007. Aura comes in interior matte, eggshell and satin finishes. In the spring of 2008 Benjamin Moore will add an interior semi-gloss and exterior Aura products. Learn more about Aura.

With this information you will be better informed about the various paint quality options. Unless you are a builder trying to cut costs, you should use the best paint available. Relative to the overall cost of painting -- selecting your colors, tearing your home apart and living with the inconvenience, and expending the effort or expense of actually painting -- the paint itself is the least expensive part, and the difference between the best can of paint and the cheapest often only amounts to the cost of lunch or dinner one day. So given that on average you will live with the paint in your home for seven years, cutting corners on the paint quality doesn't make much sense.

How to Apply the New Benjamin Moore Aura Paint

The new Benjamin Moore Aura dries fast. It can be recoated in only one hour and therefore needs to be applied a little differently.

The biggest difference when painting with the new Benjamin Moore Aura is that you paint around the trim (cut-in) for the whole room with a paint brush first, and then go back to paint the rest of the wall with a paint roller. Paints other than Aura require that you cut-in and roll simultaneously to get the roller texture onto wherever you cut-in quickly before it dries. If you don't do this you'll often see the border around your room due to the textural differences between and paint brush and paint roller. This is not so with Benjamin Moore Aura Paint, the cut-in and rolled paint blend nicely, but because the paint dries quickly you need to let the cut-in area dry before rolling over it.

The next difference with Aura is to work in a smaller area at a time. You roll outward concentrically from a spot on the wall. Just don't go as far as you expand the area. The popint is that you just don't want to roll over the paint once it starts to dry. You are better off leaving it alone to dry and just fix anything you miss on the second coat.

And finally, don't roll the paint too thin. The Benjamin Moore Aura paint covers with any color in no more than two coats, but because of its fantastic coverage, it is easy to spread the paint too far. Once spread too far, the paint loses its covering capabilities. Just spread the paint to what feels natural and stop there.

For more detailed information about Benjamin Moore Aura Paint Application Techniques, click here.

Painting Stars in Your Child's Bedroom

I've never had so much fun. I brought home a quart of the Benjamin Moore Glow in the Dark Paint to make a starry sky for my daughters' bedroom. The paint glows in the dark just like any glow-in-the-dark toy, except it is paint.

I couldn't wait to get started and jumped right in. What I didn't realize was how thick you have to make the paint in order to get a decent glow. I first started by trying to "flick" the paint from my paint brush to create stars. This didn't work so well overall, but made a fantastic "milky way" across the center. It took me several hours of flicking in order to build it up enough for it to show a decent glow. (as an aside, the t-shirt I was wearing is still glown in the dark to this day)

But being the imaginative guy I tell my wife I am, I knew there had to be a better way. How can I get this paint thick enough, and still be able to create the designs I want?

The answer came in the form of an empty squeeze ketchup bottle (the old style red ones). You fill the bottle with paint, and squeeze it out the top. It comes out in a fairly fine stream, and you can apply it thick. The trick is to put just enough so it doesn't drip.

This tool worked amazingly well. I created asteroids, quasars, comets, planets, moons and stars. My favorites were the comets because getting the stream to tail off took some practice but looked awesome. My next favorite was the little star. You just squeeze a dot onto the ceiling, enough so there is a drip, but it doesn't fall.

I then filled in the background with a bunch of flicking and now we have a fantastic galaxy. The coolest part is that you can barely see it when the lights are on, because the paint is fairly translucent. My girls love it.

Tips for Choosing a Painter

If you are thinking of hiring a painter, there at least a few things to keep in mind when doing so. Many people don't understand the difference between a good paint job and a not-so-good paint job, and you don't want to learn the hard way. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when choosing a painter.

1) All painters are not equal.

There is a huge difference in painters' skill levels, knowledge and professionalism. Often times people remark that ABC Painter is so expensive while XYZ Painter is cheap. Most of the time there is a reasonable explanation for the prices painters charge; and sorry to say, usually the more expensive painter is the one who knows they are doing. Inexperienced painters don't know how to adequately factor in all their costs and price the job accurately. When this happens, the customers pays because they have to rush off the job or use low quality materials.

2) Check 3 to 5 references.

Ask the painter to speak to 3 to 5 of their customers that they did in the last 6 months. If they cannot supply this to you, then don't hire them.

3) Ask for a painter recommendation at your local paint store

A great place to ask for painter recommendations is your local paint store. They will have a great perspective on the painter's professionalism, skill and quality level. They see the products the painter buys, how they speak about their customers, whether or not they pay their own bills and if they know what they are doing.

4) Beware of the switch to low-end paint.

We hear all the time how painters use low-grade product in people's homes, and the customer unfortunately has no idea. It is sad because the cost difference to the customer between the best and worst paints is relatively small, but the difference in quality and how well it will last in your home is huge. The painter low balls the bid (or even-worse, they don't low ball) and buys the cheapest paint. Make sure you have the painter specify the specific paint product they will be using. It is not enough for them to just specify the brand. Every major paint brand makes several grades of paint. For example, Benjamin Moore makes Super Hide which retails for $12/gallon and Aura which retails for $54.99. They both say Benjamin Moore, but the difference would be like comparing a Hyundai to a Porsche.

5) Buy the paint yourself.

The best way to ensure you get the best paint is to buy it yourself. Just ask the painter to give you a bid for just time and materials and then you supply the paint. The painter will also tell you how much to get. Another advantage of this is that the paint store will typically track your purchase history and then can look it up for you years later when you need to touch-up. Don't count on your painter keeping track of this for you.

6) Just because your friend had a good experience, doesn't mean the painter is good.

Using the reference of a friend is often the most common form of finding a painter. And while sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Your friend may not have had any problems or may not know of any problems they do have. It is fine to consider their recommendation, but make sure you check additional references.

How To Sample Paint Colors

Tips, Tricks and Benefits for Finding the Perfect Color for Your Home

The Summary:

1) Find colors of interest

2) Sample the colors on your walls or sample boards

3) Live with them for a few days under different lighting conditions

4) Iterate and sample more

5) Select your final choice and paint!

The Details:

Picking the right paint color can be the most difficult and frustrating part of any design project. Yet it may be the most important part because the paint color serves as the design foundation and is often the first thing anyone notices. The paint color needs to work with the items in the room as well as with the lighting conditions as they change from day to night. Your paint color also needs to flow with the colors in adjoining rooms. In our 80 years of experience selling paint, we’ve learned how to help people choose colors they will love. In this article we pass along a bit of what we’ve learned to help you find your perfect color.


One of the easiest things methods to finding the right color is to create and test paint color samples.Knowing how a color will look from a tiny paint color chip or color swatch is nearly impossible. A color covering a large area looks very different  than the same color covering a small area. You will go crazy agonizing over a bunch of little color chips wondering which one is right for you. (As an aside, I think it could possibly be a good business idea to sell Valium at paint stores.) Creating paint color samples will remove any doubt. Testing a really big color sample will show you how the color will actually look on your walls.


Larger paint color samples are better. Ideally, but not practically, the best way to know how a color would look in your room would be to paint the whole room, but buying several gallons of paint and painting the whole room isn’t necessary or a good idea. Painting color samples gives you to get a good sense of how colors will look with much less time, effort and expense. It will also save you from ending up with a room painted a color you don’t like. Significant others like this because they ultimately have to hear the complaints for two months at which point the room ultimately get re-painted with another color. Several paint companies offer at least some of their colors in tiny 2 or 4-ounce jars or packets. These tiny samples enable you to create a 2-foot sample. Myperfectcolor.com AnyColor® Paint Samples come in virtually every color and enable you to create a 5-foot by 5-foot sample which would give you a very good idea of how the color would look in the whole room. You just "see" and know if it is a good color for you or not.


Start by selecting some colors based on existing (or soon to be purchased) furniture, fabric, flooring or artwork. You can even begin with a color a friend used or favorite colors in general. Get a color fan deck from your favorite paint brand. Most contain 1,000 to 2,000 color chips and should be sufficient to get started. Use the fan deck to find colors that look good in your room. Colors go well together if they just look right together. You’ll know if it isn’t right when you see certain aspects of the colors start to come out. For example, you may be looking at a beige that looks "too red" or "too green" when held against your flooring. This is typically a sign that the color isn’t right.


Finding the right paint color is an iterative process. You start with a bunch of colors and work to improve from there. As you evaluate each color, determine what you do or don’t like about it. For example, if it is "too dark", look for the next lightest color in the group, or if it is "too red", look for a color that is a little less red and so on. Once you’ve narrowed your selection to the best 3 to 5 colors per room, you are ready to buy paint color samples and creating sample boards.


There two methods to sampling colors: paint directly on your wall or onto a sampling board (such as plastic sheets or foam boards made for color sampling). We recommend using sample boards. Painting the wall works, but limits your ability to compare different colors in the same spot. Look in your room and you’ll see that the same color looks different around the room due to the lighting conditions and adjacent colors. Also, multiple sample colors on the wall influence each other making it difficult to get a true sense of how each would look on its own. Also, samples on boards enable you to move your colors around, compare different colors in the same spot and isolate the color from influence from other samples. And if you delay actually painting for a while you can simply put the boards in your closet where otherwise you’d have to live with splotches of paint on your wall (and everyone would know you are a procrastinator).


Live with your paint color samples for a few days. Look at the colors during the morning, day, afternoon and night. See how they interact with other colors in the room and in adjoining rooms. If the color isn’t right, determine what is wrong and try again. Each time you'll get closer to your perfect color. If you cannot find just the right color to try in your fan deck, Myperfectcolor.com is the only place that enables you to create sample paint colors in lighter or darker increments. This gives you a great degree of control over your color selection. For example, you could try a color 25-percent lighter, or 50-percent darker. And they even let you completely create your own color from scratch for those times when you need more control.



Important note: When sampling colors, isolate the color in your mind and remove any influence of neighboring colors because these will no longer be there once the room is painted. For example, if your existing wall color is a very dark color, then even a medium tone color may look "too light" when viewed next to this darker color. Similarly, if your existing wall color is white, then same exact color may look "too dark". In truth, once you paint the whole room and no longer have the comparison, the color could be perfect.


Remember that paint color is not an exact science. There will always be some slight variation between color chips and the paint, and from paint can to paint can. Since all color chips are affected by age, light, heat, and mechanical coating processes, paint color chips may vary slightly in color, or finish from the actual paint in the container.


To order paint color samples in any color, visit www.myperfectcolor.com.

Most Popular Paint Colors

The following paint colors are the five most popular colors based on product views on www.myperfectcolor.com.



Benjamin Moore HC-114 Saybrook Sage

MPC Color Match of Walpamur 2-4IE Wicker Sand *

MPC Color Match of Ralph Lauren SP01A Anthem Red *

MPC Color Match of Dulux 427 New York *

Benjamin Moore HC-51 Audubon Russet





See the most popular 500 paint colors and products on www.myperfectcolor.com.

How Good is the New Benjamin Moore Aura Paint?

Really good ... experience it yourself. You will be amazed.


In many years selling paint, I have never seen paint as good as the new Benjamin Moore Aura paint. This new paint is much, much better than anything else. We knew for a few years that Benjamin Moore was developing the next generation of paint technology. I always wondered how good this next generation paint would be -- after all, how much can paint change? After using the paint myself and receiving customer feedback on thousands of gallons sold I am convinced this new paint is amazing. We created a Aura paint demonstration in the store and have challenged hundreds of customers to scratch or remove the paint from the sample board - the board broke before the paint did. And you don't need to take my word for it - Popular Science named the new Benjamin Moore Aura paint one of the best new products of 2007 and dubbed it "The Fast, No-Stink Super Paint".



What makes the new Benjamin Moore Aura paint so much better? The Aura paint features new paint technology - Benjamin Moore developed and patented a new proprietary resin and colorant system named Colorlock technology. The colorant binds strongly to the paint film making the paint stronger (colorants in other paint technology weakens the paint). The result of this new technology is a richer, more durable paint that covers any color with any color in a maximum of two coats (and often only one coat).



And for those who are environmentally conscious, Aura is environmentally friendly because it features a low volatile organic compounds (voc) content with its waterborne resin and colorants. In fact, much of what drove Benjamin Moore to develop this new technology was a desire to create an environmentally friendly paint technology.



Benjamin Moore invested for the future with this new paint. Not only did they create a low voc product, but they also created a very high-quality product. The important other-side of the environmental debate is not only the environmental impact the creation of a product has, but also how durable and long-lasting a product is. If a product has low environmental impact, but isn't durable, then society just needs more it. Thankfully Aura features both environmental benefits: low voc and extremely high-durability so it will outlast any other coating.



So why use any other paint? Well, the only reason would be that Aura is more expensive per gallon ($54.99). But if you think about it, the higher price doesn't reflect the actual cost of the paint. First, it is only by about $10 to $15 per gallon more than other high-quality paints (which only equates to the price of lunch for one day). And moreover, using Aura may actually cost you less money despite the higher gallon price because Aura doesn’t require a primer and will covers better. Where you may need three gallons of another paint to complete a room (one gallon of primer and two gallons of finish coat), you would only need a total of two gallons with Aura. You save $10 (3 x $40 versus 2 x $55). Now factor in the labor and time savings of an entire coat of paint - would like a few more hours to do something besides painting? I know I would.



And finally, Benjamin Moore Aura just looks better. The new colorant system makes colors look richer and the finish is velvety-smooth. It touches up better, washes better and it more scuff-resistant. So when you move your dresser and need to touch up a nail hole, it will blend right in. When painting use the best paint possible because the cost of the paint material is relatively small relative to the overall project cost. Lowering the paint quality doesn’t cut costs that much but makes a huge difference in how that paint will look in one year. Every time a visitor comes over and leans on your wall during a discussion, or your three-year old throws his sister's doll at the wall, that paint will get a mark. And how much time and money will you spend just selecting your paint color? And how much effort will you expend moving furniture, taking your room apart and putting it back together during the painting process? These are all the things you should consider when making your purchase decision. We find that most people conclude that the best paint is the best value. Given that on average you will live with this paint on your walls for seven years, choosing Aura should a "no-brainer". And if you are using a painting contractor to do the painting for you the choice is even more clear because the cost of the paint is an even lower percentage of the overall project cost.



Benjamin Moore Aura paint can be made in any color. Myperfectcolor.com can match any color from any paint brand and make it in Aura. Benjamin Moore also introduced 144 new Affinity colors that are exclusive to Aura paint. So should you use Benjamin Moore Aura paint on your next painting project? Absolutely. It is amazing paint. Colors are richer and more vibrant, the paint is extremely durable, any color will cover in a maximum of two coats with no primer needed, it touches up very well and it is environmentally friendly. for more information please visit www.myperfectcolor.com/aura

Most Popular Paint Color Combinations

The following paint colors are the five most popular colors based on product views on www.myperfectcolor.com.



Benjamin Moore Pottery Barn Colors Fall 2007 - Rich (4-pack)

Designer Picks - Oct 10, 2007 - Living, Dining, Kitchen and Hall Combo (5-pack)

Benjamin Moore Pottery Barn Colors Fall 2007 - Warm (4-pack)

Benjamin Moore Pottery Barn Colors Fall 2007 - Natural (4-pack)

MPC Designer Picks Monochromatic Calm Classics 1 (5-pack)



See all color combinations on www.myperfectcolor.com.

Popular Baby Room Paint Colors

Top selling colors used in Baby's Rooms by expecting parents.



Benjamin Moore HC-116 Guilford Green

Benjamin Moore HC-119 Kittery Point Green

Benjamin Moore HC-5 Weston Flax

Benjamin Moore 2067-70 White Satin

Benjamin Moore 2022-60 Light Yellow



See all popular Baby Room colors.

Color Trends 2008

Pick a color, any color- so long as its "green".

The paint and color industry has caught up with the national and worldwide trend of becoming more environmentally conscious and friendly. Manufacturers are turning homeowner's heads with products that are green.

The eco-friendly trend has also made its presence felt in establishing color schemes and design plans. Along with current choices of color leaning toward chocolate browns and earth toned greens which imitate our earthen dwelling and muted sea and calming blues which are inspired by spa and ocean influences, people who are "going green" are also choosing new environmentally friendly paints to cover their walls.

Although low-odor, low-toxin paints have been around awhile, their performance had not been stellar. Many painters hopped on the green bandwagon when it first rolled around, but were disappointed by boring shades, questionable durability or inconsistent texture. However, paint companies like Benjamin Moore have taken green to a new level with the introduction of Aura, their new low VOC (volatile organic compounds), low-odor, water-based super paint. Not only have they met the up coming tighter government regulations regarding paint VOC's (currently awaiting green seal approval), but the durability, texture, better covering water borne paint is far superior to the old latex based type. And YES!! It's available in any color. So now, painters or do-it-yourselfers , no matter what the brand, will find it increasingly easy to find innovative products so they can worry less and paint more!

---

Chocolate Browns

Benjamin Moore AF-110 Coriander Seed (New Aura Paint Color)
Benjamin Moore AF-115 Lodge (New Aura Paint Color)
Benjamin Moore AF-120 Tamarind (New Aura Paint Color)

---

Earth Toned Greens
Benjamin Moore AF-415 Grasshopper (New Aura Paint Color)
Benjamin Moore AF-440 Urban Nature (New Aura Paint Color)
Benjamin Moore AF-445 Aventurine (New Aura Paint Color)

---

Muted Sea and Calming Blues
Benjamin Moore AF-495 Azores (New Aura Paint Color)
Benjamin Moore AF-500 Atmospheric (New Aura Paint Color)
Benjamin Moore AF-505 Blue Echo (New Aura Paint Color)

---