Dear Amy: How About Behr?

I recently received this email from a client:

Dear Amy,

Several people have recommended Behr paints as excellent and yet less expensive than Benjamin Moore and other of the long-term advertised.  Do you have any preference?

Here is my reply:

Dear C, 

I have no personal experience with Behr, so I cannot offer any specific advice.  Most of the professional painters I collaborate with use Ben Moore or Sherwin Williams.  I think there is a reason for this, but I will defer to your painter for his answer.

What I can tell you is that when you invest in a professional painting job, the cost of materials is a small fraction of the overall budget.  What you are paying for is the expertise of the applicator -- that is an excellent painter.  So, to cut costs on materials can be a false economy.  My rule of thumb is to buy the best quality paint you feel you can afford, that is also appropriate for the job at hand.  For some people, that means a $125 gallon of European paint, for others it means a $15 gallon of Kilz from Wal-Mart.  There is an appropriate context for both cans of paint, and everything in between.  

When I discuss the materials investment with clients, we discuss the longevity issue.  Are you moving soon or painting to sell?  Do you like to choose new colors and repaint every few years just for fun?  Are there children in the house who will likely outgrow their colors in the next 2-4 years?  Or are you looking for reliable colors and durable paint that will satisfy you for a good number of years to come?  

We also discuss wear and tear....kids, pets, high-traffic areas like entries and kitchens, etc.  A certain brand of paint may be cheaper at the outset, but if it does not wear well and you need to repaint sooner, the savings is lost.  This applies to the "big names" as well, where there are ranges of quality, from builder-grade paint (Eco-Spec) all the way up to the top of the line (Aura).  

So, that is my take on the brand/quality/cost conversation.  Hope this is helpful.  

Choose a good quality paint and sleep well, knowing you made the right decision.  

And, if choosing color is keeping you up at night, give me a call!

Full Spectrum Paints - Northampton - part 2

This is the second half of a story on a Northampton Bungalow where Ellen Kennon Full Spectrum Paints were used.  You can read the first half of the story here.  In the Spring of 2011, I was called in to assist with color for a whole-house remodel here in town.  My client has spent time writing and teaching in the South of France so she was looking to recreate the feeling of the colors from that part of the world.  

Here is a look at that glorious front door and foyer from the last post which highlighted the first floor, including the owner's cobalt blue Five Star range in a sunny yellow kitchen with French-style terracotta floor tiles.

 

The front hall, naturally dark due to the limited exposure of the space, was originally painted an off white which did little to highlight the gorgeous millwork.  At the top of the stairs, we see a glimpse of a rather unpleasant brown that my client knew had to go. 

What I know about paint is that no color will ever make a dark room brighter.  Based on that principle, we decided to go with a moody deep blue and make the entry a statement space.  My client says it is the most talked-about color in the house.  Looking upstairs, we get our first glimpse of the large open hallway where my client plans to do a little yoga.    

The desire was to find a color for the upstairs hallway that was both peaceful and a bit invigorating.  Green has that capacity...to be a color of comfort, yet still have the energy one wants and needs.  

Looking toward the front of the house, here is the Before shot of the 

upstairs hall with a view into the study.   Bye bye brown!

         

Here's the After!  A gorgeous custom green and Ellen Kennon's Slate 

in the study.  What a combo with the original wood floors, 

newly refinished during the renovation.

A couple more shots of the study, 

complete with loads of built in bookcases and an inviting sofa.   

 

Looking into the master bedroom, we see the previous owner's chocolate brown walls.

After: That glorious green again with a view to Ellen Kennon's H2Ahh!  What a difference!!

         

      Upstairs Bath Before

After: Ellen Kennon's Aqua provides a kinder way to begin and end the day!  Overall a very serene room, even with the vibrant yellow wall tiles tucked behind the white shower curtain.  And I am in love with those windows!  Aren't you?

Last but not least a guest room done up in Ellen's Buttercup.  
This photo really captures the way the room glows! 

Okay, anyone else feel like sitting for a while after taking in all this beauty?  I'm headed back downstairs and out to the back deck where it looks cool and shady.

    

Full Spectrum Paints - Northampton - part 1

In the Spring of 2011, I was called in to assist with color for a whole-house remodel here in town.  My client has spent time writing and teaching in the South of France.  She said she wanted to recreate the feeling of that part of the world and that she was a "sun junkie."  I took one look at her fair skin and blond hair and challenged her assertion.  I asked if maybe she was a "light junkie" instead and she agreed that was perhaps a better way of talking about her relationship to color and light.  

We did use bright, sunny colors, but most importantly, we used Ellen Kennon's Full Spectrum colors to maximize the reflection of light in my client's home.  Here is a quote from Ellen's website which perfectly explains Full Spectrum Paints:

Our paints are blended from the 7 colors of natural sunlight and closely mimic nature's elements such as sky, water and stone, with infinite color and variation.  Standard paint colors are usually a blend of two or three pigments that includes black, which absorbs light. Ellen's paints omit black and have a broader range of pigments that reflect a broader range of light and coordinate more easily with the colors and furnishings around them. They are chameleon-like in their ability to pick up colors from adjacent materials and to change character as the light changes.  Also, because of the absence of black and the perfect balance of a full spectrum of pigments, they don't tend to turn muddy or lose their character in low light conditions. 

I have been working with Ellen's colors since 2005 and I can tell you there is nothing quite like them.  The paints have a mirage-like quality in certain lighting.  Regular paint looks flat on a wall....Full Spectrum paints almost shimmer.  There is no better solution for low-light situations than paint that reflects back the maximum amount of light possible.  Without further ado....

As an IACC-NA member one of my codes of conduct includes not holding opinions about what colors a client should use.  It is my job to observe the environment and help the client to fully understand what's in play -- natural and artificial light, existing colors, desired mood of the space, etc.  I knew we were going to use a bright yellow in the kitchen and a deeper yellow in the adjacent living room.  I felt strongly that a rich navy in the foyer would be a fabulous counterpoint to the yellows and it would set off all the white details of the stairway, french door and millwork.  


The foyer is also naturally the darkest room in this house.  Contrary to what one might think, using a lighter color in a dark room will not brighten up the space.  Pale colors tend to get shadowy and sad in a dark room.  Though my client was somewhat hesitant to use a dark color in the entry, I felt compelled to give her a little nudge.  She has come to love the color and says it is "the most talked about" color in her home.    (Foyer color EK custom color)

Though my camera and the lighting did not do this photo justice, here is a picture of my client's pride and joy in the kitchen, a Blue Star range in cobalt!  The kitchen walls are EK Sunshine.  All cabinetry, trim and ceilings are Benjamin Moore Mascarpone.

The dining room is painted in EK Rust.  The living room beyond is EK Citrine.

Looking beyond the dining room, there is a small sitting room with an exterior door.  As in many of the rooms, my client had built-in bookcases installed.  because the room was small and the bookcases provided plenty of visual interest, we decided to use Ellen's Classic Cream.  The color was also used in a small hallway leading from the sitting room to the kitchen, as well as the small adjacent powder room.
 

When I come back, I'll take you upstairs to see some exciting before and after shots.  Stay tuned...