Is high-end paint (aka more expensive) worth the cost?

[JaneDoe]

I am finally ready to start painting the bland walls in our house. In the past, I've used Olympic paint from Lowes and it seemed to work fine for me. I wasn't terribly happy with some of the colors I chose, but I assumed that I did a poor job selecting colors.

I plan to paint my dd's room first. I'm looking at Miller Paint's line Devine and the color "Blade". I've seen it in a local children's store and I love it. Anyway, it's like $37+ dollars a gallon. I've also read that many of you like Benjamin Moore paints. I haven't look into it yet, but I understand that it is also more expensive.

So, what are your thoughts? Is it worth it?

Re: Is high-end paint (aka more expensive) worth the cost?

We've used the Miller brand paint and while it is very good paint, I like the Benjamin Moore paints better. We used Miller paint in our last house because there wasn't a Benjamin Moore store nearby and it went on well and cleaned well, etc. I haven't used the Devine paint but have used the liquid samples. It does go on nicely and I'd say the Benjamin Moore paint is pretty similar. I don't know how the two compare price-wise but you should be able to get the Ben Moore store to match the Devine paint. I think I know which color you are talking about and there is a close match in the Aura line (we were going to use an Aura color I had matched to Manzanita for our master before the painters transposed the number and used the wrong color). I think they will mix the Aura colors in the regular paint line.

I really like the Aura paint because there is no odor and goes on beautifully. It is more than $37/gallon (the store here has had a reduced price in the low $40s). The way I look at it is that it is a relatively inexpensive way to change a room or your house so while one brand might be 25% more, it doesn't cost a whole lot overall.

Happy painting! Enjoy the new color!

[Vanquisher]

Re: Is high-end paint (aka more expensive) worth the cost?

You can match any high end paint color you want with a sample at Home Depot with Behr paint. Behr is very good paint - top rated - for a lot less money.

Re: Is high-end paint (aka more expensive) worth the cost?

YES! High end paint is totally worth it.

I know Behr is highly rated, but after using both Behr and Benjamin Moore, I'd pony up for the Benjamin Moore any day.

Re: Is high-end paint (aka more expensive) worth the cost?

It's been over 8 years since we used Behr paint so it is hard for me to compare. I don't remember having any problems with it but we did buy Benjamin Moore paint for a next project and DH liked it better.

If I ranked my choices, I would put Miller above a big box store just because it is so much easier to get in and out of and reasonably priced. Also, I'm so fed up with crappy customer service from Home Despot that I would choose Lowe's paint over that just on principle.

[GrayMatterWife]

Re: Is high-end paint (aka more expensive) worth the cost?

I agree with Heidi that Behr is a really good paint--I've had good luck with it. FWIW, I like Benjamin Moore even more, specifically with deeply hued paints. Our dining room is a deep red color and, I swear, we could have gotten away with just one coat! We put on two, but it was clear to us that BM paints, at least for super-pigmented shades, are excellent.

[DCJenn]

Re: Is high-end paint (aka more expensive) worth the cost?

I completely agree with the Behr/Benjamin Moore comments- I used Behr on one house, BM on another (all based on proximity to the house). I like the Behr paints and they hold up well. I do think the BM paints go on better and as Abagail said, with richer colors they do a GREAT job.

I just did a first coat on our porch w/ Behr outdoor paint- it was fine. I didn't do a tinted primer and I should have, and I knew it at the time. But it really doesn't matter because this is a temporary repair.

Inside, I used Behr paints in my bathroom and Nikolai's bed and bath- they have held up well (so far)

Jenn

Re: Is high-end paint (aka more expensive) worth the cost?

Actually, part of my love for BM paints is that I've only felt the need to use a primer once. I do agree with Lily about the smell. I used white Behr paint to cover the stencils in the nursery (took 3 coats and you could STILL see them), and then painted with BM paint - the smell was SO different. I hear there is even less of a scent with Aura from BM.

Restoration Hardware paint used to be good, but they changed distributors since I originally used them, and now it's crap.

We've also had good luck with Sherwin Williams paint - but I still prefer Benjamin Moore.

[JaneDoe]

Re: Is high-end paint (aka more expensive) worth the cost?

Thanks for your replies. Based on your comments, I'm going to the BM store in my area and checking it out. I think I will still go with Miller paint for my dd's room simply because I've seen the color on a wall and I know it goes really well with her comforter.

After her room, however, I plan to conquer Dh and my room and our office. :wee: I will look into BM paint for those rooms. So, this might be a dumb question, but do I need to use primer? Should I? We live in a 2 year old home with a satin finish paint (builder grade) from Sherwin Williams. It is a neutral color, like taupe.

Re: Is high-end paint (aka more expensive) worth the cost?

I'm not sure if the Miller store will do this but they might mix the Devine color in a regular Miller paint (prob $10 less per gallon). I think I asked before and they said no but that was a while ago.

Have fun!

For the other rooms, I think buying the little paint samples really helps. You can put those colors up and see how you like them. I'm mixed on the primer, depends on the situation. We painted the basement bathroom and used primer and then needed only one coat of Aura. We had the primer around anyway and I could tell that paint would be harder to cover. Since we painted another room the same color as the bathroom it was worth it $-wise because we only needed to buy one gallon. I'd try without in the rooms you describe. You could see how paint samples apply and go from there.

Re: Is high-end paint (aka more expensive) worth the cost?

If it were me there is NO way I'd bother with a primer. You're not trying to cover years of stuff, it's light, & the BM paint covers SO well, you won't have a problem.

Just to illustrate how well it covers compared to other stuff ... this is the paint in the boys room. It was originally a dark brown (and I didn't want to prime - I figure I'd rather do an extra coat of the actual color I'm using than bother w/a primer). The top, really crappy almost wash looking stuff is the Restoration Hardware paint - one coat. The bottom is one coat of a similar color in Benjamin Moore - again, ONE COAT. Yes, the brown is harder to cover, but look at the difference between that crappy RH paint, vs. how the same amount of BM paint covered.



And then for Behr paint

The white is actually 2 coats of Behr - not primer, just white paint we had on hand. I used it only b/c the area below the chair rail was actually a denim-looking wash of dark blue, and then above the chair rail was a brightly colored stencil. It took 2 coats to cover the dark blue, and 3 coats to come close to covering the stencil. The light blue is again - ONE COAT - of Benjamin Moore (bluebelle).

[JaneDoe]

Re: Is high-end paint (aka more expensive) worth the cost?

Thanks again. Jane, the pictures are helpful. Do you not tape off the edges? How in the heck do you keep paint off areas where you don't want paint, like the trim or the chair rail?

I don't trust myself to stay in the lines without tape.

Re: Is high-end paint (aka more expensive) worth the cost?

I don't tape - but that is unusual. I find it gives me (and especially dh) a false sense of security, and no matter what kind of tape we use (including the blue painters tape) we always end up with smudges underneath and/or pulling paint up. This house is new enough (and thankfully it was well built, so we really haven't had settling issues) that the lines really are straight. A steady hand and a good quality brush are really all I need. I prefer Purdy brand brushes FWIW. I've even found I can do some cutting in left handed as long as I use a light touch.

DH cannot get away w/o using the tape - so we just keep him away from edging.

[v-girl]

Re: Is high-end paint (aka more expensive) worth the cost?

I love Ralph Lauren's metallic paints (we have a blue one in our dining room). And their textured paints (can't remember if that was Behr or RL). Hubby does not like the application process for them though.

Re: Is high-end paint (aka more expensive) worth the cost?

I love that bluebelle color.