I just posted about these two paint manufacturers (in a discussion about tablecloths, but that's another story...). My living room has BM on one wall and C2 on the other 3 and there is no difference. We only did it that way because my color consultant suggested that we use a darker color on the wall opposite the south-facing windows. They were painted before Aura, so we used regular BM paints. I did do my bath w/ Aura and it was terrible; the paint did not go on evenly, and I couldn't/can't touch up anything because the finish is different everywhere. Maybe I didn't stir it enough or something, but you might want to consult with your painter or contractor first just to be safe.

I had a couple of rooms painted in C2 flat while I was living out of the country and renting my house and I don't recommend it. It looks fine but you can't wash it. That wasn't a problem with the eggshell, so I would definitely recommend going with that.

And your contractor shouldn't freak; he should just get you what you want!

I'm posting link to the LR so you can get a sense of the different paints. The C2 is on the fireplace wall.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitmu living room

Thank you so much! I believe I will be changing a couple C2 finishes to eggshell now!

Mixing brands is totally fine. Some people can't tell the difference, some people most certainly sense a difference between one final finish/color quality and another.

It's a way to add another level of interest, dimension. I love to use full spectrum color juxtaposed to *regular* colors. It's a level of contrast that's lost on some folks, but very present for others. It's an option -- and options and choices are a good thing when it comes to paint and color.

Specifying product - you don't have to use Aura everywhere unless it's really needed or wanted. Flagging the kid, hi-traffic, darker color areas for Aura and the rest in Regal is a smart strategy. You've customized your paint/color plan to what you really need.

Difference between the finishes of BenM and C2 have more to do with color than actual finish. C2 uses more colorants than BenM and because of that C2 color can bring a unique nuance and personality to the atmosphere.

Aura matte is far more 'scrubbable' than C2 flat. As kit suggested, upping the sheen level is a good solution to get built-in clean-ability.

Contractor may freak, may charge you more, may just roll with it. Won't know 'til ya ask. With what you have going on with the finishes and glazes and whatnot, just make sure you communicate with him up-front and regularly throughout the project.

Thanks so much, funcolors! I've been reading a lot of your posts with great interest, and learning a lot. I really appreciate your weighing in, and confess I'm breathing easier to know the plan sounds workable to you. (That's what you get for becoming the resident paint guru!) You are right that communication will be key--I'm actually going through our design-builder, so I guess the next step is to work out a plan for communicating with their painters directly (or jointly). Thanks for that thought!

Kit, thank you again for the advice--I bumped all the sheens on C2 up a level before I gave the builder my list yesterday. You helped me avoid what would have been a costly mistake in some busy hallways! Very grateful. :)

A couple things I forgot to say: in the embedded photo, the pillars in the dining room and the trim on the stairs have not been painted yet, and the cabinets are a laminate--so in the dining room, for instance, you can really only see the Mascarpone trim on the paneling, beam and crown molding. Went with eggshell on all C2 colors, matte on all Ben Moore colors except master where we used eggshell on the Barrista color. We would up doing Aura everywhere, as once we'd committed to so much Aura paint, the savings in using regal in two rooms was insubstantial. Colors and textures of the BM paints are all fabulous, the C2's have a treacherous kind of beauty that glows, and shifts with changes in the light. Really have to be sure you want the undertones to come out, because they strengthen in low light. For the most part a very happy fact; although the Awe--which did exactly what we wanted in the bathrooms-- went way over the top in the family room when we got it on two adjacent walls!

Wow, it looks fabulous, pmacbee. It was really nice of you to post back so we could see how it all came out! You did a great job.

People are funny about the price per gallon of paint. :~D. The price per gallon doesn't really tell much of the story. You have to look at the big picture especially if you are using a large quantity. And even if it's just one gallon, to get an accurate snapshot of actual cost, it's best to price it out per square foot and compare brands/grades that way -- not the price per gallon.