We are just finishing up our new construction~ I am NOT a painter but I wanted to share our recent experience with you. (Maybe some of the painting professionals out there will have a better explanation for what we just went through.)

I ALWAYS use Ben Moore paint- usually either the Regal wall satin in a FLAT finish, or the Regal Matte finish. The painter for our home was not thrilled about using the regal matte because he insisited that is was difficult to work with. I have never found this to be true when I painted with it so I insisted they use it because it is so durable.
For cost reasons they decided to use the Ben Moore super spec (sort of the builders grade paint) as the first coat and then planned to use the Regal Matte for the second coat. I believe this is why our paint job was AWFUL! When they "completed" the job I could see every single roller mark they made. They insisted that this was a problem they always have with Regal Matte- I insisted they were doing something wrong.

The local Ben Moore showroom owner came out to the house to evaluate the problem. He felt the problem more than likely came from using two different versions of the paint. He suggested that new/ primed walls need to have two coats of the same paint applied to them in order to look finished. He also cautioned that reds are often difficult colors for color variation (we have several reds and rust colors throughout the house, as well as black and deep golds...)

I have always been very happy with Ben Moore paints and will continue to use them- I find that the Regal wall satin (in flat) has always been very washable- but the Regal Matte paint was amazing in my laundry room- it never even GOT dirty! I have been told there is ceramic in the paint that repels the dirt- Whatever the reason- it was amazing.

I would be interested to hear what some of the professionals on this forum think about our paint issue...
Good luck- it sure is exciting when the paint goes on the walls!

I have just finished painting my kitchen and dining room with SW Duration Matte, and I love it! I don't like shiny paint, but I wanted scrubbability, so this was the answer for me. If you get anything on the walls within the first 14 days, leave it. After 14 days of curing, you can wipe it right off.

I did two coats (I usually do two coats because I'm a perfectionsist), and my paint job turned out beautifully! I defintely would suggest a tinted primer if you're changing the room color dramatically.

Thanks colorcrazed and onita! SW Duration Home and BM Regal/Aqua lines seem to have similar qualities (washable & scrubble) and are both highly rated. I think I've finally got DH convinced that the additional cost is worth it. Waiting now to see if and how much of a discount our local dealers will offer as we are painting a new home (yes ... the whole house!).

My biggest concern now is that I have a powder room to be painted in a deep red (SW Radish) and a kitchen in a raspberry red (BM Raspberry Glaze). Especially with the kitchen I am concerned over burnishing since it will need to be wiped. I stopped Sunday at SW and it was young kid working who said that they could not do the deeper red colors in Duration Home and did not have a good idea of a paint line that would be good (scrubbable without leaving a burnish) for a kitchen. He really could not explain this well so I have to stop back this week to hopefully talk with someone more experienced.

Anyone have experience with these colors in a kitchen? Did you use BM or SW? Which line (Duration, Regal, Aqua)? Which finish (flat, matte, satin, eggshell)?

Are these two comparable. We have just purchased a condo with SW satin on all walls but the bedrooms and want to paint them but the color we've decided on is a BM. I like the scrubability of satin and want the walls to all have the same "shine".