Definitely go with Benjamin Moore. I've done lots and lots of painting over the years and Benjamin Moore is far superior in application, durability, overall finish, and color trueness. The Regal line of BM paint is quite nice...I don't think I'd upgrade for that much money...buy a great new sofa with that $2599 instead.

Ben Moore is one of many excellent paint brands on the market. They don't have the market cornered in a superior way by any stretch. They are just one of many quality brands we have to choose from. Ben Moore does have Aura but other brands have other 'specialties' that set them apart in a similar way too.

Builders, contractors, painters form alliances with brands/paint stores for various reasons. Could be pricing. Could be another paint store screwed them over once and they won't go back, could be they simply like the guys behind the counter at one store better than another.

Can just about guarantee their preference for brand is based on something service oriented so it's more than just the paint. Don't get me wrong, the paint part is important because everyone develops an affinity for viscosity, spread rate, even smell. But there's almost always more to the story than just the paint - and, again, the 'more to the story' part boils down to service.

As long as the grade of paint is appropriate for the project, then it kinda doesn't matter what brand. All the major brands have top, mid and lower tiers - or grades to choose from.

If you can agree on the grade of paint to be used, then might as well let them work the business end of acquiring the paint they way they want to. Let 'em use the brand they want to use.

And are you sure it's Super Select? I'm thinking it's Ben Moore Super Spec.

This might be late, but if it's Super Spec, maybe see what they'll charge to go up to Regal. My house was professionally painted out completely in Super Spec Barely Beige to put it on the market. It looked ok when we moved in, but it quickly went downhill. Over the course of a few months, the walls were very marked up from day to day use. Forget scrubbing, the paint comes off the wall. When I began repainting, I started to notice that there was fine cracking on the surface. It was probably painted over dirty walls.

If you're going to spend the money to have a professional paint, make sure it's good quality paint. The upgrade cost isn't that much, what you're paying for is labor. Don't pay someone to apply inferior paing otherwise, you'll end up paying more to have it all done over, or doing it yourself. Here's something I found online explaining the different levels of paint. It references an even lower level called Super Hide, which didn't apply to what you were asking.

"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.

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."