Porter was bought out several years ago by PPG. They still do have their own Porter Paint label.

Forgot to say.....Porter Paint is still made here in Louisville, Ky at the same 2 plants. Just their ownership has changed. The Porter family sold the business...probably about 22 years ago to Courtals, an English company. Courtals then sold to PPG several years ago.

...and I've always wanted to ask to paint smart folk here about Dunn-Edwards. It's the paint of choice for many painters here in So. Ca. due to price break they get. Have no idea of it's quality. Anyone?

So Cal painters prefer DE for both a price break and for its quality. I'm the granddaughter of one. Consumer Rpts has spoken highly of DE from time to time. BTW, you can get a price break by showing a Auto Club card. AFAIK, DE is made in Cal. and not affiliated with Porter, but I could be wrong.

Blue

DE paints are great -- except for the smell. They really stinks. To the point that my eyes & noses got all watery when using it. It takes days (if not weeks) for the smell to go away. But I'm kinda sensitive in this aspect. It doesn't bother my friends at all.

If you aren't so sensitive to the smell, they offer great quality & great price. I think their products are even better than BM / SW (just my opinion). The paints are very easy to use, goes on smoothly. Their colors are beautiful too.

If you have AAA card they give you discount. They give good contractor discount too.

Designer Mary McDonald use DE paint. So did Kelly W.
Here are some of my favorite DE's colors..

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

Bellaflora, that smell reminds me of my grandfather! This sounds incredibly corny, but every time I smell it I start to choke up a bit. I don't have the same reaction to any other paint brand, just DE.

What is the name of the paint (the blue one, of course) in the 1st pic? It's beautiful! (very, very close to one I already have)

Oh the first blue color is so pretty.

Thanks blue and bella. Over the years, we've used DE almost exclusively and I've never noticed the smell. Ohhh, that misty Tiffany Blue shade...hope you know the name, bella.

Thank you! I may have to search my yellow pages for a dealer. Any guestimates on ball park price for gallon of flat?

ttodd....you need a twelve step program! :-)

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(I'll be there with ya, btw!)

The colors are
Ashwood (blue)
Wells gray (green)

ttodd: it's very cheap. If you have AAA or ask a painter to get it for you, it's like 18$-22$/gallon of flat (last I used).

Mary Mcdonald's favorite color from DE is Coconut shell - it's a beautiful brown.

I tried their semi-gloss paint and IMO, their SS is very easy to use -- IMO even easier than the airborne paint from BM & SW. The airborne paint is a beast to use, IMO. Maybe I am just not a good painter. I had to use their paint because F&B only comes in satin & does not match the door casing's color. I was too lazy to repaint the whole casing trim so I only painted the newly installed (higher) baseboard with DE custom matched paint.

Between BM & DE I would take DE anytime because they are ALOT cheaper w/ AAA discount, they can match any colors. DE paint makes a newbie appears professional -- I started out on DE, went on using Benjamin Moore, Pratt & Lambert, Donald Kaufmann, Yolo, citron, and countless others. Recently, I was helping my friend painting her house w/ DE paint and I was like, "darn, I forgot how easy this paint is".

blue: since I have my Lasik surgeries, my eyes are so sensitive. I can't chop onions and only use organic cleaning products because any strong fume makes my eyes so watery. My friends LOVE the smell of DE paint because it's like that "new car smell"...She thinks it smells clean & fresh.

I used DE's flat paint in my kids' bathroom at our previous house. A lot of people like this blue too.

{{!gwi}}

I am obsessed a/b paint too so ttodd you are not alone.

Amy ~ ain't it sad?!

The painter I used for my last house refused to use anything other than Dunn Edwards. He says it's the best paint he's ever found. They have a beautiful, warm goldish tan called Gourmet Honey. I wish I still had a picture of it.

I'm loving that Ashwood color!