I went by my Ben Moore dealer today...they don't have fans. No mixing instructions...nada. He said he was going to ask his rep when he spoke with her this week.

I think this just launched this week, if not today. I just got the email also and actually came here to see if there was any buzz about it! Im anxious to see if it's good. I'm sure it will be. The colors look really nice.

Interesting! Thanks for the heads up!

Called the online store...got a rather aggrieved sounding gentleman: " No, we don't have paint fans yet. Paint fans will be available in November. Paint fans will be $30. You can choose a color from our online site and have it mixed in your local store. You can buy it at your local store NOW." (Which is news to my local paint guy...) Anyway...I guess I'm not the first person today to call and ask the same five questions. (I was very polite.)

I MIGHT just order some samples and paint up my own chips...

I was thinking of ordering some sample also. I just wish their descriptions were a bit more...descriptive...instead of creative. I can't tell from the descriptions if the colors are somewhat true on my monitor or if I'll be wasting money on a total crapshoot.

This has me scratching my head a bit - the part between my added ***. Seems to render the fan deck a bit useless then, doesn't it? I'm still trying to understand and appreciate the value of full spectrum.

Every Color Is Its Own Story
Why is Color Stories so extraordinary?

Two hundred forty, one-of-a-kind full spectrum colors have been meticulously handcrafted into an astonishing collection ***a palette so vibrant and exquisite that each color is best appreciated once the paint is applied.*** Each creates depth, overtones, nuance and luminosity not found in ordinary paints. From natural morning light to artificial or indirect illumination, these colors take on different characteristics and appearances throughout the day. Evoking emotions and feelings, each unique blend offers a story and a personality behind each hue.

I had contacted them about their Color Stories paint about two months ago and they said they were only carrying it in a few stores. I'm excited that it sounds like it's expanding.

I wonder why they don't explain what it is.

According to The Grumpy Man the paint fan will be painted up samples...so (in theory)we will have a feel for it ***once the paint is applied.***

Though--I always paint samples. I just use the fans to figure out what samples I want to PAINT.

lol! Why don't they explain what it is? Because *they* have not one freaking clue what full spectrum color means in the three-dimensional built environment or why sans black can be a critical choice in how you mix your color.

Finding elite paint store staff with a working knowledge of paint and color, like Faron for example, is extremely rare.

Benjamin Moore has their work cut out for them educating their store owners, managers and staff on how to mix and sell full spectrum color.

To say there is a learning curve would be an understatement. And, frankly, I think it's too big of a challenge for the BenM machine to overcome. I'm amazed they've invested as much as they have. IMO, they have made a RIDICULOUSLY HUMONGO mistake letting the marketing department turn the concept loose with absolutely no concern or process for execution locked and loaded behind it. (Just read this thread as the perfect example)

BenM's FS line is SO not ready for the market because the folks who deliver it directly to the consumer do not currently have the working knowledge it takes to EDUCATE the consumer about what, why and how full spectrum color is one of the best choices for built environs. Hells bells, most paint store staff are barely keeping up with *regular* color knowledge let alone the elite level it takes to deconstruct FS and then --- one customer at a time --- translate it especially for that individual how and why FS is a good choice for their project.

You guys talk about *popping popcorn* a lot on here -- I continue to keep my bucket full and am watching with interest from my seat in the peanut gallery of paint.

I've been waiting since I heard since last Dec.
My local store looked at me like I had 3 eyes.
But
Progress
This is the first I've seen it on their web site.

Now I can refer them to something they can look into.

Here is a link that might be useful: Here is the Dec. article

funcolors--I agree that they need to educate their staff. And they've announced the launch too quickly...before staff is ready. That said...I think the paint people at my local store will be fine. They are a bright bunch and will be up to speed as soon as they get a chance to work with the product and get the product info. I can't speak to other stores!

Also--I think people like Faron are rare no matter what paint retailer they are working for. I've been in places that sold C2 where staff had no idea what they were talking about.

Selling and explaining will be hard, but mixing is just a matter of following the recipe, isn't it?

Agreed - doesn't matter what brand. Brand name does not guarantee anything. A paint manufacturer's sign hung in the window does not certify any store as being a qualified color and paint destination or color authority.

I know of a few paint stores that would benefit greatly from reading the threads here on the GW! :)

Yes, following the recipe should be all there is to it. But what we know is that it's not always just about the recipe.

I love BM colors! Didn't know anything about this paint coming out. Look at all those gray colors! Maybe I should repaint my bedroom! Actually, I want to paint the basement soon, so I might check these colors out :)

They began selling this months ago in only a few stores. There is one in the DC area, but I haven't been able to get there yet. I would suspect they did it this way to give themselves time to see how they could make it work and identify any problems that might arise. I do know that the two paint guys at my local BM (Ace Hardware) dealer are brilliant and I trust them to be able to help me and do it right once they get it in their store. The other local store...not so much.

cyn - isn't it funny how you are able to figure out the *right* places to go for certain things? Finding the perfect paint resource is so much about trial and error. Unfortunate. But just the way it is I guess.

Does anyone know if/when this will be available more widely? I'm not paying $70 a gallon online.

Evil. Stop tempting me with more paint colors!

To the best of my knowledge, this is available now at any store that mixes Aura, as the new colors are formulated for the Aura base paints. The trick is, they have the recipes, but not the support materials. So you have to know what you want...and the stores don;t have anything to help you get there yet. Heck, everything my local store has seen and heard was from me!

I have a set of color swatches I picked up last February at one of the five test stores, so ostensibly, I could get any of those colors mixed tomorrow. Trouble is, I didn't really find any keepers in the lot. The collection did not grab me, but at the time, I was in the market for something very specific. There seemed to be a preponderance of reds, which is good because we always need more reds that work and Aura is the best way to get them on the walls in two coats.

Since I started using Aura several rooms ago, I don't want to use anything else. It really is the best paint I've ever used. It will be interesting to see what happens with this new line of FS. My BM store staff seem knowledgeable, but overworked. I've never been to that store when it wasn't packed.

My local BM dealer had no clue what I was talking about when I asked about this product 2 weeks ago. When I lived in MA I had 2 excellent paint stores nearby. I've gone to a few here in CA, both BM and SW, and they are only good for taking your order and mixing the paint, no color knowledge at all. Now I can appreciate the guys I had back east!!

(shaking my head)

I've written about full spectrum color for a long time now, mostly on here, but have a sparse amount of info other places too. Full spectrum is the #1 searched keyword for the last two months.

The data and inquiries I've received tells me there is a palpable desperation for information.

I can only hope that BenM's complete lack of support and concern for in-store level knowledge and materials is doing nothing but pushing customers to Ellen Kennon and other originators and proprietors of full spectrum paint/color.

Yet another oops is color consultants (in closed groups on FB) are kind of torqued with the news that once (if ever) the fandecks for Color Stories do come out, they will have to BUY them.

Uh, not gonna happen here.

Understand EK and the smaller distributors of FS being in a position that they just can not give away full sets of hand-painted palettes. But, we're talking Ben Moore here.

Seriously - like I'm going to spend $$ on a fandeck and sell gallons of FS paint for Ben Moore. Let me polish up my crystal ball and speculate how that might play out:

Once my cleint or their contractor gets to the Ben Moore store to purchase the FS, what's going to be waiting there for them? Painfully underinformed paint counter staff who will likely say they don't *need* that full spectrum stuff. "A nice can of Regal (or whatever stock they need to off) will do just fine. Why not save yourself $20." And paint stores do have their own agendas and push overstock and discontinued product because it is to their advantage to do so -- the customer's project-at-hand is not always the driving force behind product rec's. Let's not forget about the contractor involved. He has an agenda as well and FS may or may not fit into how he wants things to go.

At which point in time, I'll be making a phone call. An hour later and said paint counter staff understand why FS is different and matters. Still not 100% on board but now they're worn down to the point they just want to mix up paint and get me and my client out of their life. Can only hope it's a contractor who is willing to work with me and won't play his established-relationship-with-the-store card and team up against me to convince client to change paint specification. And if that happens, I'm back at square with with the color consultation because you just don't sub regular color for FS without chips, samples, swatches, evaluation/testing -- the whole shebang.

Guessing the deck will be about $75. And every time I have an order for BenM FS the same thing will happen because odds are it won't be the same paint store or staff. Every time I'm down at least two hours explaining and educating paint store staff and reassuring my client. No matter how well I am able to bring the counter staff up to speed and reassure client, there will always be an air of uncertainty on the part of my client questioning if the hassle and extra money for an alleged *special* can of paint is worth it. Again, if contractor is not on board, he'll be there thru the whole project with the opportunity to drive home his point of view further undermining my client relationship.

I'm suppose to essentially pay Ben Moore for the deck to start this process rolling. A process that will no doubt do nothing but eat time as I have to manage the inevitable. All that just to sell full spectrum paint for Ben Moore.

If -- IF -- I have this all correct, let me just say they're outta their freaking minds and completely delusional about who needs to be paying who and for what.

So, Funcolors, how do you really feel about this? ;-)

I was actually being kind to the paint store guys near me in the Los Angeles area. One BM store has paint guys that alternate days and work other jobs! One of their guys thought I was crazy for buying $200 worth of aura quarts to test. At the SW store they make you feel like you are bothering them. They barely look you in the eye and I don't think I even got a thank you for my business.

The big player here is Dunn Edwards, but I've never checked out their store or employees. I really don't need to add one more paint brand into the mix!

I think I'm an exception in my town - I have the money to hire painters & decorators, but choose to do it myself. When my alarm/fire contractor was here and saw me painting he said he had not believed me when during a previous visit I had told him I did my own painting! Maybe the paint stores in this area aren't used to dealing directly with "paint-OCD" customers!!!

Maybe we should all start calling BM headquarters and harassing them over the FS paint!

I too relocated and left really great paint/color destination resources, chispa. Not a stranger to Dunn Edwards but never really used the brand a lot -- giving that one a whirl with a current customer. So far, so good. I do love their palette - very nice!

There ARE many great paint stores out there with wonderful people to help but they are the exception not the rule.

However, I've yet to find one that has what I consider a "color expert" on staff. Many of them have designers and whatnot but color *experts*? Don't think so. They think so ;) but I'd beg to differ.

And that's a problem realtive to full spectrum color because it can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. Simple isn't a problem. It's when it gets complicated that you need an arsenal of not just typical expertise but an elevated expertise to work thru the issues. Take AmySRQ as an example -- bet ya that store has no idea how lucky they are that she's stopping by and chatting about full spectrum. Maybe they're smart and are pickin' her brain and taking some notes! If not, they should be.

And, yeah, when it comes to the paint industry and paint stores at large, I don't hold back. :) Many consultants and designers believe if they suck up and lavish compliments upon the big brands across social media and blogs it's going to get them somewhere. But that's a whole other rant I'll save for another day. lol!

My philosophy is give credit and positive feedback when and where it's due. If I say something positive about a brand or a product it's because I mean it. I take sharing critique very seriously too.