I think Aura would be worth it. Aura is not odor free, but it smells kinda nice and dissipates quickly. Takes some getting used to when it comes to brushing and rolling -- just get it on the wall and move on. Don't work back in to what you've applied and you'll be fine.

Strong colors, paint fume aversions are enough to sway the vote to go all Aura. When you're doing that much area with that many gallons, it comes down to pennies more per square.

People often look at price per gallon e.g. home store brand for $28 vs. Aura for $55. That's not an accurate way to compare. It's entirely possible you'll need two to three times more home store brand than Aura -- so it's not always that much cheaper when it comes down to it.

Your average "best grade" gallon of paint in the hands of a DIYer will cover 300 - 350 square feet on smooth surfaces. If the walls are textured, it's around 200 - 300 square feet. Aura in the hands of a DIYer should go 350 - 400 square feet per gallon - maybe more.

Plus with Aura, you can count on two coats no primer (unless necessary) for almost all strong colors. Don't know the colors you're thinking about, but I wouldn't be confident saying the same thing if you were to use Regal matte, for example.

That kind of quantity, that many gallons, should get a discount, be sure to ask what they can do for you.

Just a note since we did use strong colors over very strong colors and used BM Regal Matte, It does cover very well in 2 coats. We used it all through the downstairs 3 years ago and have really been pleased. The Belgian Chocolate was painted over a very dark maroon and is 2 coats. There is a lot of light in this room too so I think I would be able to tell if the coverage wasn't acceptable. Good luck and hope this helps. c

Thanks, trailrunner and funcolors. I'm going to pick up Aura for our bedroom; we'll do that one this afternoon and see how it works and covers compared to the Regal we've used in the past. (Thanks, fc, for the Aura paint tips and coverage estimates, too.) Then we'll pick up the paint for the rest of the house this evening. I will ask about a discount, too--thanks for that suggestion. Everything helps!

Great! There is nothing nicer than having decisions made at last ! Good luck and looking forward to pics. c

Well, we used Aura and have mixed reviews. I liked painting with it. I liked the low (definitely not no) odor and the way it dried quickly so we could do multiple coats in a relatively short time span. It looks great in our bathroom and bedroom.

However...it doesn't look so hot in our foyer. After the first coat, there was a definite grid pattern on the walls. I asked at the paint store about using the extender product, and they said to try doing a second coat without it first. The grid pattern is definitely still visible. It's a two-story foyer, so there is only so fast one can work, but my husband (who did the foyer) was working as efficiently as possible.

Any ideas? At this point we're looking at a third coat, but whether it will be in Aura (with extender) or in BM's Regal Matte for the top coat, I'm not sure.

Oh, and we also did some brush touchups around the thermostat, etc., and the finish looks completely different from the rolled areas. And two sections of rolling on the _same_ wall appear to have two different finishes. (They were done at different times, but the same can of paint.)

Thanks for any advice!

Just finished using Aura matte in my dining room. Did not need an extender. I was very pleased with the ease of use of this product and the coverage level. I would say I got 85 - 95% coverage using a 3/4 nap roller on heavy knock down textured walls - IMPRESSIVE. I cut in around ceilings, base board and door openings and then was unable to return to the project for a day or so. No problem with "picture framing." The color I used was a medium blue - Buxton Blue. I purposely chose to do two full coats, but I could have just touched up the spots I missed and been happy. For my first experience with this paint, I would have to say I had very positive results. I would use it again.

I'm making exactly this decision now--whether to go all Aura or only in the rooms with intense color or with high kid traffic and flat paint. Credomk, how did things work out for you in the end?

I used Aura for trim and am impressed with the way it leveled and covered. I am surprised at how far the paint goes, I agree that it doesn't compare ounce to ounce with cheaper paint,,,I may be saving money by using it.

QUOTE: I'm making exactly this decision now--whether to go all Aura or only in the rooms with intense color or with high kid traffic and flat paint.

Being a decorative artist/painter I have been using BM products for over 25yrs. Each consumer's needs for the type, brand and quality of paint being used may depend on different aspects of how the room will be utilized, (as you have pointed out).

If you are wanting to use just the Aura Affinity colors, the fan deck is limited but you probably already know you can have any of the other BM colors mixed into the Aura bases.

For highly used areas where there might be kids, what you really want to look for in a paint is durability, washability, longevity, no rub offs, stain resistance, good hiding pigments.

I would not suggest flat paint of any paint manufacturer, whether it be from the brands premium coatings or from the contractor grade. Flat paints are to high in PVC and not enough solid count. For kids rooms and highly traffic areas I would consider using an eggshell and not a matte.
For baths I would consider using at least an eggshell or some satins.
Kitchens I would use at least an eggshell finsih. I have been in lots of homes where grease has reached unbelievable areas and this is where the better grade or sheen in kitchens should be used. Bedrooms , dining rooms, family rooms can withstand matte sheens or at least eggshell. Bedrooms where children are I would consider using at least an eggshell. Laundry- eggshell. Mattes are ok here, but some of the BM mattes or for that matter any brand "are not" burnish resistant.

If you are wanting a bold intense saturated color the preview deck is the one to look at. A lot of these colors are not mixed with black and are not muted or dulled back , and some may require the use of their Aura undercoater first(primer). In this case, with the particular pigments used, I would really suggest using a good colored primer whether it be gray (which will suffice for most vivid colors) or their red/yellow undercoater. Don't take a chance on going with the assumption you can paint with Aura using no primer "in these instances". One reason Aura can be used without the aid of a primer is because of the type of inorganic pigments used; not to mention the other qualities-being a closed gennex waterborne pigment.

So, what I am trying to say to you pmacbee, you don't necessiarly have to use BM- Aura; you can use other quality brands of paint . The one thing I would like to suggest is to look for a quality paint that contains 100% acrylic resins which is the ultimate staple and backbone of any paint.

Thanks so much, decorative walls! I am actually using both BM and C2 colors, and as a result of your comments and another about C2, I'll be moving the gloss up to eggshell in several rooms, in both paints. Thank you! So interesting about Preview--that's exactly where all my clearest, brightest colors come from. I wondered what it was about that collection tat made the colors so much fresher, so thanks for the insight. The C2 colors have multiple pigments (although am I right that they are not true "full spectrum"?) and interact beautifully with the light, even in low light--but they don't have anything like the range of clear blues (for my project room) that Preview has! since wre doing one red wall. I'll look carefully into the primer question!

pmacbee,

JMHO, the bottom line to any paint finish is how light is enacted upon it. Whether artificial or natural lighting and the type of bulbs one uses in the room or space. Yes, that is correct C2 is not full spectrum. The BM preview deck uses a lot of organic pigments and several shots go into these clear vivid paints. If you are doing a wall in red, I would definitely use a gray primer or the undercoater . I have never had to paint over two finish coats of Aura with reds (well let me clarify- that's reds made up of inorganic pigments, more of the mined oxide pigments). The clear reds will have a make up of transparent pigments that are machine generated or manmade and if one uses good quality pigments such as the waterborne acrylic pigments BM uses, this is more the better. I will always use a medium gray primer with any reds. Good luck ; really sounds like you are on the right path and thank you.