meri, sorry for all you are going through, but I have about 20 cans of samples and quarts under my cabinet as a testiment to how well I chose color also. I started looking at colors one year before I actually had to make a decision on any of them. Then one day DH comes in and says, OK, I'm ready to start painting. In a panic, I picked my colors. The Nantucket Grey was the last one I had chosen because I wanted something that wouldn't clash with the Yorkshire Tan in the guest bath that is one door away and I knew I wanted green for the office. When I wa in the paint store making this final room decision the lady showed me the TG and I thought, wow I like that. Then I realized that is the color I had originally thought I wanted to the outside of my house. DH dissagreed and won on that one, but I felt it was an omen that I have NG somewhere in my new house. LOL When it came time for the foyer color, I didn't have a clue what color I was going to paint it. I had a sample of fabric that had an embroidered rooster and I just loved the green in that rooster. So I looked at the BM strips, picked out the GG and TM and told DH put them on the wall and ceiling, that I don't even want to see them first. Needless to say when I saw them up I fell in love. So I feel your pain, if that helps, which I'm sure it doesn't, LOL Here is the fabric I was speaking of. Good luck and I can't wait to see your final choice.

"These colors must be mixed in Valspar paint to ensure color accuracy." Yeah, I like that! It's a great way to scare the customer into sticking with their brand. I'm not saying that it isn't true, because it is, but you could go into a BM store and get a very close match with a talented paint matcher. It won't be exact unless you are very, very lucky but most times I believe that people are pleased when they cross match colors.

I wouldn't consider myself a paint snob, I've used just about every major paint on the market, Behr, Valspar, Martha Stewart Everday (Kmart), Restoration Hardware, Glidden, Olympic, Kilz Casual Colors, Dutch Boy, Easy Living (Sears) and a few upper ends like Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams and Pratt and Lambert. I'm just not a fan of Valspar. I've never had a problem with coverage. It goes on great. My problem is that their Valspar premium eggshell doesn't hold up to the wear and tear of MY family. I've got 3 kids aged 8 and lower and 2 beagles and DH. I used Valspar in nearly every room in my last house. Lowes was the closest. We lived there for a year and I touched up when we moved, after that we ended up renting out to a single woman. She wasn't hard on the house by any means, but I still had to repaint nearly every room when she moved out after a year and we were selling. In my current entry hall and stairway wall, everyday scuffs and crayon hieroglyphics just don't wash off. When I have touched up, the sheen appears different, so it is obvious where the touch ups have been done. Yes, I used the correct paint. I'm anal about labeling. I painted in July '08, so it's been 14 months and it looks like it's been 10 years. In Valspar's defense, I've got it in my boys' rooms and it seems ok there, but then, they mostly just sleep there. I painted our downstairs powder room in BM Natura and that paint has really held up. I frequently wipe it down and to be honest, I just use the vinegar windex or antibacterial wipes out of sheer laziness, but everything wipes right up. No color change, no burnishing, no rubbing color off the walls. I haven't even had to touch up yet. That's that bathroom that they wash off their various art projects, mud and you-don't-really-want-to-know-how-that-got-there with 2 boys in the house. So I guess Valspar is just fine if it's a lightly used room. I've had 4 houses in the past 12 years. I painted each one myself, every room, at least once, and usually more for a color change or to tone it down for resale. I'm at the point in my life where I need the paint to perform where I'm not repainting every year due to excessive wear. I haven't even finished painting my current house and I'm dreading the idea of NEEDING to paint again versus WANTING to paint. It seems that paying more upfront and not needing to repaint is actually the cheaper way to go. I think Fine Paints of Europe's motto is something like, "There's nothing more expensive than cheap paint." If someone is looking for an affordable, durable paint, I hear that Ace's paint with scotchgard is a great value. Low price with great washability. I can't honestly remember what it's called, maybe Sensations? Check out the paint board, they know. I'm considering this for my family room and kitchen/nook. Kathe

We just used Coventry Gray in a basement bedroom for my DGD's room. She wanted to move from an upstairs bedroom to this bedroom in the basement that has an adjoining bath. So she requested a bedroom reno for her birthday present. We replaced the carpet in the BR and partial walk-in closet with Coretec laminate (Boardwalk Oak) and painted the walls in Coventry Gray. It really looks lighter than the chip sample, just like Lucy describes. I was afraid it would be really dark in there. We're still in the process of adding a rug and moving her furniture down or I'd post photos. Will try to post soon.