When I was looking for paint, one of the lines the paint forum recommended was the Manor Hall line from PPG (Pittsburgh paint). I've used it in 4 colors so far and I'm very pleased. I had a painter do most of the painting and he really liked it (as part of our kitchen reno then a vaulted stairway that I can't do myself) but I did get a chance to try it myself as well.

I do think it has a nicer finish than the SW I used a few years back. Haven't had any problems washing the kitchen walls either.

thanks

I have had the Lowes Valspar on the interior of my home for 10 years and find it holds up quite well. I have eggshell finish for walls, semi gloss for trim and flat for ceilings throughout. Additionally, my HOA just had our community painted with Valspar exterior paint with a 10 year warranty. I would highly recommend it.

I know this forum is very fond of Benjamin Moore, and I used it on design projects with success. However, having used both paints over the last 40 years, I don't find much difference that justifies paying twice the price for the Ben Moore. If a manufacturer has a larger volume, they can keep their prices lower. Valsapar's sales were $4.5 billion last year compared to Benjamin Moore's sales of $1 billion. This is the primary reason why the per gallon price is different along with the fewer stores that sell Benjamin Moore paint.

Both of these companies produce a product that makes painting easier and produces a great final result for the DIY painter with limited skills.

I like Sherwin Williams and Ben Moore, one not to use that I have found is Glidden, the coverage is terrible.

leena, no idea where you live. On the West Coast pros seem to like Kelly Moore. I have it everywhere in my house. The exterior was painted 15 years ago and it still looks really good. BM has all the sexy colors, but a good paint store can match most colors so you'd never know the difference.

Babbs50 is correct. Glidden is one to avoid. PPG is very good if you can purchase it at the right price.

I know a lot of people here like Sherwin Williams paint but my experience with it has been that it streaks terribly and I can photo our master bath ceilings to prove it. Yes, it's the right finish and paint for a bathroom; it was the one the SW paint professionals suggested we use and regardless it streaked all over the place and has not held up well at all. When I complained to the same people at the SW store, they then said oh well it is a little "fussy" and you have to buy our rollers for it (at twice the cost of HD or Lowes) to avoid streaking. Never again!

Behr is a good paint and no it won't cover as well as Benjamin Moore but it's half the price of BM too. At the price Benjamin Moore costs, it SHOULD cover everything well right?

In the end, it's really 6 to one, half dozen to another, just stay away from Glidden (and IMHO Sherwin Williams).

I'm no pro and have only painted with Behr and benjamin moore aura really. Aura covers better than Behr IMO and for me the additional cost per gallon is worth it because I buy less paint and it takes less of my time to paint with it. It's also low voc, though that varies by how dark the color is. It is low odor for me too.

I painted one bedroom with Valspar maybe 6 years ago and swore never to use it again....it was just awful....bad coverage....and I had primed the walls. I'm not crazy about Behr either. My favorite paint is Pratt and Lambert but I can't it anymore in my area. Next is Ben Moore followed by SW.

I am always painting and re-painting. When talking color choices and durability SW is good. However if you are doing the painting yourself, not a good paint to work with, has thick consistency. Doing the ceiling line for me with SW paint is a nightmare.(I can tell which 3 rooms I used SW in my house just by looking at the ceiling lines, a tad gloppy.) Behr has a tendency to be thick too (know i'm in trouble when the paint stick stands up straight in the paint can).

I discovered BM aura last year. I am in love, it goes on like butter, not too runny, not to thick, just right. Rather pricey, you must be very certain about your color, but if you can find it, it's perfect(my store wouldn't even do a sample). Regular BM paint to work with is a good consistencey too.

One thing this forum often discusses is using paint in colors on ceilings. Flat White Ceiling paints from companies are specifically formulated to 'flatten' the appearance of irregularities in ceilings. I has a different texture and weight. If you are looking for a white ceiling, I highly recommend using ceiling paint for a successful outcome. It's typically premixed and less expensive than wall paint.

I wanted a ceiling color that would coordinate with my wall color, so I had the paint shop mix the paint formula using white ceiling flat as the base paint. The end result was a very forgiving, flat paint, a few shades lighter than my wall color. The shop will warn you the color will not match the paint chip exactly, but in order to get the ceiling to match the walls, you have to lighten the color by about 50% anyway.

I have used most of the brands mentioned here.

Behr/Glidden - never again

SW is your middle of the road paint, not the best, not bad either. I had painted several rooms in my home with SW. It's been 9 yrs and they are holding up well.

I have been using Benjamin Moore for a while now. From their Regal line to Advance to Aura. Their paint is so good that I wouldn't even consider other brand.

Until last week. I tried Pratt and Lambert Accolade. It is a few dollars cheaper than Aura and it is somewhat comparable. I tried their eggshell for the walls and flat for the ceiling.

For trims, I would only use BM Advance.

A good rule of thumb is to buy the best grade of paint you can afford. Buying it from a name brand is a good bet, but it's no guarantee. There are some not-so-well-known brands that have terrific quality standards.

I've said many times over the last decade I've been posting here that it's a complete waste of time to futz around with formulas, bases, colorants, etc. Cutting, doubling formulas all that stuff is hit or miss - works out for some, doesn't work out so well for most people.

Part of the reason I've always said that it's of no value to get wrapped around paint color formulas is because the brands reformulate. Over the last five years in particular, the reformulations have happened at a rapid pace. Because of colorants, VOCs, regulations.

In fact, Benjamin Moore just had a major reformulation last March.

So, unless you work in a paint store mixing color day in and day out, it is literally impossible to keep up with all the changes.

With all these changes, quality sometimes changes as well. A brand and grade you painted with just last year, for example, that you absolutely loved could bring a totally different experience THIS YEAR.

The last thing I want to emphasize is that the color plays a HUGE role in coverage. Some colors are more sheer than others and NO MATTER WHAT BRAND OR GRADE you have that color mixed in, it's going to take several coats and/or the right primer to reach an acceptable opacity -- because of the inherent qualities of the color itself.

Three points of wisdom to take away:

1. ALL BRANDS HAVE DIFFERENT GRADES OF PAINT. THE TOP BRANDS HAVE CRAPPY, CHEAP GRADES JUST LIKE THE 'OFF' BRANDS DO. ANOTHER REASON TO BUY THE BEST GRADE YOU CAN AFFORD.
2. ASK THE PAINT PRO BEHIND THE COUNTER ABOUT THE COLOR ITSELF AND IF IT WILL AFFECT THE PAINT'S COVERAGE/SPREAD RATE.
3. BECAUSE THINGS IN THE PAINT INDUSTRY ARE ALWAYS CHANGING - BUY A QUART IN THE BRAND, GRADE, SHEEN AND COLOR YOU WANT TO USE SO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING BEFORE YOU BUY GALLONS.

P.S. Glidden has tiers of grades/quality, again, just like all the other brands. Glidden Professional and LifeMaster are products that I've used over the years and recently with a lot of success. LifeMaster eggshell is still to this day one of my favorite flavors of paint.

I learned about C2 paint here and had my painters use it. I absolutely love it. It looks great, covered very well and has a very nice finish; plus the colors seem to have more depth than others I've used (full spectrum, I think). Plus, they have huge paint chips that made selecting the colors so much easier; no painting swatches necessary.

C2 paints

I switched from BM to SW but only out of convenience. Mr. Fox uses SW at work so it's simply easier for me to say 'Hey while you're there can you get X, Y & Z for me?'

I use their Emerald Line in a matte finish which has held up very well to all of the scrubbing that I do because of kids. My walls are all white. I have noticed some streakiness though but I attribute that to my poor preparation. I often get impatient and instead of rolling the walls out I brush them them out. I'm trying to be better.

PPG just opened up near me and P&L is still a bit of a haul for me when I get the urge to paint. It's also a little too easy for me to get sucked into all of their gorgeous colors too! Best I avoid for the time being lol!

Since I still need to paint, and I'm still in "color confusion," this is helpful.

And, I also just want to say that the "find a pro -- color consultant" in my area yielded Lori--only a few miles away from me! Astounding, since we're out in the middle of nowhere. Not that I could afford a color consultation right now, but still -- a close GW member!

I always thought Funcolors was in Florida. I wonder how I got that idea.

I used the PPG paint in my bedroom and was very pleased with the ease of painting and the coverage as well. And they had the exact color I needed where BM did not and it saved me nearly $10 on the cost of the gallon. I was a happy customer for sure.

We were in Florida for a short time. We've moved/roamed a bit for DH's job. Landed in Phoenix recently and hoping it's permanent. :)

ooh, wait -- that's not what your profile says. Phoenix is not where I am; darn!

Totally agree with Lori about this: "A brand and grade you painted with just last year, for example, that you absolutely loved could bring a totally different experience THIS YEAR."

I've painted with one brand and then a few years later with the same brand with totally different results. It's frustrating.

@violet, we do get around and it is hard even for me to keep up! lol! :) Swear this is the last zip code I will need to memorize.

@rosesstink, totally, completely frustrating. I hear thru the color/paint grapevine that it might be settling down a bit for the next few years. We shall see.