Interesting. One store in New Jersey and two in New York. I think it will be a while until most of us will see it in person!

Wow. Very F&B feel. Even the color names and gallery pics are very F&B-esque. Wonder what the price point is. Thank you for sharing!

I'd be interested to see it in person. One thing I really like about F and B is the consistency of the paint in the can and how it doesn't seem to dry out. I usually do all my own painting and often can't get it done in one go so having the paint sit out is a fact of life.

Wonder what the price point is.

Ha! That WILL be telling. I just updated this infographic comparing paint prices. Might have to update it again to include Century especially if it turns out it's made to mimic Farrow & Ball. Click here to see the full infographic with prices and details.

Gah! of course there would be one not too far from where I work.

@Boo, but of course! :)

Beautiful colours. Looking forward to seeing them in person. I'm a huge F&B fan.

Which is your favorite brand Lori?

Boopadaboo, that's a hard one. Not in any particular order.

C2 Paint - pricey but worth it

Benjamin Moore Aura - pricey but worth it

Fine Paints of Europe Brushing Putty - pricey but worth it

GARDZ

PPG's Manor Hall Timeless (not just Manor Hall) - good value for what you get

Muralo Ultra Ceramic Matte - pricey but worth it

Sherwin-Williams' Super Paint Interior and Exterior (not included in infographic because it's not top tier) Good value for what's in the can and the price point.

Sherwin-Williams' Cashmere (not included in infographic because it's not top tier)

Dunn-Edwards' Everest and Evershield

Clark & Kensington is another good value IMO

What makes a paint "top tier?"

Bluebell66

It boils down to the ingredients. Arguably, there is some upcharge for buying a brand name - they have to pay for all the marketing somehow.

Overall, the more expensive cans of paint have higher quality ingredients and contain more of those higher quality ingredients compared to cheaper grades/tiers.

To a great extent, it is true that you get what you pay for when it comes to house paint. Fine Paints of Europe is known for the statement "There's nothing more expensive than a cheap can of paint."

Here are three examples of what that means:

• A cheaper grade of paint may have crappy hiding ability which means you're going to have to buy more paint and do more coats - and the final result may be "meh". Whereas a more expensive, better grade of paint will cover and hide beautifully in just two coats, fewer gallons, and the final finish is dreamy. It's possible the less expensive paint will actually end up costing you more - more money, more time, more labor.

• Cheaper paints might be watery and thin and difficult to work with compared to a nice, full-bodied top tier paint. Paint that splatters absolutely sucks - I want ALL the paint to go on the walls.

• Cheaper paint bases might be of poor quality in terms of whiteness resulting in subpar color quality once tinted. So, great, you saved a few bucks on the paint but the color is just a tiny bit "off". No one seems to see it (or will admit they see it) but you and you know it's not what you wanted. It's super depressing when you realize for just a few cents more per square foot you could have gotten the exact color you had your heart set on. (this is the main reason I made that price comparison infographic)

As much as I am into the science of color and quantifying it when it's dry, one would think I'd be equally interested in the chemistry of paint and colorants in the liquid state. But I'm not. I know enough to keep me out of trouble and how to find the best resources for paint expertise when I need it.

A really good, professional paint store is priceless.

What ever happened with their Color Stories collection ? Did that ever take-off ?

It's super depressing when you realize for just a few cents more per square foot
you could have gotten the exact color you had your heart set on. (this
is the main reason I made that price comparison infographic)

Sometimes more expensive paints on shelf can be less expensive on the wall. Since most cheaper paints consist of lower quality ingredients and require more paint to provide adequate (durable) coverage and satisfactory appearance.

To look as good as the gallery you would need one heck of an expensive finish on the drywall.

NICE CHART! Thank you.

Sometimes more expensive paints on shelf can be less expensive on the wall.

Spectacularly said, @ Brushworks Spectacular Finishes

To look as good as the gallery you would need one heck of an expensive finish on the drywall.

Ha! Soooo, true, lazy_gardens!

What ever happened with their Color Stories collection ? Did that ever take-off ?

They still sell the Color Stories colors mixed in an Aura base.

As far as taking off, I dunno. Full Spectrum Paint colors are a difficult concept to grasp for most people. Understandable, really.

Because the whole process of choosing paint colors is so overwhelming that most people just don't have the mental bandwidth to get their head around full spectrum color mixing too. No one is going to upgrade, spend more on full spectrum if they don't understand what it is and how it will transform the atmosphere of their home.

So, there's a huge consumer education curve with full spectrum color. And I don't believe Benjamin Moore - or any paint brand for that matter - is geared up to provide that caliber of color education.

Thank you for sharing this Lori! :)

I painted one room with Fine Paints Of Europe brand. Beautiful silky feel to the walls, and very washable.

So, there's a huge consumer education curve with full spectrum color.
And I don't believe Benjamin Moore - or any paint brand for that matter -
is geared up to provide that caliber of color education.

And very few if any pro painters want to spend time educating customers on full spectrum paint since the profit margin per SF painted is the same whether it's ethereal or Dove White.

And how many decorators know about full spectrum paint? Maybe the top tier, but not many others.

Moonshadow, hey, good to see you. Seeing so many familiar names on the same thread again is bringing me back to the old Garden Web days! :)

And how many decorators know about full spectrum paint? Maybe the top tier, but not many others.

True, I agree.

In general, the quality of color expertise of decorators, designers, home stagers, color consultants has gone to sh1t in the last six, seven years.

Color theory matters. Color psychology matters. Knowing how color wheels and color systems work separately and together matters.

Yet the marketing hyperbole continues to convince that shuffling a small stack of paint chips until you find one that matches, or counting out some secret code in the pages of a fandeck, or simply having a "love for color from a young age" is what constitutes color expertise.

Not knowing about full spectrum paint is such a small drop in the bucket at this point it's not even funny.

Thank you for your interest in Benjamin Moore CENTURY. We are happy to see a lively discussion around our new product. As you experience and learn more about CENTURY, please know we are happy to answer any questions.

Will you be coming out with any white or cream colors?

Currently,
the CENTURY palette is carefully curated and contains colors that enrich the
color collection of interior designers to transform not only a room but also
the entire color experience. Please visit www.experienceCENTURY.com for more information about colors.

Any plans to sell Century in Southern California or Silicon Valley?

BM, please wwork on your distribution channels as well as the paints and colors. I wish we had a decent store here. Ace used to sell BM but since they stopped, I tried the other two in my area and the are open short hours, provide no service and one chased people away (literally one day and figuratively on another when no one showed for work and the store was closed). I really liked BM paint and was using it for all our projects until last year when I went to SW by default.

Is there a similar chart showing CA prices and products. Thank you

Hi P G,

No, I have not made a price comparison infographic for CA products because my clients are in the U.S.

Just one thing: it always takes me aback when cost of the paint is the number one consideration of the paint job? How often do people paint? I think of paint as a "permanent" thing"; not to say we don't paint and change it up, but.... the cost of the paint is in the work, not the paint itself? Am I missing something?

I laugh every time I see a Benjamin Moore commercial because it's almost impossible to find a place to buy it now that Ace Hardware has stopped carrying it. BM is wasting their money on television ads for an unavailable product.

I learned about CB2 paint here on GW a few years ago...had to travel 85 miles to buy it, but it is really, really wonderful paint. Huge sample cards for the (amazing) colors, great coverage and it seems to be bombproof. The painters loved it.

maddie260 I'm not sure it's always the #1 consideration. In my case, the grade of paint is often not considered at all. Many painters will bid and include a cheaper, usually average grade. Homeowners typically know nothing about paint and leave it up to the painter - wouldn't even think to ask about it if it weren't for me making it an issue.

So, it's an ongoing discussion for me. Painters saying the top tier, luxury brands are a waste of money and me pushing back because I know the better paints will make the color selections I was hired to choose render accurately and look better overall.

Which is the reason for the infographic. I need the data to demonstrate that the top tiers and luxury brands are more affordable priced per square foot than many painters think they are.

Plus, it's hard to argue with data. And it comes in handy when the painter starts in with the "I have 20 years of experience and XYZ average paint has always worked fine" schtick. I don't have time to argue about interior paint products. I need 'em to do what I need 'em to do and get it done the way I want it done.

Fun2BHere I'm in Phoenix and there are a couple BenM stores and several ACE stores that do sell BenM. The BenM pro stores aren't exactly close to me and altho the ones around here are very nice, an ACE Hardware just isn't the same as a real Benjamin Moore pro/dealer store.

lascatx I know what you mean. The BenM stores here close at 5:30. I either have to trek over there first thing in the morning or on Saturday morning.

for folks wondering about "color stories" - i'm a color consultant in california, and that is virtually the only paint i specify for interiors (plus whites from their all benjamin moore's lines). color stories only comes mixed in their aura paint base, and i've literally never had a single complaint about the paint and i've been spec'ing it since 2012.

it will be interesting to see if century can gain market share – on the west coast, it is only available in some stores, and there aren't as many ben moore dealers as there used to be - so it's a bit scarce at the moment, and we're almost a year in...

also, century is available currently in only one sheen, so you cannot "layer in" one color of different sheens. but maybe they will offer it in different sheens in the future? also, i wonder if they will begin to sell this line in other retail outlets, since it comes pre-mixed and in a single sheen – you could see this going into a "west elm"/"crate&barrel" retail space (maybe?).