Paint recommendations please

riverboat2001

Hi All,

Rennovations nearly complete, hopefully we can start decorating next week. (whole house has been re-plastered)

I've fallen out with B&Q, so would prefer to avoid them!

I want something nice and white for the architraves and door (that doesn't yellow) that can be wiped down easy enough.

Also need a mist coat on all walls, and then finally i guess two coats of colour.

The paint doesn't have to be the cheapest possible, but it must be good quality and durable.

I'm a bit of a novice as far as paint type choices go.

Doozergirl

Two Rules for Buying Paint:

1) Never buy cheap paint - anything that says 'value' on it is a lie. You will need umpteen coats of it to cover anything and will end up spending as much as if you'd had two coats of decent paint, but you'll spend forever doing it.

3) Same in Reverse for 'Once' paint. Never buy anything that says 'one coat'. Not only is it impossible to apply, it still needs two coats and therefore takes longer, costs twice as much and looks dreadful at the end because it's got big gloopy runs in it.

I like Satinwood or eggshell for woodwork. Satinwood is the best compromise really. I hate gloss paint, prefer the matt look of eggshell and have never had a problem with it, but Satinwood will have more of a sheen and no problems at all. If you want white and you have a budget then I would rather buy the world's biggest tub of Dulux Brilliant White than spend extra on colour but compromise on quality.

Walls, again I like Matt. It doesn't show imperfections and a decent quality paint you can wash several times. There's only so long you can go without repainting a room of any quality paint - I guess people have different tolerance levels but 2.5 years is mine, even in the same colour. Satin paint will show any imperfections, can be washed more, but is less fashionable.

I'm definitely a stickler for Dulux or even more expensive paint for certain colour qualities if you want it natural. If you're genuinely hankering for a dirty Farrow and Ball colour then just buy it. You will not get the same colour from Dulux, regardless of what people say.

We've used every paint going - value, once and learned the lessons. Ditto trying to colour match F&B with a Dulux machine - if it's the natural chalkiness and dirtiness of colour, you will not find happiness in a Dulux colour matching machine.

I'm sure Crown is fine but I like the Dulux dog better

phill99

I tend to use Macphersons, which is the trade arm of Crown. They are a decent quality and less costly than Dulux which I (Sorry Doozergirl) find overpriced. They also offer the full Crown range of colours (app 2000, I think). Johnstones paint are also equally good (again a trade brand)

I agree about Satin wood - stays white for years and years and is very durable without the shine and 'stickyness' of gloss

Matt finish on the walls is always better than silk. Gives a much better depth to the colour. Both Crown and Dulux do a truely scrubbable matt paint (Dulux is known as 'Diamond Matt', not sure what the Crown one is called). Both can literally be scrubbed without the paint coming off on the cloth, but it is expensive - Dulux Diamond Matt is £50 for 5 litres.

Doozergirl

phill99 wrote: »

I tend to use Macphersons, which is the trade arm of Crown. They are a decent quality and less costly than Dulux which I (Sorry Doozergirl) find overpriced. They also offer the full Crown range of colours (app 2000, I think). Johnstones paint are also equally good (again a trade brand)

Not offended. I'm sure they're fine. We've definitely used Johnstones in the past as well.

It's things that profess to be other things that annoy me. And own brand paint, not good. It's definitely something where you don't take Martin's downshift challenge.

Leif

What about trade versus retail paint?

riverboat2001

So you would both say to avoid "Homebase" or the like own brand paint?

Would "value" paint do for my mist coat?

I'm not after any fancy colours, we're not really "interior designers" We like to play things safe, quite boring really.

If i went for Duluxe or Crown, can you recommend the best place to buy it?

Where does one buy Macphersons or Johnstones?