Best White Paint?

laurathree

Hey all,

We're in the final stages of our first property purchase - a little 2 bed maisonette in greater London. The interior is pretty nice - very few decor issues, but we've decided as we have a few days overlap with our rental flat that we are going to paint it white throughout.

The colours on the walls currently are quite inoffensive and not too dark - a two coat job to cover them up. It's all looking a bit tired and could do with a freshen up. It also means we know that it's undercoated and ready to go when we want to decorate properly - we're not sure if we're going to switch two of the rooms around (lounge and master bed) so we want to live in it for a while first and get used to it.

So, we need enough paint to cover 3 rooms, one kitchen wall, and a hallway. The hallway ceiling will also have to be done as the ceiling and wall sort of melt into each other, so we can't get away with leaving that.

My question (long winded intro - sorry!) is, what is the best white paint to use? We need to cover a reasonable area, and 2 coats probably throughout. We don't want Farrow and Ball Cloud Whispers or whatever, but I'm wary of buying the cheapest paint as we did that with a magnolia in our rental flat and in less than 18 months it started to look patchy and old. Anyone got any good recommendations for reasonably priced but reliable white (matt) paint?

Thanks guys,

Laura

(Any other tips for first time buyers re: decor, or anything really, also welcome!)

WestonDave

Find your nearest trade paint merchant - Brewers, Crown Decorator centre etc and get some trade white emulsion in one of the main brands (Dulux or Crown) - far better than the stuff they sell us normals in the DIY stores. Most of the staff in those trade merchants are more than happy to give good advice.

vansboy

Had some of this Leyland contract matt from Screwfix, when on offer for £15 after reading good reports, but in B&Q it is 20% extra free and you can get 3 for £40.

Covered in 4 coats very well on new plaster (diluted first coat), so maybe you will manahe with 3 coats deoending on your old colours.

VB

sneekymum

I've painted a lot of walls white over a few decades. My favourite is Dulux One Coat. It really does only need one coat. Unlike the DIY store's own One Coat brand, which needed three.

gingernut352000

Agree with using trade paints also if you want really hard wearing then dulux diamind white we used commercially and wears realky well but its not cheap (wickes stock it)

arbrighton

vansboy wrote: »

Had some of this Leyland contract matt from Screwfix, when on offer for £15 after reading good reports, but in B&Q it is 20% extra free and you can get 3 for £40.

Covered in 4 coats very well on new plaster (diluted first coat), so maybe you will manahe with 3 coats deoending on your old colours.

VB

I would recommend this too, but we found 3 coats was more than enough, and first 2 were diluted...

Reece_

Another vote for leyland contract or glidden is equally good.

JustinR1979

I use Leyland too, like it

chrisyd

Another vote for Dulux.

Go to the Dulux Decorator Centre and they will be able to help you and they can guide you on the type of paint you require.

laurathree

Thanks guys - I hadn't considered looking at a trade merchant! Brilliant. Thanks very much.

iwanna

Another vote for Dulux Trade paint. I found Wickes prices significantly cheaper than the Dulux Decorator Centre (approx 2 months ago) so I suggest you compare before you buy!