Need to Paint?

Signs of a coming spring are all around.  This time of the year causes many ladies to start thinking about upcoming projects.  One of them is often painting a room.  Painting is a (fairly) inexpensive way to update and bring new life to a room.  Add a few new accessories, some new fabric, and you feel like you have a new space.

It hasn't been too many years ago that our house was a new construction.  But enough years to need some new paint on cabinets and trimwork.  I have loved high gloss bright white trim since I was a young girl.  I think maybe it is because it is what my grandmother had in her home.  And because my seasonal color is summer and summers usually always love bright whites, and cottage decor, and pastels, and and and....

We have a very good painter who knows his stuff and does a near-perfect job.  But sometimes I like to paint a room myself if it is not too hard.  We leave the rooms with 12-15 foot ceilings to him.  He has always recommended oil based paint for trim and I always preferred latex because  family and fumes don't mix with me.  So I set off on a quest to find something that would give the look and hardness of oil paint.  I found what I was looking for and funny enough--the next time we had a discussion on trim paint, he told me about a product that he had begun using to get the look and hardness of oil paint :).  It was what I had found, also, so I felt like I was on the right track.

Anyhow, let's get to the facts.  Benjamin Moore has a paint line called 'Aura'.  Spoiler:  it is pricey but very well worth it and a gallon goes much farther than I expected.  I have done the trim and doors in two rooms and I still have a half gallon left.  Here are some facts about 'Aura' and some pictures.
'Aura'  *is paint and prime together *has extreme hide-ability (my words) in other words it goes on and evens out to give a beautiful finish like oil  *low VOCs and low odor (for health nuts like me)
*has a mildew resistant covering and has a color lock technology  *self priming and easy to apply ( I can say that is truth)  *gives a long lasting appearance.  In the bathroom I repainted, two years later it still looks like a new paint job.  So on to pictures to prove all this to you.

If I hadn't used 'Aura' I don't think it would have looked this good.  My painting skills are not the greatest but even my limitations are covered up by the ability of this paint to go on so beautifully and smooth itself out.

Two years and daily use later by two young ladies and the paint still looks like new.  I think the hardness that it dries to has something to do with that.  And my girls are not so hard on things-that helps :).

Notice the nice sheen?  I have a picture below that shows what my cabinets that have oil based paint looks like.  I think they look almost identical in quality and coverage.

This isn't the oil base.  It is a another room with trim done in 'Aura'.  It really leaves a very nice finish.And again, with limited skills, I couldn't not have had it come out this nice with regular trim paint.

More nice finish and sheen

Yep, I see that chipped place, too :).

This is the cabinet with the professional oil based paint job.  Very similar to the  non-professional job using 'Aura'.

Still looks new 2 years later

The can of 'Aura'.  Obviously my white choice is 'Chantilly Lace'.  

The walls I did in Benjamin Moore 'Regal' line.  It goes on so smoothly and is a rich, (not too) thick paint.  Just the perfect texture to get the just perfect look.  If you decide to tackle a do-it-yourself paint job and want your efforts to result in the best job, think about Benjamin Moore's 'Aura' and 'Regal' paint.  I really believe you will be thrilled with the results.  Thanks for reading this long post.  I think I will be back soon with some pictures of the beautiful farmhouse look so many ladies are going for right now.  Have a great Thursday!