This is really a matter of taste. Inside the paint doesn’t do much except sit there. Washable is great but when is the last time you washed your walls? Some people tell me they must have washable paint and I ask do you wash the walls and they say “no”. But in kitchen or bathroom obviously the paint should repel water and also be scrubbable to some degree. Lower sheen paint looks better, especially if your walls are not perfectly smooth.

DESIGNER PAINT

This will wreck any chance of an endorsement and may result in a contract on my life. But I do not recommend designer paints. I love their colours! I appreciate the work they do on providing design tips and seminars at the Home Show. They sponsor home improvement shows on TV. They put out beautiful magazines and brochures and the colour samples they provide (fan decks) are fabulous! But all that costs money. Who pays?

LOCAL PAINT COMPANIES

I use local B.C. paint companies. Through our firms’ long relationship with home improvement guru Shell Busey, we have been introduced to Cloverdale Paints and we use their products for many types of applications. Other products we use regularly are ICI paints and Envirocoatings products.

I like the local companies because they are formulated to work best in our kind of weather and geography, where they’re manufactured. They are close at hand for any problems encountered. I’ve sent paint back to the lab for testing if something didn’t seem right. Also the costs are lower due to less transport costs and no tariffs from importation etc. So I don’t recommend the designer paints unless you need the tax deduction. Plus you create jobs in your own area when you buy local. That’s good.