Hi Edb2n - I have always used Behr with successful results. I color match all the time. It's even better when you can catch it on sale for $5 off each gallon. Is the premium ultra that with primer too - can't remember?

When we moved into our house about 3 years ago, we repainted all the walls in the house with the Behr Premium Ultra (I think that's what it was called - the stuff with the primer and paint all in one) and it has held up quite well. As a matter of fact, we are using Behr paint again, in spite of everyone's devotion to BM here. I just can't justify the price difference.

You can go into Home Depot with the BM color code (usually a series of numbers and letters) and they will be able to do a color match, so you don't even have to have a paint chip...it's not exact, but for us, the color match vs. the BM color chip was pretty darn close.

BTW, I do put on primer before I paint even though the Behr has a primer "built in".

We used Behr throughout the house in our reno this past fall. HD will even mix up their sample pots ($3 ea, I believe) with other manufacturers' colors. I used pretty much all BM colors, but also had samples of SW mixed up too. Very happy with Behr paint.

I've never used Behr, but have had lots of success having BM colors matched by Kelly Moore, the widely-used paint in my area (SF Bay Area).

I've used straight BM and I don't think it's exceptional. What it does have are lots and lots of great colors. That, plus showing up and looking good in magazines, gives BM its cachet. If you have a paint store with someone good at matching colors, you can have whatever you want in the brand/price you desire.

I have had great performance out of Valspar from Lowes. I just bought BM Regal (on sale) and I'm hoping I will love it...

I use BM natura because I have a really strong reaction to the smell of paint and you can hardly smell BM natura at all. We have had a few painters in our house and all have said that they like working with BM the best because it goes on more easily than other paints and coats evenly. However, if it isn't in your budget, I wouldn't sweat it.

I just painted the kitchen with the Clark & Kensington paint+ primer; they matched Valspar and Martha Stewart colors for me. I think it was good paint, went on easily, both the flat and the satin have a nice finish. Most areas I had already primed though. There were a few patches where the drywall was touched up with finishing compound after the primer, not reprimed, and they needed an extra coat.

I have liked the regular Valspar and Behr paint just fine too. I had previously used SW and didn't see a huge difference.

My painter preferred BM and color matched my Behr colors. Frankly, I prefer Behr. The BM paint is transferring color to a dish cloth I brushed against it when I was wiping the counter. My Behr paint never did that...