Our painters prefered SW also, which I didn't learn until I had picked out colors for the entire house from a Ben Moore fan deck, with the help of a friend who is very good at color. I didn't want to go back to picking colors again so the painters mixed all my colors using SW paint. My only requirement was that they use the low-VOC line, which they did.

I agree with others to let the painters use whichever paint they prefer, but you don't have to feel like that limits the colors you can choose. If you find the perfect color in another line, they can probably mix it for you.

I prefer SW, but avoid Cashmere (awful).

We just had two rooms in our house painted and for one I bought BM and the other SW (because I was worried about the color matching issue and after spending what seemed like years selecting the colors I wanted them to be the *exact* color I chose). I bought the no-VOC paint from both stores.

After he was finished I asked the painter which paint he preferred (he had said he had no preference when I asked before he started; I did get a discount at SW by using his account). He said he thought they were equivalent but that in general he thought BM offered richer colors.

For what its worth: the BM no-VOC paint had a faint, but not paint-like odor. More like they'd added a scent. The SW no-VOC had absolutely no odor at all.

And the results were good with both paints: covered dirty white with a mid-tone color in both rooms with one coat. Rich true color. I'm happy with both.

Oh and the customer service at both stores near us is good. The BM store has a guy who really knows color and gives excellent advice. The SW people in general are probably friendlier (they gave me free paint swatch books, whatever those big flippy things are called).

We use both BM and SW paints, and find both quite nice. Living Room, library is SW Duration, and all the trim is SW Pro Classic. Kids' bedroom walls are BM Aura. Love 'em all. The painters we're considering for our kitchen cabinets prefer BM Regal. We just bought a couple quarts of FPE ECO paint to try before we embark on the cabinet painting. We gave the painters a quart and asked them to try it out. We hope they like it; if they don't, we'll probably just go with what they like. They've been doing this for many years.

farmhouse_cook, chicagoans, and sw_in_austin - did you have cabinets painted in no-VOC paint? How is it for durability? The kitchen cabs take a lot of wear and tear, so I want to avoid paints that will chip under use.

We are specifying lo-voc or no-voc on all of our interior paints, and we're working with a retailer who specializes in "green" applications (see link below).

We are going to use a brand called NOVOC for our walls. For trim, we are going to use NOVOC brand as well, but we're going with a lo-voc paint. The VOCs in paint help with durability, so for cabinets and trim it might be advisible to look at a lo-voc rather than a no-voc.

In testing durability of no-voc paints, the winner was from a company called Mythic. Their pricing was higher than SW. We chose the NOVOC brand because the price was identical to SW and the quality is better in the no-voc category.

In terms of color, you can really find your color anywhere. The paint store will be able to match it no matter whose catalog it comes from.

Here is a link that might be useful: New Living

I have to say, I liked SW as the best paint---until recently. I tried the new (don't sneer! LOL!) Behr premium paint, (the one they advertise as paint+primer) and I really really prefer it to any other brand that I've tried. It's thick, covers extraordinarily well, and I even like some of their "exclusive" colors. Mostly though, I've had it mixed in colors from other lines that I've liked.

Now, the customer service is only as good as your local HD, and we all know that can vary wildly from one place to the other. BUt, even if your local HD is crappy, it's easy for even the um, lacking, employees to mix a Behr color in the paint. If you're more demanding and want a competitive formula or color match, then asking when the paint dept expert is there probably would smooth your experience. My painting contractor friend is the one who turned me on to the Behr, and she gets 20% off of the paint because she's a contractor. She had to register with the pro desk and buy a certain amount, but 20% makes the Beher the lowest priced decent paint around.

And, if this kind of thing is important to you, Consumer Reports ranks the new Behr at the top of their chart for coverage, durability, and price. I think that CR is goofy a lot of the time for the way they structure their tests, but this time, I agree with them!

I recently painted our bedroom using SW Cashmere and absolutly LOVED it!!!! Went on great ... no dripping (and I almost always use BM Regal line) .... this went on much easier and the finish (flat) is superb.

And while I agree, they don't have as many colors as BM, I think it's almost *easier* to pick a color because of that. LOL .... too many choices is not always a good thing.

However, I did use the Aura satin on my wood trim and it turned out beautiful too!!

Consumer Reports recently reviewed paint. They rated BEHR a best value. Just thought I'd mention that.

I can't buy BM around here, but we do have a SW store and have found shopping for paint there to be a much better experience than Home Depot. I really can't tell the difference in quality between SW and BEHR. I do appreciate the help I get from SW, though.

I've heard the painters where I work say that BM is the only way to go for deep colors, especially reds. I just painted a room in a deep terra cotta color in the highest quality BEHR and swear I could have just put up one coat. After the first coat, my husband asked me if I had put on 2 or 3 coats. It looked amazing! I stall gave it another coat. It seemed too good to be true.

Since I always do the painting I like the company that has later evening and Saturday hours. The only Ben dealer in my town is open 8-5 m-f. Sherwin is open 7-7 m-f and 8-6 Sat. Nothing like running out of paint Saturday morning...just a thought to consider if you are doing the painting!

Just to put in a counterperspective: I do adore Ben Moore Aura paint; we've done all our house painting ourselves, inside and out (although my guy is an ex pro painter, so in fairness it's not quite DIY) -- he does prefer the SW, but is also quite happy with the superior coverage of the Aura. In my experience with SW Duration upstairs and Aura down, the scrubbable matte finish of the Aura really can't be beat.

In our area, the Ben Moore paint guys are really good, whereas the SW is staffed by teenagers who have often been clueless or even given me the wrong information. Not that that has anything to do with their quality, of course -- and I do love their longer hours.

LiveWireOak -- sounds like the new Behr is a takeoff on the Aura (primer + paint in one)? If so, it's probably great paint. I still can't get over the coverage, no smell and amazingly fast drying time of the Aura. And I adore the Affinity color palette -- although we had a lot of our colors made up in Aura from SW's arts & crafts collection.

I do suspect that paint, like so many things, is an individual preference based on one's personal application technique. Just like paintbrushes. You'd have to pry my Corona brush out of my cold dead hands. ;-)

ciana - no, we did not paint cabinets; just walls and trim.

Although most of my painting over the years has been with SW, I have tried BM Aura for the new kitchen. It has very useful properties. Number one, in my estimation, is that it can be painted over itself to cover repairs or black marks and the patch is effectively undetectable after it dries. It is sufficiently matte that variations in texture due to roller nap, rolling style, and wet paint thickness disappear after drying.

Number two is that it dries very fast. This is helpful under normal painting conditions for obvious reasons. It dries too fast for me in summer when using a fan to keep comfortable, but a retarder is available to extend the time.

Professionals using spray equipment may know of other advantages.

kas

Ciana -- We did not paint cabinets either. Just walls and trim.

My hunch is painters like SW b/c they get a discount there. I personally think both are similar but if we get a discount with SW, then SW it is. BM is so pricey and I don't see a difference in quality equal to the difference in price. And SW customer service is indeed outstanding.

As for Behr, I used to like it a lot too (this was about 10 years ago or so, also Consumer Reports' highest rated paint at the time!)...until I discovered how easily it chips off. Granted, I haven't had the "opportunity" to try to chip the BM and SW paints yet, but the Behr chips and cracks easily (in non-humid rooms) that I've sworn off Behr regardless. Maybe they've improved their adhesion quality since then?

I really like SW Super Paint -- great coverage, sometimes with only one coat. Although I have been switching to Benjamin Moore because their color palette is so much larger (especially the dusky/greyish type colors in the Historic Collection). Also, my SW store closes early on weekdays. The advantage of BM or Behr (from HD) is that you can get it until 9pm at night (my local ACE hardware sells BM, HD sells the Behr).

One warning though -- stay away from the HD designer colors. I painted a couple of rooms using the HD Ralph Lauren colors. Home Depot no longer carries Ralph Lauren paint (now they're carrying Martha Stewart), and even though I have the old paint lids with the formula, they can't match it exactly. Something about how each line has their own formula naming/numbering system. So, although I like a lot of the Martha Stewart colors at HD, and really liked a lot of her old ones at SW, I'm going to try to stick to the regular Behr, Benjamin Moore, or SW fandeck from now on.

Thank you so much for all the responses!

Anyone have comments specifically regarding paint for cabinets? I'm realizing most of the comments above are for wall/ceiling paint. I'm concerned that the paint will chip on cabinets too easily. Recommendations on best paint for cabinets? I hear the oil-based paints are much more durable, but they also have higher fumes.

I painted my old 1967 maple cabinets using the Sherwin Williams "gripper" primer (after a light sanding of the cabinets), followed by 2 coats of Behr semi-gloss. The paint held up for 5 years very well (we just redid the kitchen and took out all the old cabinets), no chips or peeling. I hope my new painted cabinets (from the factory) hold up as well.

The gripper primer is critical -- we painted one cabinet without it and the paint just peeled right off in one big sheet after it dried.

The oil-based BM satin Impervo is GREAT. Nothing seems to chip my cabinets, and I can SCRUB with no effect on the finish. We also used it in our mudroom on the wainscoting where our teen boys are very hard on the walls. (They skateboard, and lean them up against the wall--grrrr)

The fumes were HORRIBLE for about three days. Fans in the windows, even though the temps were well below zero, helped SO much. And once it was dry, the fumes disappeared 100%--they did not linger at all. If you cannot seal off the area effectively, (our painters sealed it quite well) you would definitely have to move out.

I have used both Sherwin Williams and Ben Moore, I've worked for both companies. What it comes down to is the cost, yes SW is cheaper but you need more of it. If you're doing an interior job not a big deal put some color on the walls save some money, Ben Moore does touch up great. Exterior,,, it is night and day. Ben Moore you paint it and pressure wash it every couple years you will never have to paint it again with lifetime guarantees, also Ben Moore has gennex pigment that keeps the paint from fading. Be careful of painters that use SW because most of the time there trying to make extra money off the homeowner.

We import and distribute authentic Venetian Plaster from Italy. We work with contractors, designers and painting contractors, and we find when we are tinting our plasters, we have about a 50/50 split between those providing us with colors to tint their plasters. I however prefer Sherwin Williams colors because we are able to match their hues better using our natural mineral pigments.

• We're having the house exterior painted this summer. Our guy likes SW Woodscapes, and yes he does get a discount from SW but also likes BM Arborcoat so will use whichever we prefer. This is a panel with BM 1301 on the right and SW mixed to 1301 on the left. Two coats each. In afternoon sun, shade and at an angle to see the difference in sheen. We've decided to go with the Arborcoat by BM.

Anyone who says Sherwin-Williams is better has yet to use Benjamin Moore. SW is sub par at best and way overpriced. Their top line Emerald paint is very streaky and impossible to touch up in every sheen. Sherwin-Williams have contractors in their pocket by giving them good rates on their overpriced paint, which is why they recommend them (lobbying). The consumers get duped by assuming that something this expensive must be of high quality. Reality is, a $60 gallon is sold for $16 to contractors which shows how cheaply manufactured their paint is. At the end of the day, it's painting, not rocket science. Take the advice of the consumer over the contractor in this case, that is of course assuming that consumer has used several paints. Now if you're trying to weld an engine together take your mechanics advice over a consumer, but we're talking painting here. Don't listen to some guy that's already bought and has a decision that's been made up.

We are repainting a fixer upper. I had used SW in the past but since we have to paint every surface I started with Behr. Never again! I went to SW and ended up buying their Emerald paint. The difference was night and day! It's more expensive but so worth the money in reducing the frustration of using another brand. We used ProClassic for the kitchen cabinets and were again very pleased with the results. They are having a 40% off sale this weekend so I will be picking up more for the never-ending job of painting one house to sell and one to move into.

I would recommend Benjamin Moore. My reasoning is this: it covers more and lasts longer. I have worked for both companies. I am a product specialist (which gives me the upper hand in the paint world) so I know what product serves each purpose. I have also worked with Home Depot, so I am a bit of a paint expert. I keep seeing comments like "it costs more" but keep in mind, nothing good in this world is cheap, except street tacos. Also consider the coverage of each product. Yeah a gallon of Cashmere may only be $65 or $70 a gallon, but it also covers 350 to 400 square feet. That is 100 square feet less than any of Benjamin Moore's products, which cover 450 to 500 square feet. Also, when it says paint and primer in one, it means it. Sherwin-Williams is convenient for painters because of the availability of location, but its not ideal. The paint is cheap for a reason. Keep in mind, these contractors make a living off of this, so they need something that's going to keep money in their pockets, not yours.

Thanks for the explanation Sarah. Do you have any thoughts about Farrow and Ball by any chance?

Also, Sherwin Williams doesn't have Chantilly Lace.

I like that color too, stillpitpat. I have a thing for Swiss Coffee as well. Mind you I like chantilly in my coffee ... the cream though, not the lace ;-)

The painters I've used will paint only with SW, BM, or Pratt & Lambert -- refused to use anything else. I hate to paint and am terrible at it - I hire it out. I've always had beautiful results from SW or BM; what I chose always came down to color choice. As a general statement, I think BM colors are more nuanced than SW, but of course this is in relation to the colors I was looking for; sometimes BM was the winner, sometimes SW. I have to say I had exterior brick painted with SW and the results were a hundred times better than expected, not just when freshly painted but man whatever exterior line of SW they used it held up spectacularly -- looked freshly painted when I finally sold my house 7 years later. (I would never paint over brick myself, but the ding-a-ling previous owner painted the brick so I had to re-paint eventually, it was lousy job - couldn't afford to take it back down to the original brick).

Hey Rita! Fine Paints of Europe is a great paint, it is very pricey. Benjamin Moore has a line of paint by the name of Century which offers a soft touch matte. It is a fantastic paint and has a beautiful finish. It is around $125 a gallon, cheaper than Farrow & Ball. There is a trick to getting the F&B color you want, without the price! If you have the name of the color or the fan deck, you can take it to any paint retailer and they have the ability to make it in one of their products. The beauty of competition! Sherwin Williams can make Benjamin Moore colors and vice versa; along with Home Depot, PPG, Martin Senour, etc. The only colors they have a problem with are Pantone's because Pantone colors are made using a bright ink. Another one that cannot be cross-referenced is the Benjamin Moore Aura color collection line. You can take them to be matched at other companies, but it will probably be a manual match. I can match any color or stain or glaze, but I am in Houston!

Sherwin Williams can make Benjamin Moore colors and vice versa; along with Home Depot, PPG, Martin Senour, etc

Actually no they can't. The base on each brand is slightly different. For example the base with SW has a slightly blue cast so anything you mix will lean a bit bluer. I got samples of BM Willmington Tan, Fernwood Green and Caliente done up with SW.

The Wilmington Tan wound up too gray/brown. The Fernwood Green which has a warm undertone to it, wound up with more of a blue cast and the Caliente instead of being a rich deep red, just made the combo of the green house and Caliente door look like a Christmas tree. I wound up getting BM paints.

Cpartist, of course they will be slightly off. Each company has a team of specialists whose job is to match paint. So, if you want the right color, go to that company. But it is very common for people to take the color they want to a different company; mainly due to the price. I always get the samples I want at the companies they are made at. I go with Benjamin Moore also! Great paint, thick with great coverage. Price point is perfect for the product.

Thank you, Sarah. I appreciate the information on FPE. I will look at them too.

We had the whole house painted with SW (Painters' choice) - It is very fragile. For example, I noticed a scuff mark on the wall so I tried to lightly wipe it off with a cloth and water - the entire paint immediately wiped off revealing the previous paint color! Next time, it's BM!

Maryanne - I am a big fan of BM, but SW would not wipe off like that. Your painter most likely thinned the paint too much with water to either go through a sprayer or just stretch it and the binder was compromised. I would definitely talk to them about this.

Maryanne Kelleher, Benjamin Moore is a sure thing. Their contractor paint is very similar to their premium paints, with the exception of the primer addition. Sherwin-Williams has contractor paint that is very low in quality. Painters, don't fight me on this because we all know that this is true. Their contractor paints are very cheap, ranging from $9 to $26 a gallon at most (depending on the painter). It feels very rough when you rub it between your pointer and thumb in a circular motion. This is how they make money though. Selling paint at the list price but buying it at their price. There are around 4 contractor paints at SW, seems like in your case they used Mesa or Showcase, which are as you described, without being thinned. Those are about $50 a bucket (5-gallon). The next time you want paint, go into the retailer and buy it yourself. Then just charge labor. That way you know whats being used.

Sarah is correct, and our painter said he only uses SW when the client cannot afford a better paint. fwiw, he does not spray or thin down, and you do not want a painter that does. Sure, sometimes spraying makes sense, but mostly not. Two of our neighbors have painted their exteriors this spring - both high end, custom homes only a few yeas old! We've been in our home almost 13 years and painted after 10 years, but only because we wanted to (didn't need to!) Both used the same builder. Both were sprayed... we pass them on the way to our house. BM is better paint than SW, hands down.

Yeah it is much more reliable. Spraying provides a very smooth, even finish, but it does use more paint. I hear that from professionals all the time. But it is excellent for even finishes, especially on cabinetry. I hope this has all been useful to you all. Any questions, don't hesitate to contact me.

They are both excellent choices and we use both brands. What tends t matter more is whether some uses the spray method (high quality/lasts longer) vs brush. This article may come in handy if you want to save a bit of money on the paint. ways to save money on paint

My go-to brand, for everything is always Benjamin Moore. I love the subtle colors, the quality
and ease of use.

However their exterior stain “Arborcoat” has a slight sheen compared to Sherwin Williams “Woodscapes”
(see RL Joy photo’s above). In the right setting, that might be fine, even preferable (beach).

My current project involves “repainting” an exterior with a solid body stain.
This house has a lot of weird/busy texture. Shingles, batten, crazy giraffe stone, heavy beams etc,
and I fear even the slightest sheen would add to the chaos.

The painter says SW solid stain is flat flat flat and they will “match” BM colors, so SW it is.
As for matching BM, I’m not going to hold my breath on that. I’m looking at SW color-deck for
something close to BM Shaker Beige.

Follow-up to previous comment. I went with Sherwin Williams exterior and it turned out perfect.
Had I used Benjamin Moore, the project would have required more coats of paint.

I don't see anyone actually talk about the life of the paint on the walls. I used to use Easy Living by Sears - that paint never chipped, cracked and always cleaned up easily. Since Sears discontinued carrying the paint, I've had a he** of time finding a suitable replacement. I have found that BM as well as others crack and chip after about a year. And these are not walls I am walking on! I am hesitant to spend $70 on a gallon of SW paint just to find it too crack and chip.

I understand that this is due to flexibility of the paint, but haven't been able to find any information on this.

Anyone have comments to share based on their lifetime experience with any of these suppliers?

I have never had any BM paint crack and chip. Never! Really happy with the BM Aura in matte for walls.

I did have a problem once with a batch of SW paint that bubbled once applied.

What are your walls made of? How are you prepping? How old are the walls? Climate outside and inside house?

My husband and I painted our whole house with Home Depot Behr Ultra Scuff Defense Stain Blocking paint and primer; flat for walls and ceilings, and satin for doors and moldings. We used fine quality paint brushes and rollers. The paint handled beautifully and is quite durable and looks great. We took our time, lightly sanded all doors and moldings first, washed and rinsed all walls and ceilings prior to painting. We did all the correct prep work. I even got a 10% military discount ( I am a retired Air Force Captain). Our house looks great! I have used BM and SW in past homes I lived in. BEHR is just as good. I painted my front door about 10 years ago, also with BEHR and it looks as good as the day I painted it. We since replaced our front door with a high end fiberglass door, and plan to paint it with BEHR when the pollen dies down in the air. I can also assure you that there is no professional painter that would have ever taken the time to do all the prep work my husband and I did prior to painting. We are semi retired and have the luxury to take the time to do a great paint job! I have read countless Houzz threads on botched professional paint jobs in expensive homes. As my Dad always says: if you want the job done right, do it yourself.

The only complaint I have about SW is the sheen is not exactly what I like. Their eggshell is not as washable as I would like. Same with their satin really. Most of my house is painted in PPG & I love it!!

Thanks everyone! My have an older house with some plaster walls, and now some newer walls after a renovation. I live along the coast in Long Island so the air is a little salty. All the chipping is coming from the newer walls. They were prepped appropriately. and the chips are big pieces of paint say an inch or so that just chip off the wall. I am now up trying Valspar paint. Goes on nicely but the coverage isn't what I'd want, and is what I expect from a cheaper paint. But if it doesn't chip and I'm not continually touching up then I don't mind the extra work up front.

I never had these chipping problems with Sears Paint. Same house, same walls. Different paint.

Elizabeth Hampton Caponi - That chipping is very surprising. The amateur detective in me would have to find the answer. I'd call those companies and send them chip samples. That is too big a mystery for me to live with!

Thanks RLJoy! I never thought to send samples That sounds like an excellent idea! I'll make sure to send my next chips off, and post any results. Meanwhile if anyone has any other suggestions, I'd appreciate it!