Without any preamble, let me first disclose that this post was made possible by Bzzagent, who provided me with the free can of paint I tested out in the post below.
Having said that...
Periodically, I find myself unhappy with one thing or another in my home, whether it's a lack of attractive storage space, a shabby looking corner or just time taking it's toll on my things -- there's always something to be done or to improve around my place. Ever since "the big re-decorate" a while back, the place has kind of maintained it's integrity, only needing a few adjustments here and there but certainly showing signs of elapsed time, to be sure.
And still, the one room that's been the bane of my existence since moving in here almost 6 years ago, is my bedroom. It seems like nothing that I do ever makes it attractive. It's been a mismatched mess ever since I can remember and since it's so easy to just close the door and ignore it, that's pretty much been the favored solution to the ongoing problem.
Well, while I can't say that the room is really any less messy, I can say it's finally infinitely more attractive.
When we acquired the condo back in 2007, all of the walls were white. Theoretically, this should have been a perfect opportunity to customize it as we pleased, but it never quite worked out that way. The first paint these poor walls saw was back when we spruced up the living room and finally gave the place character. The kitchen followed soon there after but after the trauma I endured getting these areas painted, I was less than invigorated about tackling any other rooms.
Fast forward to very recently, I joined a Bzzagent campaign (https://www.bzzagent.com/member/CampaignHome.do?campaignId=9558742616) to review this Benjamin Moore Aura paint, which I got for free to test and sample. I've gotta say, I was pleased. I was really pleased. At first sight, I read through the package and thought to myself, "I would never, ever, pay this much for a can of paint." Please keep in mind, I'm frugal by nature and paint has never really figured in at the top of my spending priorities. I pretty much thought all paint is created equal and there is no compelling reason whatsoever to think otherwise. Well, this paint has proven to be my compelling reason.
You know all of those commercials you see where the people look all happy and clean while they casually paint their walls in their J Crew clothing and Sperry Topsider shoes? Meanwhile, the walls are all coming out immaculately with a single coat of paint on them and there's not an errant speck to be seen in all the house? Not gonna lie, this is as close to that kind of experience as I've ever come. Of course, we must account for the my natural klutziness and the fact that I don't actually own any J Crew clothing, though if I did, I don't think I'd venture to paint in it, I don't care how good the paint in the can is...
But I digress.
Talk about a different experience.
I went ahead and used their color, 2122-40 Smoke, which made a lovely compliment to my walnut wood furniture, my dark sheets and bedspread, my dark curtains, and the random black accents, like shelves and storage cubes. There were about a gazillion paint colors to choose from, but the little book that came with my kit provided some nice inspiration and I zeroed in on the color I liked pretty quickly.
The application was fairly painless. Not completely so, but remember, I'm no professional painter and there's a certainly level of awkwardness that accompanies my holding a paint brush. The final product was gorgeous. Rich, even, vibrant and neat - and with only 2 coats. I was pretty stoked. Compared to the paint job I had to do on the living room and the kitchen, the bedroom was a walk in the park.
So all in all, this whole thing has been a bit of a learning experience for me. I'll tell you why -- I often times go with the bargains and really end up sacrificing quality for it. This seems like such a simple example of that, but it's been the most prominent for me. Having a superior quality paint made for a superior quality experience. Sometimes you can get away with sacrificing quality for a better price, but with paint, I think I finally see the light. This paint made it easy for me to get excited about a home project again. There was a huge color wheel involved, lots of photos, shopping...basically all things I love. Benjamin Moore paint boasts an environmentally component which I can really get behind, and the finished product leaves you 100% satisfied with the product. I guess you really do get what you pay for.
My bottom line: I won't think twice next time about picking up a can of Aura paint. I'm definitely a convert.
Having said that...
Periodically, I find myself unhappy with one thing or another in my home, whether it's a lack of attractive storage space, a shabby looking corner or just time taking it's toll on my things -- there's always something to be done or to improve around my place. Ever since "the big re-decorate" a while back, the place has kind of maintained it's integrity, only needing a few adjustments here and there but certainly showing signs of elapsed time, to be sure.
And still, the one room that's been the bane of my existence since moving in here almost 6 years ago, is my bedroom. It seems like nothing that I do ever makes it attractive. It's been a mismatched mess ever since I can remember and since it's so easy to just close the door and ignore it, that's pretty much been the favored solution to the ongoing problem.
Well, while I can't say that the room is really any less messy, I can say it's finally infinitely more attractive.
When we acquired the condo back in 2007, all of the walls were white. Theoretically, this should have been a perfect opportunity to customize it as we pleased, but it never quite worked out that way. The first paint these poor walls saw was back when we spruced up the living room and finally gave the place character. The kitchen followed soon there after but after the trauma I endured getting these areas painted, I was less than invigorated about tackling any other rooms.
Fast forward to very recently, I joined a Bzzagent campaign (https://www.bzzagent.com/member/CampaignHome.do?campaignId=9558742616) to review this Benjamin Moore Aura paint, which I got for free to test and sample. I've gotta say, I was pleased. I was really pleased. At first sight, I read through the package and thought to myself, "I would never, ever, pay this much for a can of paint." Please keep in mind, I'm frugal by nature and paint has never really figured in at the top of my spending priorities. I pretty much thought all paint is created equal and there is no compelling reason whatsoever to think otherwise. Well, this paint has proven to be my compelling reason.
You know all of those commercials you see where the people look all happy and clean while they casually paint their walls in their J Crew clothing and Sperry Topsider shoes? Meanwhile, the walls are all coming out immaculately with a single coat of paint on them and there's not an errant speck to be seen in all the house? Not gonna lie, this is as close to that kind of experience as I've ever come. Of course, we must account for the my natural klutziness and the fact that I don't actually own any J Crew clothing, though if I did, I don't think I'd venture to paint in it, I don't care how good the paint in the can is...
But I digress.
Talk about a different experience.
I went ahead and used their color, 2122-40 Smoke, which made a lovely compliment to my walnut wood furniture, my dark sheets and bedspread, my dark curtains, and the random black accents, like shelves and storage cubes. There were about a gazillion paint colors to choose from, but the little book that came with my kit provided some nice inspiration and I zeroed in on the color I liked pretty quickly.
The application was fairly painless. Not completely so, but remember, I'm no professional painter and there's a certainly level of awkwardness that accompanies my holding a paint brush. The final product was gorgeous. Rich, even, vibrant and neat - and with only 2 coats. I was pretty stoked. Compared to the paint job I had to do on the living room and the kitchen, the bedroom was a walk in the park.
So all in all, this whole thing has been a bit of a learning experience for me. I'll tell you why -- I often times go with the bargains and really end up sacrificing quality for it. This seems like such a simple example of that, but it's been the most prominent for me. Having a superior quality paint made for a superior quality experience. Sometimes you can get away with sacrificing quality for a better price, but with paint, I think I finally see the light. This paint made it easy for me to get excited about a home project again. There was a huge color wheel involved, lots of photos, shopping...basically all things I love. Benjamin Moore paint boasts an environmentally component which I can really get behind, and the finished product leaves you 100% satisfied with the product. I guess you really do get what you pay for.
My bottom line: I won't think twice next time about picking up a can of Aura paint. I'm definitely a convert.
Feel free to check it out on the Benjamin Moore website for a full list of reasons why this paint is just, quite frankly, a good idea.
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