Farrow and Ball

I've tried a lot of different paints in my day.  I had a running gag with my neighbours at my last house that my living room walls had been every color of the rainbow.  You name it, paint wise, I've tried everything under the sun in regular home store paint.

I knew with the kitchen, that if I really was going to go through with this mammoth project, I needed to use a paint that was above all else durable.

I did a lot of googling.  I found several kitchens that had been pinted with Fine Paints of Euorpe paint.  More googling and I found it wasn't available in Canada and it was going to cost me over $200 a can with shipping.

So much for that idea.  I was on to plan B.

I had heard of Farrow and Ball paint from decorating magazines and had ordered a colour card in the past.  They have a wonderful palette of lovely colours that is very nicely edited.  There ins't a colour in their selection that isn't beautiful.  It would be really hard to make a wrong choice with their paint colours.

I spoke with a couple of painters and asked them what they thought of FB paint.  One said it was like painting with pudding.  Boy he wasn't kidding.  It is THICK.

FB paint is manufactured pretty much the same way as it was 100 years ago.  It is a natural, low VOC clay based paint.  I kid you not, I opened the can and I was transported back to gr 2 pottery class.  Its a very thick paint but its fairly easy to work with.  I was shocked at how well it levels when I used a brush.  The brused on finish looks almost as if it was sprayed on.  I used a high density foam roller on the first doors I did  but on the upper ones I used a brush and found it worked as well if not better.

I was worried about using expensive paint.  The shop assured me that even though it is spendy, it covers better than regular paint.  Ever the skeptic, I must say I was impressed.  A quart did all of my bottom cabinets.  I bought a gallon to finsih off the cabinets but I likely could have gotten away with just another quart.  It really does go farther than other paints.

Durability has been really good so far.  We have a kitchen stool that gets banged around.  After I primed the island, it had a big ding  in it from the stool.  So far (knock wood) the cabinets are perfect despite kid bangs.