Item: Low VOC Aura Paint from Benjamin Moore
Price: $55 per gallon
Rating: Strong Recommend*
How did you spend the last weekend of the summer? Ours was demo, prep and paint, paint, paint with the new low-VOC Benjamin Moore Aura. Does the performance live up to the virtue and the price? Read on....
Interestingly, in a world of eco-chic Benjamin Moore buries the VOC story, selling Aura on color first. Their lead is the Affinity Color palette, i.e., easy-to-like, easy-match colors in an edited selection for fewer choices, with "color-lock" technology.
Salespeople at both stores we visited were genuinely concerned that we fully understood the price difference—about $11 more per gallon— from other Benjamin Moore paint. They were nearly anti-upsell, but said past customers had been surprised.
We say: Great.
Verdict: Worth it in performance and principle.
*Our Ratings:
Strong Recommend
Recommend
Weak Recommend
Don't Recommend
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
We used Aura paints for a recent renovation and agree. It's a thick durable finish with a very mild "new paint" smell that faded within an hour or so. The painters were surprised it went on pretty so easliy it 1 coat (plus touch ups and cut-ins). Only downside is we have about half a gallon of each color left as they didn't use as much as they thought they would.
view Morgante's profile
It is the best red paint I have ever used. That being said... don't ever use red paint unless you happen to like painting the same wall over and over again.
view hejiranyc's profile
A black or dark gray primer makes painting red walls SO much easier! We did a red wall many years ago and probably had 8 coats of paint on it before we were satisfied. A couple years back we helped my parents paint their dining room red. One coat of black primer, 2 coats of Benjamin Moore paint and it was perfect!
view jhill's profile
I did not know you can get all ben colors in the aura paint.
(the ones they have have on display seemed to have a rather dirty looking tint to them.
view tominbrooklyn's profile
Ugh. This is more about Pottery Barn's recommended BM Aura paint colors than the paint itself. I selected the offwhite from their palette of BM paint chips and it was a disaster. The chip looks warm compared to white and other colors... but once I got it on my wall, it was the palest celedon green. I went back to look at all the pottery barn selections and realized that they all have a green cast to them. Be warned! Do a sample on your wall first!
view kimg924's profile
I loved this paint - it didn't even take a full 2 coats and no primer. Low paint "emissions", blends into itself so you don't without having to worry about splotches, and dries fast. I bought two gallons in a matte finish from a Benjamin Moore store in Manhattan, and couldn't have been happier. I do, however, wish there was some innovation in paint naps/rollers/brushes to ease the strain on my arms!
view kosha's profile
I've really enjoyed using Aura to repaint my totally matte white walls. I get good coverage with 1 coat using the Benjamin Moore Aura rollers that have a 3/8" nap and a fine white nap. The salesperson recommended that I cut-in first, then wait for that to dry (not long) before using a roller. He said that if I go back over a partially wet spot, it can ruin the smooth finish.
view figs's profile
I agree Aura is fantastic paint! Benjamin Moore is a leader in Green paint with Eco Spec and followed by Natura even Regal paints from Benjamin Moore is still excellent!
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