March 11, 2008
In a conversations this weekend about Apartment Therapy (down in Florida), I found myself reminding people that you can make a huge impact on a room - totally transform it - without spending huge amounts of money by painting. Which is true. It is also true that painting can be hugely toxic, and that the EPA considers indoor air pollution one of the top five hazards to human health. And it is also true that paints and finishes are among the leading causes of indoor air pollution. So, what do you do?
Find a paint that's less or non toxic.
But that can be hard due to the fact that paint suppliers are usually local and greenwashing makes it hard to separate true eco paints from the pretenders. Here, then, is a list of the best sources we know of to help you out.
Low VOC paints - These have "Low Volatile Organic Compounds" which makes them "better" but certainly not totally green. They tend to be bigger companies and therefore more available. Use these if you have no other choice.
Zero VOC Paints - These are even better, having zero to a very low amount of VOC's and represent much harder work on the part of the paint companies to remove toxins from their paints. Some are even non-toxic. Try to start on this level if possible!
- YOLO Colorhouse Paint
- Marston & Langinger Premium Paints (European)
- Devine Paints
- Mythic Paint
- AFM Safecoat
- Devoe Wonder Pure
- Sherwin Williams Harmony
Natural Paints - These are the safest for your health and the environment, but often have more limited palettes.
- Green Planet Paints
- Old Fashioned Milk Paint
- Aglaia Natural Paints (European)
- Livos Natural Paints (European)
- Bioshield Healthy Living Paints
- Auro Paints (European)
- Ecos Organic Paints (European)
Best,
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I used AFM Safecoat paint when I redid my living room, and I ordered it online, and I had it tinted to a specific pale powder blue. I love it. There was absolutely NO smell (the "low" VOC BJ Aura still had plenty of odor to it) and while it ran a little more watery than regular BJ paint, it wasn't too bad. Took 3 coats to cover a sunny yellow previous wall color.
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