Brand: Yolo Colorhouse
I'm going to make a pitch here for YOLO Colorhouse - a product I've never used before, but it's one I think merits mentioning in the course of Green Month here at Apartment Therapy...
ColorTherapy: YOLO Colorhouse
YOLO produces an environmentally friendly paint with none of the VOC solvents that contribute to ground-level ozone, and which are also hard on the lungs. Portland-based owners Janie Young and Virginia Lowe began this company after years of painting custom finishes, and they became increasingly conscious of the effect paint has on health and habitat. They began experimenting in paint production based on old recipes, and an eco-friendly business was born.
Color-wise, YOLO offers a limited palette of 40 colors organized around the elemental themes of Air, Grain, Leaf, Water, Clay, Stone and Petal. I personally like a limited palette, as every decorator I�ve known has the same forty paint chips they return to repeatedly--myself included--and I also think that many people become overwhelmed by too many choices. Colors include the right brights, nice neutrals and rich earth tones.
I�m told that YOLO will also be offering the first zero-VOC exterior paint in the coming months. As I say I still haven�t used this product, and I�m not sure my once-pink lungs will know the difference after so many years in the business, but if you, dear reader, have tried these paints let us know of your experience. And go green!
New York supplier:
Bettencourt Green Building Supplies
70 North Sixth Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
United States
800-883-7005
- Mark Chamberlain, interior and decorative painter
Comments (13)
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sweet...i was looking at "green" friendly paints..but i didnt want to shell out too much $$.
yolo has the color palettes i like... now to find a retailer in jersey..hhahaa
view bellaknollie's profile
Also, a post on Yolo from AT:Chicago:
http://chicago.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/green-ideas/green-by-omission-yolo-colorhouse-paint-024483
view Anne in Chicago's profile
Hey, that light blue on the bottom right of the first pic looks a lot like Behr's Fountain Spout, the color we just chose for our living room.
view Moxie the Maven's profile
It would be nice to know how all the different paints stack up -- for example, I know that Fine Paints of Europe has very low VOC, but how does it compare to YOLO? And so on...
And Mark, being based in Switzerland now, there is a brand I am aching to try - have you tried http://www.ktcolor.com/ ?
view mschatelaine's profile
It looks like Bettancourt only carries a few of the colors. Is there any way to persuade them to carry the whole line?
view azul's profile
well, you can order swatches and the paint from the yolo site....
view ValerieNYC's profile
I talked to Bettencourt a while ago about using Yolo for my friend's place in Brooklyn and they had all of the colors then. We haven't tried it yet, but as far as I know they've got everything.
view Cindy6's profile
Vancouver people -- you can get Low-VOC and Zero-VOC AFM Safecoat paints from CBR Products:
http://www.cbrproducts.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=CBRProducts&Category_Code=PaintsSealers
My friend used them in her spa. :-)
view tam-tbag's profile
thanks Cindy! I'll pop over there next week.
view azul's profile
What is that beautiful sofa in the photo? I'm pretty sure I've seen it somewhere else recently.
view notgoodatinventingnames's profile
I'm a big fan of Auro natural paints (their wastewater goes out of the factory cleaner than it goes in). they are naturally pigmented and the site offers downloadable color swatches!
http://www.aurousa.com/
view chartreuse's profile
Monika--i have not tried kt/corbusier paints, but they sell it here in new york (aronsons floors on 17 st); have stopped by and have all the info and would like to write about it but the fan decks are $300 and they don't give samples. would love to do an Yves Klein Ultramarine room but I need a client who wants one so i can photo. i say give it a whirl; and always send pix of your interesting swiss rooms, colortherapy@earthlink.net.
view mark c's profile
Mark -
I think that someone on AT was going to paint a wall in the Yves Klein ultramarine -- don't suppose you could get together with them -- do a reccy, take pictures??
view mschatelaine's profile