Benjamin Moore® Buying Guide

Three questions decide most paint purchases: where the paint is going, how much wear it will take, and what finish you want to see. Answer those and the choices narrow quickly.

1. Pick the right line for the job

• Best-in-class color and hide: Aura® for rooms where color depth and fewer coats matter most.
• Everyday whole-house painting: Regal® Select and ben® for walls that need to look good and wash well.
• Trim, doors and cabinets: Advance® levels out like a traditional oil paint and cures hard.
• Ceilings: a dedicated flat ceiling paint hides imperfections and spatters less off the roller.
• Exterior siding and trim: Aura® Exterior, Regal® Select Exterior or Element Guard® for sun and humidity.
• Floors, metal and industrial surfaces: Floor & Patio enamels, Corotech® and Super Spec® HP coatings.

2. Choose a sheen

• Flat / Matte: hides surface flaws. Ceilings, bedrooms, living rooms.
• Eggshell: soft sheen that wipes clean. Most walls.
• Satin / Pearl: more durable. Kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, kids' rooms.
• Semi-Gloss / High Gloss: toughest and easiest to clean. Trim, doors, cabinets.

3. Work out how much you need

Most paints cover roughly 350 to 400 square feet per gallon per coat on smooth, primed surfaces. Multiply the width of each wall by its height, add them together, subtract about 20 square feet per door and 15 per window, then divide by 350 and multiply by the number of coats. Rough or unprimed surfaces will need more.

4. Don't skip primer when it matters

Prime bare drywall, patched areas, stains, glossy surfaces and big color changes. The right primer improves adhesion and can save you a coat of finish paint. Not sure? Bring us a photo of the surface.

Benjamin Moore® Color Guide

A color that looks perfect on a small chip can look very different across four walls. These steps help you avoid surprises.

Start with the fixed pieces

Flooring, countertops, tile, large furniture and fabrics are expensive to change. Pull your paint colors from them rather than the other way around.

Look at undertones

Whites, grays and beiges all lean warm (yellow, red) or cool (blue, green). Hold chips against a sheet of plain white paper and next to your fixed pieces to see which way a color leans.

Test in your own light

North-facing rooms read cooler and darker; south-facing rooms read warmer and brighter. Paint a large sample or use a peel-and-stick sample, and look at it in the morning, afternoon and evening before deciding.

Build a whole-house palette

Choose one or two main wall colors, a trim color and an accent. Keeping the same trim color throughout makes rooms flow together even when the walls change.

Bring it to the counter

Browse by family on our Colors page, pick up fan decks or color samples, or bring in something you want matched.