A new way of painting

Some of you may already know that I try to live a chemical-free lifestyle. By chemical-free I mean using household products that don't contain a lot of harmful or toxic ingredients. For instance, I use vinegar and baking soda for many cleaning chores around the house. I use a scent-free and phosphate free laundry detergent. I use a hydrogen peroxide-based safe bleach. I do not use fabric softener because those synthetic fragrances are really not good for you and many times they make me feel nauseous or give me a headache. Ditto with my dish washing soap. My bath soap. My shampoo. My deodorant.

So, when it came time for the new house to be painted, my husband and I knew that we did not want VOCs' (volatile organic compounds) floating around in the air during and after the painting process. We opted for a relatively new brand of paint from Benjamin Moore called Aura. This paint has no distinct chemical smell and is guaranteed to be very low on the toxic emissions. Hence good for you and for the environment.

The paint was exceptional! It went on opaque. It dried very fast. Seamless touch ups. And it did not leave any lingering smell in the house for days afterwards, the way most household paints do.

Was it expensive? Yes. It was twice as much in cost than regular paint would cost.

Am I looking forward to painting the other rooms in the summer with Aura? You bet.

Do I work for Benjamin Moore?
No. I just know a great product when I use it and Aura paint is a fantastic product.
Even my father-in-law who is a seasoned painter and who is partial to his own paint brand, was impressed with Aura.

Ch-ch-changes!

Surprise! I painted my kitchen.

Just kidding, this isn't my kitchen. It's a photo I found on Flickr.

I really like this shade of green. It has inspired me to paint my overly white kitchen this juicy, fresh shade of green.

I stopped by The Home Depot today and picked out a whole selection of paint swatches in greens, blues, beiges, browns, whites.


The photo above shows the entrance and partial living room space of the house. My husband really does not like the mocha-coloured walls (says it's too dark) and I'm not a huge fan either, so we have decided to paint the living room and adjoining dining area. I have not yet decided on the colour of choice but more than likely it will be a lighter shade of the existing colour.


Another thing that both my husband and I do not like is this peg-board box that is currently covering the radiators on the main floor. Not only does it decrease the heat efficiency in the house but it is also an eye-sore. There are three of them in the living room/dining area. And one in the kitchen. We are not sure if we should leave them there for now, or tear them out. Tearing them out would cause damage to the floors, walls and surround molding. If we leave them there until next summer we will have to paint them now with the new wall colour.

Can you say Pepto-Bismol? This pink colour has got to go! Two coats of primer are required to effectively rid the pink tinge off the walls before a new colour is applied. I'm leaning towards a deep blue-gray shade.


And for you Toronto Maple Leaf fans, how about a two-toned navy blue and white basement for your viewing pleasure? Seems the previous man of the house had installed his very own hockey shrine in the basement. We are not keeping the colour scheme. We will be painting the entire basement a solid white colour to brighten up the space.


Any thoughts? Ideas? Opinions?