Love the stuff!

Now it's not the only paint I ever use, but I've never been less than delighted with it, and actively love the colors I've used. (Sage and Gustavian Grey) By 'actively love' I mean that when I walk into the spaces, the paint color just says 'ahhh!' -- after two years in one room, two months in the other. (So two for two) I've only had that experience one other time with a paint, where the color is so special that you get that 'ahhh!' feeling.

As to how much more expensive it is? Well, it does cost more, but not a whole lot more compared to a high quality paint like Benjamin Moore. We've generally paid about $50 per gallon for the EK, compared to $40-something for many BM's and $20-something for Behr. So for an ordinary bedroom, the price difference might be what, $50? And the difference between 'nice' paint and 'ahhh!' paint? -- probably much more than $50.

Part of it may also be my geography. How we perceive paint color is very dependent on the ambient light, and I'm located relatively close to where EK lives and designs (~200 miles?) So the quality of light I get in my home is similar to what she sees and designs for. So if you're in a northern climate, your light will be very different and her paints may not be as perfectly-tuned. It would be interesting to hear from people who live nearby.

I have used it and I have also used BM Aura and hands down the Aura was a better quality paint for about the same price - after over a year on my walls it still looks freshly painted and dewy. If you can find a color that you like with the Aura I would definitely go with that (and I think they can now mix Aura with any color not just the Affinity selection) but I know a lot of people love EK colors so go with them on that basis. I am probably a bit biased though as the quality of paint is paramount to me as I have three grubby kids and numerous animals so I need washability and toughness and Aura has given that to me.

She lives in Dallas. Is the Ellen Kennon paint washable? I could suggest she also look at the BM Aura paint.

Our EK paints have held up very well to washing -- even in the spot where our two dogs rub on the corner...

I have used EK paint which is actually ICI Dulux paint but mixed to Ellen's color formulas. Ellen has wonderful colors that all go well with one another. Now I also really enjoy another full spectrum paint called Citron - she is based in Tucson AZ while Ellen is in New Orleans. The Citron was so creamy of a paint and really covered in one coat. For my last EK paint use I ordered the Ultra Eggshell rather than the Matte since I like a bit of shine and it washes up better. Citron paint has some more intense colors.

Here is a link that might be useful: Citron Paint

I thought it might be helpful to post the Citron paint color pdf link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Paint Colors

A side note: you can often get a discount on the Ben Moore lines by opening an account at a BM store. We pay contractor prices for Aura, which is what I painted several rooms in this past year. I like it, and I like the EK too (we used Pumice). The Pumice is more chameleonlike than the BM colors, which it should be since it's a FS formulation. But the BM colors are beautiful too, and both went on very easily for me. There is a learning curve for the Aura, though -- can't futz with it too much, have to let it sit because it dries so fast -- and for trim, I was told to get the extender to keep the open time long enough to make sure trim was done right. I do love it, and it's less expensive than EK, and available immediately, no problem. I do love our EK Pumice, though--not criticizing it at all. Didn't officially need extender for the trim color (although I think I put some Floetrol in anyway, just to help it settle extra-smoothly).

There, does that help? :)

Mixed full spectrum or not, ICI's LifeMaster in eggshell is my favorite flavor of paint. It has it all IMO. No odor. Low VOC. 100% Acrylic. And it is as durable, washable, scrubbable as any other paint currently on the market. It has Aura matte beat in the no odor, low VOC and durability categories IMO. It's a low gloss eggshell, so it's visually not too shiny, but it still has that advantage of slip for cleaning and toughness. The price point FS or straight up is not expensive.

To compare paints fairly, you have to do the math priced per square not per gallon.

Again, mixed FS or not, just about everyone can paint with LifeMaster in egg and be successful. Touching up takes a certain knack, it all depends on the color.

So to answer the question, I've used plenty of EK colors and plenty of ICI paint -- great value.

Three Grad, I have a friend in Washington who is originally from New Orleans. As an artist, she is totally in love with EK's paints. Then she met Citron. Now, I have never used either but she says if you ever use Citron, you will be hooked. I think I would like to give them a try.

As for the regional issues....I have successfully used EK in Florida in a low-light, very shady house as well as a bright south-facing New England house. The stuff "works" everywhere.

I had Classic Cream in the old ICI Velvet Sheen formulation (pre-Lifemaster) in my kitchen and it was incredibly scrub-able and touch-up-able, even behind my espresso machine which is given to occasional explosions! :-)

I have Ellen Kennon's Mustard Seed in my DR. The other painted rooms (Lowes brand) do not compare to the full spectrum paint.

I'm painting a small room soon and considering BM's Aura line. Mostly to compare, but also for the convenience. We don't have a local Dulux store.

I have EK's Gustavian Grey, Rainbow Fog, Mushroom, Pumice, and Lichen. I love them all! They all transition easily from one room to another.
I combined Mushroom walls with Rainbow Fog ceilings for 3 large rooms that are open to one another. It was a surprisingly pleasing combination due to RF's chameleon-like properties. I also combined Lichen walls with a Pumice ceiling. Pumice is an interesting neutral which softly changes from pale grey through cream to green blue at different times of the day.

Sis! Someone else with Pumice! I thought I was the only one :). It's the walls and ceiling of our Master Bedroom, with walnut furniture and golden strand bamboo flooring. I wanted an almost non-color warm green grey color, and couldn't believe I'd found it.

Hi fly, yes, another Pumice fan here! The color is not easy to describe and its effects even more difficult to define, but it is certainly what I was hoping for!

Our family room walls are in Pumice. The room has a Doug Fir ceiling and pale stone floor with woven jute rugs. The furniture is dark wood tropical/British Colonial and the accent colors are blue, aqua to navy. I was looking for a soft neutral with green blue undertones.
To answer one of happyladi's questions, for me the "visible difference" between full spectrum colors such as EK's and regular paint is the lack of hard edges. Even the shadows are softer. The colors also seem to have more life.

Expanding on sis3's description, I have observed that while "regular" paint looks flat on a wall, the EK finish almost looks like you could run your fingers through it.

In my last house, due to a renovation where I cut through a wall to make a door, I had two perpendicular walls painted with the "same" color. One was BM Sherwood Green, the other was Ellen's match. They were the same color, yet quite different to my eye.

Another happy EK customer here. Painted my entire home located in Utah using EK colors nearly 4 years ago, and I love my room colors today as much as when they were first painted. I painted walls and ceilings the same color. I have an open house design, so colors had to easily flow from open area to open area. I used Mustard Seed in LR and part of DR; used Citrine in rest of DR, FR & kitchen. MBR is painted Shrimp, as is guest bedroom upstairs. Upstairs hallway painted Honeysuckle. And the semi-basement is painted either Sand or Terracotta Sand -- I can't remember which. All baseboard and trim throughout house was painted with Classic Cream.

I'm as delighted with the house colors and the feeling they evoke during the hot summer months, as I am during the cold snowy months. EK paints are just wonderful, and the full spectrum quality is truly special. I've found the walls easy to keep clean.

sis, Yum, Pumice, VG fir, stone...sounds just gorgeous. I notice that Pumice seems to go well with pretty much any color wood. (We have VG fir doors in that room with the bamboo flooring and the walnut furniture LOL). It's really a default cooler-than-beige neutral, IMO.

And by cooler I mean hipper, richer -- not just a cool vs warm color, although it is that, too. But not by much. It's a very warm green-bluish-gray. what's not to love :)

I'm in the Dallas area and have used Ellen's paints throughout my entire house and LOVE them! Considering paint makes the most impact in a room, they are well worth it! It's as if the colors are alive. We started with one room and after seeing how flat the BM colors looked next to hers, we ended up painting the entire house. Now we're looking at painting the exterior of our home after seeing new photos of exteriors done in her colors (see her blog & photos & reviews pages).

Here is a link that might be useful: Photos & Reviews of Ellen Kennon Paints

Thanks, Debbiedoes, for the link but it doesn't work for me. Not sure if it's the link or my computer. I'm glad to hear that you used Ellen's paints and loved them. What colors do you have?

My daughter is buying in Dallas, too.

Buttercream in main areas with Sage trim & Gustavian Grey ceilings throughout, Adobe MBR, H2 Ahh! MBTH, Pueblo kitchen, Magnolia office, Camelhair boy's BR, Cameo girls room, Tuscan Sun DR, Bronze powder rm, laundry & bath in Aqua. Sorry about the link. I'll try again.

Here is a link that might be useful: Photos of EK paints

The link doesn't work for me either.

I have a really dumb question. What is the difference between full spectrum paint and just regular paint? I've been using Aura. Be easy on me - I am new to decorating (especially with color - our old house was beige, beige, and off-white!)

Simply said, FS uses a full spectrum of pigments but not black which absorbs light. Other companies use lots of black & only 2-3 pigments, one of which is black. It's the way impressionist painters mixed colors to create their luminous paintings. Makes ALL the difference & is seen more when the paint is applied to an entire room. Some people can see the difference on small samples but most don't.

Debbie, thanks. Gustavian Gray is a color she is considering for her bedroom walls. The room faces north and she wants a light blue gray in there. Does yours sound like that? She is also considering buttercream. How do you like that color?

Gustavian Grey is a beautiful misty blue gray. Buttercream is a great pale yellow that ties everything together. I have it in my halls, too.

I thought I would post an update to this thread. Ellen mentioned this thread in her blog, this thread was linked.

My daughter did use her paint to paint several rooms. She talked to Ellen on the phone and really enjoyed their conversation. She said Ellen was very helpful.

She painted her bedroom Gustavian Gray. She gave Ellen the room size and Ellen told her to buy 3 gallons but 2 was plenty. She never even opened the 3d gallon but of course was unable to return it. That kind of hurts when it's $50.00 a gallon. I don't know why the amount was so off, perhaps my daughter gave incorrect dimensions.

Anyway, my daughter is very pleased with this color. It's very unusual. It's not really gray but it is. It also looks kind of blue and kind of green. I personally don't like it very much but I guess that doesn't matter since my daughter does.

She painted an office Olive. This color took two plus coats to cover since it is darker. I like it and so does my daughter.

She painted her family room and kitchen buttercream. I really like this color. Again, it looks different depending on the light. Sometimes it looks like a soft yellow, sometimes more beige. I like it better in the family room then the kitchen, however. My daughter's cabinets are maple and have a yellow tone. I think the wall color is too close to the cabinet colors. It looks okay but I would prefer more contrast.

But again, my daughter is happy with it. It is a pretty pleasant color. Ellen told her to buy 2 gallons but it took 3. I'm not sure why the amount was off, but it wasn't a problem to buy another gallon.

As for whether I can tell a difference between this paint and regular paint...honestly I can't. It's nice paint. It went on well. It looks very nice but I can't really say it looks better then the paint in my house that is Sherwin Williams and Behers. Maybe it's me because so many people seem to think it looks different but I don't really see it.

One thing my daughter said she liked was that there was enough choice of colors but not too many choices. I understand what she means. When you go to Sherwin Williams there are dozens of beiges for example. It's easier to pick colors when there are fewer colors to pick from. Two many colors can be overwelming but Ellen has enough but not too much.

I have an extra gallon and a half out of a four gallon order, if it helps at all. I keep trying to figure out what to do with it. Maybe repaint the room, now that it's been a couple of years...

Agreed on the spectrum of choices. It's also good that Ellen's limited palette is all "on", IMO, not just slightly "off", as I have found with a few other limited palette lines (won't name names, as it's just my taste, nothing objective).

Yes, I agree that it's easy to find colors you like with Ellen's paint. The colors are good.

I had the same issues with amounts as happilady's daughter. I came up short on Buttercream, but had lots of Chestnut left over.

We have five kids and I have used ellen's paint in my foyer, living room, landing to the kitchen and dining room. I wipe hand prints daily and it has worn like iron I have had it a year. I have it in my master bathroom. My husband and I tried over twenty samples of other paint including BM aura. Their colors are off. I cannot explain it but they are missing something. I have painted with BM regular and aura and sherwin williams and behr. Duron, restoration hardware etc. MY husband jokes I repaint monthly. I have had ellen's paint in my all those areas and I am finally very happy and SO many family and friends love the color. Aura does goes on nice but I hate the colors. I love ellen's paint and I will not use anything else now. I live in pa. It is a hour drive both ways to get the paint and my hubby said it is worth it. I can tell the difference but you need to be able to see the difference in the light outdoor also. I have blue eyes the eye doctor has explained that they are more sensitive to light. Maybe this is why I can see the difference. I have prescription sunglasses to protect my eyes. I had a really good doctor at wills eye and he explained that light eyed people are more sensitive to light and their eyes can get more damage and have many more eye problems. So maybe the people who see the difference have light eyes and the people who don't have brown etc. Just a thought. I think the paint goes on nice just like aura. Ellen's paint is the only paint I will use now. The finishes are great. I used more in a small bathroom that the living area. The drywall was brand new in the bathroom. I think that is why. I love restoration hardware colors also. I have had to wipe the kids walls and the paint comes off and also leaves a discoloration stain. I will repaint the walls up their with ellen's soon. I have five bedrooms to do it's alot of work. I know though that ellen's paint I can wash and have no problem.