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bostonpam_gw

fpe on walls with bm color - is it an ok strategy?

bostonpam
12 years ago

Today I visited a local store that carries FPE. Boy, FPE (and their website) is not very consumer friendly. I want to paint one room navy and my dining room a saturated red. Normally I have 6+ samples for each room. FPE pots are extremely limited and 1 liter cans are very expensive ($60+). I already have 70+ pints of BM samples from my other rooms. It would be much easier and cheaper to get samples in BM colors and then have it matched in FPE.

1. Will the colors really match? I hear there is so much more depth with FPE - will the BM color be different in FPE? Or should I pick a "close" color from FPE to the BM color I like.

2. Is FPE worth it for walls? I can see using it for cabinets that take so much abuse but what about walls?

The paint store had only 4 or 5 FPE fandecks and I picked 21 colors of navy from them. I probably could whittle it down to 6 - 8. I hate that there are so many choices and that's not even all FPE fandecks. I've been living with 5 samples of red in my dining room and I'm leaning towards BM 2080-20 Confederate Red. What are your thoughts? Thanks!

Comments (3)

  • Faron79
    12 years ago

    Yes, I know FPE has a dizzying amount of colors/fandecks!

    I've used Eurolux Matte in my downstairs bathroom, in a medium taupe/khaki called "Brown Cafe".
    (Their "Matte" looks like many brands "Eggshell" sheen though....)
    I REALLY like it...ONE coat of this looks like TWO of most other paints-IMO. It has such a rich "feel" when applying it...it's different than most paints.

    Check out my thread here called "Brushing Putty". You'll see a pic(s) of their putty/primer/paint I was using on our entry-door sidelites trim that had gotten beat-up from our Samoyed! The ECO-series "Brilliant" (Gloss) trim-paint is simply stunning...
    * I'll be adding more pics soon...

    Can't advise you on your "Reds", but I did try their "Wine Red" Eurolux on a WHITE board.

    >>> ONE coat looked great....I was dumbstruck. As sheer as most Reds can be, this was 99% opaque. COULDN'T believe it!
    (I've been in the upscale/independent retail paint-biz for a while)

    Faron

  • dancingqueengw
    12 years ago

    Ok. I LOVE FPE. I have a guest bath done in a Farrow and Ball color but in FPE paint. It is my favorite paint in the entire house. Do note though that F& B is an exceptionally high quality paint. I just can't get it in my area. I also did a guest room in a BM color made up in FPE, it's not as nice. That said I love working with FPE. I'm too chicken to try the putty but may get up my courage to use it on a cabinet in a lower level bath after reading what Farron has done.

  • andersons21
    12 years ago

    A few years ago, I did a comparison test of several brands of paint, including BM Regal, FPE wall paint, Behr, and a few others. I also read Donald Kaufman's book about full-spectrum paints and mixed some of my own colors using the finest quality pigments of artist's acrylics (after studying color theory a bit). My opinion, after all those tests, is that going from the low end Behr up to BM Regal is a big difference in appearance -- much better coverage, quality of appearance, and prettier colors from the better pigments. After that, going up in price to FPE or full-spectrum, I don't see much (if any) difference in my tests. BM Regal cleaned up just as nicely and looked just as good as the FPE. Read the MSDS for all these paints; all the high-quality paints are acrylic resin binders, titanium dioxide for coverage, and good pigments for colorants. Among the many brands using those quality ingredients for a wall paint, I don't see how there could be much difference other than marketing.

    However, I didn't get around to my painting project back then, and BM has different formulas for Regal now, supposedly better according to my local BM dealer. He also sells FPE now, and told me that an employee who was a long-time rep and fan of BM did his own tests of FPE and BM, very aggressive with brillo pads and all kinds of dirt, and concluded that FPE was superior in cleanability and durability.

    Even if this is true, how much durability do you need? I need to clean scuffs and dirt and dust occasionally, but I don't think our everyday life is brutal like a brillo pad. If I can touch up an occasional gouge, I'm fine with that. Besides, how many people really NEED a paint designed to last for many decades? If there's any chance you'll move or repaint just to get a different color in less than, 20 years or whatever the supposed lifetime of FPE is, you won't get your money's worth from FPE, which is supposedly in the longevity.

    In my opinion, among the many brands that make good-quality paint, the most important thing is to put a pleasing color on your wall, given the light and other surface colors in YOUR room. All brands have good and bad colors. FPE in particular, I'm not loving the colors. The big challenge in paint is not choosing a brand, it's getting the exact shade of color right for your room and your own preferences.