Adding Color – Green+

For the first time in our "home building years" we have a house with color. Like many we have always built knowing that at some point we would be relocating so we would go with neutral colors to enhance resale. As this is our last house this side of the nursing home, we did not feel those constraints. Too, it offered the first chance to use the new generation of paints that do not come with the terrible off-gas issues common with traditional paints.

Interior -- The Goal is Beauty and Air Quality ... The Wide Spectrum of Green
We opted to use one of the best-known names in paints, Sherwin-Williams. Their new line of "green" paints --Harmony® Interior Latex (http://www.sherwin-williams.com/) -- can be mixed to match any palate. Yet, more importantly they have a low odor and no volatile organic compounds (the traditional smell of paint). The base formula comes in eg-shel, flat and semi-gloss. Harmony also is a good combination for our paperless wallboard in that the paint has anti-microbial properties.

We were very pleased with the quality of the paints and the great covering capability. But, we were most impressed with the fact that even while painting was in progress, there were none of the noxious fumes that often lead to headaches and allergic reactions. In the past we have often had to sleep with windows open for days or even weeks before the smell would diminish. With Harmony you can change your room color and enjoy the comforts of your room immediately without problems. While we chose a range of colors from Adobe (brown) to CityScape (blue/gray), all of the interior colors are truly "green".

Exterior -- The Goal is Low Maintenance
For those areas of the exterior where we need paint, we stuck with Sherwin-Williams. There we went with their Duration ® Exterior Latex Coating line. We were not concerned with off-gassing; rather the issue was durability. The advanced PermaLast(R) technology promises durable, long-lasting paints that are self-priming and promise no blistering, peeling and low maintenance.