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Why You Shouldn’t Penny Pinch On Paint (Benjamin Moore Paint is the BEST!)

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Paint is ONE thing to not penny pinch on. Spending extra money on Benjamin Moore Paint made all the difference in finishing up this project!

Benjamin Moore Paint Project with Aura Paint

Even though this fluff up using Benjamin Moore paint was several years ago it's still one of my favorite ways to save on changing up my home!

Several years ago over Christmas, my husband and I (finally!) decided to build an office for me to work in (woohoooooo!) Because we don't spend any of the money made from my work on this site, it was a huge splurge, and I can't even begin to tell you how much I love having a desk all to myself. I still have a few more finishes before I'll share the pictures on that improvement, but because it sits directly across from my (*very red*) dining room, I knew it was time to make a few updates there as well (but didn't want to spend much!)

 

See, going from this peaceful blue/green to that very dark red was just too much!

So, with my son and husband out of town one weekend, I very much on a whim decided it was time to re-paint. (I'm still not sure if my sweet husband has forgiven me . . . he loved that red!)  But, we've had a red dining room for the last 16 years, so I was thinking it was time for an update?

Here's a peek at the before pictures . . .

And here's me in the middle of it, kinda' dorky but very happy because I could tell that the Benjamin Moore Paint was going to cover in just one coat . . . 

covering Red Walls with benjamin moore paint

  (Isn't that just amazing?)

And finally, the after.

Benjamin Moore Paint Dining Room Makeover

 

Here's what I spent:

  • Paint (I used Benjamin Moore Paint in the Aura version): $52/gallon and worth every. single. penny. This is the second dark room that I've painted using this brand, and it's taken me just one gallon and covered beautifully. I know it's expensive, but I'd much rather spend my money on one can of paint that allows me to paint only once. . . any other type would have cost $30 and I would have had to paint twice!
  • Spray Paint for mirror and lights: $4, twice. After painting the mirror and lamps silver, I decided to try them out in black.  I'm still not sure that I love them, but it took all of about ten minutes so I can switch them again if I need to!
And here's what I'm waiting on:
  • I'd love to get a new rug, but will be waiting until we save up cash (and find a good deal!). I received tons of great suggestions on Facebook on where to buy rugs inexpensively, and I'd love to hear if you have any more tips, so feel free to share!
  • A re-finished table. The table and chairs were my husband's grandparents', and while I've never been completely in love with them, they do have sentimental value as we've had them for quite awhile now, and eaten every Christmas meal there. At some point, I'd love to have them re-finished and add a slip-covered chair or two, but for now this will do!
If you're curious about the curtains (those were what seemed to get the most comments on Facebook!), I lucked into the best deal ever on those. 
My friend Nancy (who blogs at Real Food Allergy Free), called me one day and asked if I'd want black toile curtains from her grandmother's home as they were selling the house and no one else was interested. They fit my windows exactly, and I really do love them. (And those sweet silhouettes of my children? They were my souvenir from Disney World several years ago.)
If you have any tips on how I can find a new inexpensive carpet, I'd love to hear them! And, if you've tried any other paint that has covered like that I'd love to know . . . I really can't tell you how incredibly pleased I was to have this job finished in only a few hours.

If you're interested in more home updates, you can check out my new office over here, and also see how I updated those chairs in the photo! 

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