Everyone knows that interior painting in the winter usually means days of leaving a window cracked to ventilate the space, dry the paint and eliminate the odor. Now there is a paint that will speed of the time of the project and eliminate these hassles.

Benjamin Moore, the leader in top quality environmentally beneficial paints, has two products that are ideal non- allergenic paints. Aura™, a latex paint with color lock technology, has waterborne colorants and a built-in primer. The biggest benefit of using Aura™ is that it has virtually no odor or irritating volatile compounds to pollute the air, which makes this an all around ideal performer for every room in the house. When the speed of the completion of the job is paramount this paint is preferred as it dries quickly and allows recoating in an hour. The walls will be completely dry in four hours and the paint surface can be scrubbed without removing any color. This is a wonderful benefit in hallways and children’s rooms. Painters love the ease of application and coverage (one coat will hide the deepest color without bleed through) and the ability to clean up with just soap and water. Aura™ is available in a variety of finishes (matte to satin) for both interior and exterior applications and is available in the entire palette of the Benjamin Moore colors on request. Other brands of paint have more water and a lower concentration of colorants, so they will not cover as well, the colors won’t be true and the walls won’t hold up to scrubbing.

For hospitals, spas, schools, bathrooms and assisted living facilities, Benjamin Moore Eco Spec Silver™ paint is the best choice. The elemental silver is an anti-microbial additive that extends the life of the paint by controlling the deterioration caused by mold and mildew. It doesn’t have any VOC’S (volatile organic compounds) and can also be cleaned up with soap and water.

To view photos of room settings using these paints and get inspired for your project, go to my website: www.jeancaryinteriors.com and click on the Color Consultations page.

— Jean Cary, Jean Cary Interiors