Why I think most people overspend on paint for interior rooms

Last week my neighbor repainted her living room and spent nearly $80 a gallon on that fancy brand with the built-in primer. I did my own living room 3 years ago using the mid-tier store brand from Lowes for $28 a gallon, and it still looks great after two kids and a dog. Everyone says you have to buy the expensive stuff for good coverage, but I did two coats on a 12x14 room and it covered perfectly. I used a 3/8 inch nap roller and got even finish without any splatter. Has anyone else had good luck with the cheaper paints or am I just lucky?

2 comments

2 Comments

blairsanchez19d ago

@nelson.gavin covered it well, the prep matters more than the paint price tag. I've used that same Lowes brand on three rooms now and the only issue came from a wall I didn't clean before painting. If you take the time to wash the walls and use painter's tape, the cheap stuff lays down just as flat as the premium.

nelson.gavin19d ago

Man I feel this so hard. I painted my bathroom with the cheap stuff from Walmart once and it looked great for about a year until my wife pointed out it was peeling near the shower, turns out I forgot to prime the drywall. But honestly for a living room like you did, I bet that lowes paint holds up fine as long as you prep right. I've wasted more money on expensive paint that dripped everywhere than I'd care to admit, so cheap and careful is probably the smarter play. What color did you end up going with?