New technology and trends make room pop with color

As the paint season approaches, safer paints and new finishes and sheens stir up buyers’ interest.

For those into green or who have health concerns, the low- and no-VOC paints offer new waterborne technology whereby the paints release no or minimal pollutants into the air, and are odor free. Textured paints give interiors an artistic touch and come in several different patterns and colors. And different paint sheens can change how large or how light a room looks, and it can set the mood the homeowner wants to create.

Why low- or no-VOCs? In traditional paints, volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are released as a gas that contributes to poor indoor air quality. Today environment-conscious people want more e-friendly paints, especially homeowners with young children, pregnant women, people with allergies or respiratory problems, and those sensitive to the smell of traditional paint.

The new waterborne paints offer top-of-the-line, premium quality that covers thoroughly and dries in minutes. “When a client asks what I prefer to use, it’s the low-VOC,” said Steve McGarrity, owner of Fresh Coat Paints in Hinsdale. “I like them because they’re good paints. Paint technology has come a long way in the last few years.”

Most paint manufacturers now produce low- or no-VOC paints, including Sherwin-Williams, Home Depot and Benjamin Moore, which introduced its premium low-VOC Aura line last year and now carries Natura, which is a natural no-VOC line of paint.

Just like in the supermarket, everyone is looking for eco-friendly, safe products, said Bill Lagattolla, president of Mount Prospect Paint shop, a Benjamin Moore Paints dealer.

“We stock all the low- and no-VOC paints. Everyone’s using them — builders, painters, homeowners. And it’s so safe that even expecting moms can paint with it.”

Another plus is that low VOCs are not considered hazardous waste, so consumers can easily dispose of any leftover paints.

Jason Werr, president of JAW Builders, used low-VOC paints in his showcase green home in Wheaton. He believes low- and no-VOC paints should have happened a long time ago. “We’re building very tight homes, which creates toxic chemicals if people don’t use the right stuff,” he said.

A resource for consumers is Green Seal, a nonprofit environmental organization that certifies products as eco- friendly and also conducts tests that evaluate the coverage and durability of the paint. The group’s website, greenseal.org, lists 21 brands that have passed its environmental safety and performance tests.

Textured painting and faux finishes are popular trends in home décor that can give a plain wall a vintage look or an elegant finish.

Textures include the traditional popcorn finish often used for ceilings; smooth finish that provides subtle texture effects; and sand finish that gives a sand-textured finish with a grainy look. These paints come in a wide range of patterns and colors. Some home improvement stores have sample cards showing the different finishes.

George Havlicek, president of Havlicek Custom Builders in the Fox Valley, says he usually works through designers and painters for clients’ paint selections. “We’re too involved in building,” he said. “With the Internet, people are more familiar with what’s out there, and designers can spend more time with them.”

Gilberto Miranda, owner of Miranda’s Painting in Carpentersville, paints for some very high-end builders such as Avalon in South Barrington and Grand Tradition Homes in Barrington. Many of his clients want something different, and Miranda gives them ideas and samples of different textures that will give them the look they want.

“The paint depends on the client’s budget,” Miranda said. “If they can only afford plain paint for the whole house, then we’ll do the columns at no charge and make them look like stone. People really like that.

“At a home in Bartlett, we did a lot of faux finishes for a Tuscan look, and now we’re working on the basement phase with stone faux finishes on the ceiling. And we’re doing like a faux finish on the concrete floor.

“This house has a little bit of everything that’s new. We went pretty wild, and it looks beautiful. It’s really a show house.”

Mike Haas, owner of The Strawflower Shop in Geneva, recently completed three homes in brown and gold tones — also for a Tuscan look. “It’s interesting that these are three unrelated homes, and they all chose the same style décor,” he said.

On the other hand, Joe Eagle, owner of JME Painting & Decorating, also in Geneva, does repaints on middle- to upper-middle class homes. With the gloomy economy, he says clients aren’t asking for faux finishes because they are too expensive.

“They say let’s just get it painted. And some people only want the exterior painted because that’s something people can’t let go,” Eagle said.

For a bit of sparkle, higher paint sheens and metallic finishes are on the radar for 2011, according to the Paint Quality Institute. They predict that hallways and living areas will be painted in very glossy paint from top to bottom. More gloss means more reflectivity, which means more light. Gloss can subtly create a brighter, more upbeat mood in a home, but at the same time, it adds style and pizazz.

PQI also foresees that coupled with the high-shine trend, gold will return as both an in-demand paint hue and as a key metallic choice.

Blue will grow in popularity as not just a wall color but as a ceiling choice. And as a secondary or complementary hue, yellow or yellow-green adds a bit of spunk in family spaces.

“Now people are using bold colors in their homes and more color than they did years ago,” Lagattolla said. “We see a lot of custom blends.”

When it comes to woodwork, white reigns and replaces the look of natural wood. Eagle says he’s had paint jobs where people have beautiful natural woodwork and they want it painted.

“In Geneva, I worked in a home that had beautiful cherry woodwork, and the client said that’s (white paint) what my wife wants. I said that’s probably why I’ve been married three times,” Eagle said. “It lowers the value of a home and wastes a beautiful piece of woodwork.”

Other decorative paint ideas include stenciling; painting a geometric pattern or stripes on a wall; and engaging an artist do a hand-painted mural. We’re seeing a lot of this type of thing, said LaRue Agresti, interior designer in Geneva. “There are a lot of fun wall applications you can do with paint.”

Various types of paints produce these finishes.

Flat: Smooth, elegant finish

Flat enamel: Low-luster matte

Eggshell enamel: Traditional low sheen

Satin enamel: Silky pearl-like finish

Semi-gloss enamel: Sleek sheen finish

High-gloss enamel: Brilliant, glass-like finish

Paint trends

Ÿ Odor free paints

Ÿ Metalic paints

Ÿ Higher sheens

Ÿ Sand texture and patterns

Ÿ Brown and gold tones