Remodelista

A simple coat of paint is an affordable way to revitalize a room. And, thankfully, there are now many paints on the market that are friendly to the environment and your health. A good resource is Inhabitat's Green Home Guide to eco paints, which rates paints from conventional manufacturers like Benjamin Moore to newcomers. Here are ten paints we like.

Above: Marstons Premium Paints from Marston & Langinger are available in three types: a gloss for inside and out, an exterior eggshell finish for exceptional durability, and a fine-finish matte interior paint.  Marstons Premium Paints are water-based, non-toxic, non-flammable, and virtually odorless, and when dry, completely safe for pets and children.

Above: C2 LoVo Non-Toxic, Low-Voc paint is a premium low-voc paint with infinite color options.  LoVo paint can be customized in any color, and is available in the full range of Philips Perfect Colors (see Paints & Palette: Philip's Perfect Colors) at G & R Paint Company.

Above: Devine Paints is an Oregon company founded by artist Gretchen Schauffler. The paint is low odor and meets the strictest green standards, requires only one coat, and creates a luminous surface. We especially like the Northwest-inspired palette.

Above: Bioshield Natural Paints offers "beauty without the beast." Their products include clay paints, milk paints, and solvent-free paints, including a special children's (Kinder) line with a soft pastel palette.

Above: Portland, Oregon-based Yolo Colorhouse offers premium, environmentally responsible paint products with a user-friendly color palette. Yolo offers poster-size color swatches with real paint ($5.95 each) and repositionable tape on the back that lets you try colors out on different walls and rooms without ever using a brush.

Above: The Old-Fashioned Milk Paint Company originally developed paint for wooden furniture. They now offer Safepaint, a newly formulated milk paint designed for use on walls. Milk Paint is environmentally safe and non-toxic (there is a slight milky odor when it is applied, but it is completely odorless when dry). The paint is safe for children's furniture and toys, and can also be used for interiors of homes of people who are allergic to modern paints.

Above: Benjamin Moore Natura Paint is a new, non-toxic, environmentally sensitive paint line from Benjamin Moore; the waterborne paint is now available in WA, OR, CA, and TX and will be available nationwide in spring of 2009.

Above: Mythic Paint is a non-toxic, ultra low-odor paint that provides the durability and coverage you expect from a premium paint without the off-gassing VOC’s and cancer-causing toxins that continue to emit for years after application. Made by Auro, a German company that now distributes in the US.

Above: Introduced in 1995, Rodda Paint Company's Horizon Paints are low-VOC, Green Seal–certified (free of all restricted components as defined by Green Seal), and contain an agent that inhibits the growth of mold and mildew on the surface of the paint film.

Above: Green Planet Paints are zero-VOC paints that have moved away from petroleum to a truly sustainable product made from plant resins and mineral pigments. Available in three finishes (flat, eggshell, and semigloss) and 120 mineral and clay-based colors.