What Are the Best Interior Paint Brands?
Interior paint quality varies dramatically. Here is what professional painters and design professionals use and why.
Benjamin Moore Aura: The Top Premium Choice
Benjamin Moore Aura is widely cited by professional painters and interior designers as the highest quality readily available interior paint. Its distinguishing characteristics: Color Lock technology that maintains color accuracy (the paint you see on the wall is the color you chose, not a slightly different version), exceptional hide (covers in 2 coats over most existing surfaces), a washability that holds up over years of cleaning, and a durable finish that resists staining and scuffing. Cost: $75 to $90 per gallon. For most interior applications: one of the best investments available in paint quality. Available exclusively through Benjamin Moore dealers (not big-box home improvement stores).
Sherwin-Williams Emerald: The Premium Alternative
Sherwin-Williams Emerald (specifically the Emerald Interior Acrylic Latex in eggshell or satin) is the other consistently top-rated professional interior paint. Its strengths: excellent washability (the urethane content provides exceptional durability), good hide in 2 coats, and a wide color range. Cost: $75 to $85 per gallon. Available at Sherwin-Williams stores (the paint center employees are typically more knowledgeable than big-box paint desk staff). The Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel: the best widely available paint for trim and cabinet applications.
Mid-Tier Options
Benjamin Moore Regal Select and Sherwin-Williams Cashmere: excellent mid-tier options at $55 to $70 per gallon that provide good coverage, good washability, and a quality finish for most residential applications. The premium vs. mid-tier difference: the premium products provide better hide in 2 coats (sometimes covering in 1 on lighter color changes), better long-term washability, and better color accuracy. For a budget-conscious whole-home repaint: Regal Select or Cashmere provide excellent results at a meaningful price break from the top tier.
Working With a Contractor on This Project
Getting the right outcome on any home services project starts before the work begins. A few consistent practices make the difference between a smooth project and a frustrating one.
Get at least two or three quotes. A single quote gives you no basis for comparison. Two or three quotes reveal the market rate for the work, expose scope differences between bidders, and let you assess contractor communication quality before any commitment is made. The lowest bid is not automatically the best value if the scope is thin or the materials are underspecified.
Ask for licenses and insurance before work starts. Verify current general liability insurance and, for any work involving workers on your property, workers compensation coverage. Licensing requirements vary by state and trade; confirm the specific requirements in your jurisdiction. A licensed contractor who carries appropriate insurance protects both parties if something goes wrong during the project.
Get the scope in writing. A written proposal that specifies materials, labor scope, timeline, what is included (permits, cleanup, disposal), and warranty terms is the foundation of a professional engagement. Verbal agreements on any of these points invite misunderstanding. For any project over $500, written scope is non-negotiable.
Clarify the payment schedule upfront. A reasonable payment schedule ties major payments to project milestones: a deposit at signing, a payment at material delivery or project start, and a final payment at completion after a walkthrough confirms satisfaction. A contractor who requires full payment upfront before work begins is a red flag in any trade.
How to Use This Guide
Finding the right contractor is the most important decision in any home services project. The criteria in this article reflect what distinguishes contractors who deliver excellent work from those who do not, based on the specific quality factors that matter for this type of work.
Use the criteria here as a screening framework, not a checklist to be completed mechanically. A contractor who scores well on the criteria that matter most for your specific project, home, and concerns is a better match than one who technically checks every box but does not communicate clearly or does not have local experience with your type of home.
The right contractor is one who provides a clear, written proposal with specific materials and scope, is licensed and insured, has verifiable local references from similar work, and backs their installation with a meaningful warranty. When you are ready to compare your options, use the button below to connect with qualified local professionals in your area.
Interior Painting Cost at a Glance
Small bedroom (10×10, 8-foot ceilings): $300 to $600 for walls. Standard bedroom (12×12, 9-foot ceilings): $400 to $800. Living or dining room (15×20): $800 to $1,600. Kitchen walls: $300 to $600. Full bathroom: $200 to $400. Whole-house interior for a 1,500 sq ft home: $3,000 to $6,000. Whole-house for a 2,500 sq ft home: $5,000 to $10,000. Premium paint (Benjamin Moore Aura, Sherwin-Williams Emerald) adds $500 to $1,500 to material cost but requires fewer coats and extends the repaint cycle.
Cabinet painting (door removal, sanding, priming, two coats of enamel): $1,500 to $5,000 for most kitchens. Wallpaper removal before painting: $1 to $4 per sq ft additional. Get itemized quotes specifying the paint brand, product line, finish, and number of coats before comparing bids.
Frequently Asked Questions
Benjamin Moore Aura (top tier, $75 to $90/gallon) and Sherwin-Williams Emerald (top tier, $75 to $85/gallon) are the most consistently recommended professional interior paints. Mid-tier: Benjamin Moore Regal Select and Sherwin-Williams Cashmere ($55 to $70/gallon). Big-box store brands (Behr Marquee, PPG Diamond) provide acceptable quality at lower cost but are generally not the first choice of professional painters.
Behr Marquee (the top Behr product, available at Home Depot): a good quality paint at $40 to $60 per gallon. It does not consistently match the coverage, washability, or color accuracy of Sherwin-Williams Emerald or Benjamin Moore Aura in head-to-head comparisons. For a DIY project where the cost savings matter: Behr Marquee is a solid choice. For professional painters and customers who want the best result: Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore top-tier products are the standard.
Yes -- measurably. Premium paints (Benjamin Moore Aura, Sherwin-Williams Emerald) cover in 2 coats where mid-grade paints require 3. They maintain color accuracy (the color on the wall matches the chip) where cheaper paints may not. They wash better over time -- a room painted with Aura 5 years ago and washed regularly looks better than a room painted with a budget paint at the same age. The $20 to $40 per gallon premium: usually paid back in fewer gallons (better coverage) and better long-term performance.
Any premium interior paint in satin or semi-gloss finish contains sufficient moisture resistance for most bathroom applications. For bathrooms with poor ventilation where mold is a recurring problem: use a paint specifically formulated with mildewcide additives (Benjamin Moore Aura Bath and Spa, Sherwin-Williams Emerald, or a product specifically labeled 'kitchen and bath' or 'moisture-resistant'). The mildewcide additives resist mold growth on the paint film surface.
Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel: the most consistently recommended product for interior trim and doors. Its urethane content produces a very hard, self-leveling finish that resists chipping, yellowing, and blocking (doors sticking to the door frame). Benjamin Moore Advance Waterborne Interior Alkyd: another top choice for trim and cabinets -- the alkyd chemistry produces a factory-smooth finish with exceptional durability. Both products are water-cleanup but cure to a hard alkyd-like finish over 7 to 30 days of full curing.