Painting Walls Red

Behr dark reds Post By Gerald (Guest Post) (08/19/2008) I was trying to achieve a deep red from Behr (deep garnet red), and like everyone else, Home Depot worker told me to use a pink tinted primer and apply roughly 4 coats of red. The Behr red ruined everything. I had applied 2 coats as even as I could, and even with dry rolling, the walls had horrible streaks. Moreover, I had to cut in the red with the wall and ceiling that was 2 different colors, and the edges showed more nasty streaks. This a lesson learned; I'm never buying Behr paints anymore. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post by rg3 (1) | (08/13/2008) Contact I just painted our kitchen red (RL Hunting Coat Red) and pursuant to the tips I found on the Web, used Glidden's Gripper Gray primer, which I had tinted a little darker at Home Depot. It was kind of a battleship gray color. I applied one coat of the gray primer waited 24 hours and painted one coat of red which nearly covered. I applied a second coat on the third day and that's all it needed. One other trick I think helped, was I also used Floetrol, which is a paint conditioner (avail. at Home Depot, too). You pour out approx. 8 oz. of paint from the gallon container and add 8 oz. of the Floetrol and mix it in well with your stir stick. This stuff is great and will give your paint a smoother quality with no brush strokes. We were painting brand new drywall. See photo. No worries, I promise. So glad I listened to these posters who recommend gray primer instead of any other kind. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Janet (Guest Post) (08/13/2008) I made the same mistake years ago. However, I have since learned. Prime the walls with a gray paint and then you should be able to paint either one or two coats of any red. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By AJ (Guest Post) (08/10/2008) Well, now that I have read everyone's feedback, this is my nightmare and if anyone has any help with fixing, I would welcome it! I bough Behr Licorice Stick (red) color from Home Depot. The sales person said, tinted primer, which I used. I have done 2 coats and the walls look horrible! :o( Of course the salesperson said I will need 6 or 7 coats of paint! Are you kidding me! I waited 24 hours between coats and the walls are still sticky! Anyone have any ideas! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By hardenwilson (Guest Post) (07/31/2008) I painted our kitchen a deep red. Walmart has Kilz paints - primer built in. Worked great - 2 coats! Lovely finish. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Yogapaws (Guest Post) (07/25/2008) I used a professional company to paint my spare bedroom/den red. Choose Benjamin Moore Exotic Red in a pearl finish/Aura formula. They put two coats over the white walls -perfect. Bar harbor beige on ceiling & floorboards. There was no problem with the paint/color/coverage. Everything about the Aura is true- it is smooth and covered well. Unfortunately the first paint crew was sloppy cutting in and sanding so it had to be done over. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By TeeTee. (Guest Post) (07/23/2008) Oh my God! How ironic. I am in the same position today. I am sitting here looking at the horrible red wall. Can you share with me your solution? I used a primer as well but the red paint looks bad. Roller marks are everywhere. Help! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Denise (Guest Post) (07/12/2008) THANK YOU! to everyone who posted about painting walls red. Unfortunately, I discovered this site after my first experience with red Behr paint and a raspberry-looking primer (Believe me, it was a mess.) But I followed the advice here and switched to Lowe's Valspar paint. Lowe's (and this site) recommended grey tinted primer before painting. Primer was done and the first coat of Radiant Red looks good but I will add a second coat for good measure. I am so thankful for this site and the information that I found. No more Behr paint for me! Valspar only. Thanks again. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Tina (Guest Post) (07/08/2008) Help! I started painting the walls in my laundry room sachet red from behr. The home depot guy sold me some behr pink primer. I primed everything waited 24 hours I have painted one small wall and want to cry. It looks horrible! Blotchy, streaky just plain crumby! After reading all of the posts here I will be starting over with a grey primer and better rollers. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Heather (Guest Post) (06/22/2008) I painted my walls with a dark reddish brown by behr in a satin finish. I painted over a beige flat builder paint without primer. The reddish color is under my chair rails, which are bright white. The first coat was terrible. The second coat went on well. I used Lancaster Blue from Ralph Lauren for my accent wall. I am pleased with both the Behr and Ralph Lauren. I still have some finishing touches to go, but the results are great so far. However, my next-door-neighbor decided to put up chair rails and paint her walls the same color as my bottom color. She did not use a primer either and she painted the reddish color over a satin white. Angry over her decision to paint in the same colors, I said that I hoped the paint peels off the walls. I know that I don't possess magical powers, but her paint literally peeled off her walls within hours. Home Depot did not recommend a primer at all. They said that if she painted enough coats, she wouldn't have an issue. My brother-in-law is a professional painter and recommends Behr paint, but he said to always use a primer. Could her lack of primer have caused her paint to peel off? She covered a satin finish with a satin finish. Could that have been the issue? Do you think my paint will peel off the wall? We both painted in our living rooms. I've heard of bathrooms peeling, but not living rooms. I do know that next time I will be careful what I say since the practically impossible can happen when painting. Although, never in my mind would I have imagined that the paint would peel off like it did. Any ideas? We are at a loss, but we will be making a trip to Home Depot to get her money back. We are returning the unused paint and all the paint that she peeled off the wall. We've taken pictures and will be getting those developed to take with us as well. Help! We don't even know how to fix this. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Steff (Guest Post) (06/01/2008) Choese Valspar eggshell finish from Lowe's Waverly palette, color Cinnbar. Primed my kitchen walls (which only had cheap builder's flat on them) with Valspar latex primer tinted to medium gray. Let dry for 4 days, as a heavy coat was required, due the the dryness of the existing flat. Applied first coat of Valspar, it is thicker, like pudding. Used a 3/8 nap roller. Now, all darker colors definitely show more flaws, so if you want red, be sure to use the lowest sheen factor you can. Let 1st topcoat dry for 4 days also. Applied and finished second coat of Cinnabar today. While not a "perfect professional" job, I am pleased with the color and the work. Be sure to mask carefully! I would definitely use the Valspar again; much better coverage than Behr. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Jeana (Guest Post) (05/24/2008) Thanks for all of your great suggestions.... I wanted to tell you that if you're going to remove the red, I was told by a professional painter to coat over the red with either a dark gray or black. Sounds crazy, but I once painted over a merlot red wall and tried doing it just by painting with with white latex and it took me something like 10 coats of white paint. It kept coming out pink. I'll be painting my kitchen a red tomorrow and I'll take all of the wonderful suggestions to heart! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post by hof1800 (1) | (05/14/2008) Contact I have started to paint this back wall in my kitchen in "Luscious" by Behr. I used a tinted pink primer and allowed 24 hours between the primer and all my next three coats of the red. It looks horrible! It is streaking and blotchy!! I am willing to put on more, but I'm wondering if I should switch at this point to a different brand, or just keep painting I'll post the final picture once it's finished. Has anyone else had problems like this? I wish I used this site prior to painting. I'm wondering if it's the Behr brand. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By DC Painter (Guest Post) (04/29/2008) I am so happy to have found all of this feedback! I started painting with an Ace paint tinted "Palace Arms Red" which I bought from a hardware store locally. They said they couldn't mix this color into a Pratt & Lambert velvet, which I used w/ a lighter color on two other walls and it's a beautiful 1-coat result (pink)! Now, the wall I did in deep burgundy was a disaster! It literally took me 9 hour to paint a 5x12 wall (with a window in it too)! I lost track of how many coats I put on top of the white paint. I cannot cut-in to save my life, either! I always use tape and don't peel it off until the next day. I still end up with some peeling off. But I did have the problem of some of the paint "lifting off" when I removed the tape. Like I could just PEEL the paint right off! So I am going to the hardware store tonight to buy some gray primer for my fourth and final wall in that burgundy color. This wall is twice as big and NO WAY am I spending 18 hours on it! I couldn't believe how difficult it was to paint that wall. It looks okay, but I have to touch up some faint areas and brush marks. Thanks everyone for the recommendation for the gray primer! This will hopefully save me time and my poor arm (which is still sore). Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By /ANN WALTON (Guest Post) (04/22/2008) Be sure to use a primer first. My husband, painted my libiary bright red. He didn't use a primer first so he had to do about 8 coats of Sherwin William paint before the walls looked nice. He said never again! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Heather (Guest Post) (04/14/2008) Yesterday I painted an accent wall in my living room Tibetian Red from the Valspar Lowes signature collection. I did not use primer. Needless to say it is a nightmare! I found this website today and went to a Rodda paint store about an hour ago and told them my dilema, and what I have been reading on this website. They told me that grey primer is good, but that a brown tinted primer is even better because of the oxides in the yellow base. They said one coat of primer, and probably 2 coats of my paint color should cover and fix my problem. I just wanted to share the new information about brown tinted primer since it has not been mentioned previously. We'll see...primer will go on tonight and I'll let it dry for a day, then try again with the red tomorrow. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Carrie (Guest Post) (04/12/2008) Okay, it worked! Two coats of gray primer, two coats of red on top and it is perfect! I used Valspar paint from Lowe's in a satin finish. Just to repeat someone's suggestion further down; use a razor/knife when you go to peel the tape if it has been on for a while or you have numerous coats (11 in my case), so you don't peel up the paint. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Carrie (Guest Post) (04/11/2008) Today was the sixth day I worked on the "red" room. No one at Home Depot suggested primer when I bought the red paint. After 2 coats, it was obvious I needed primer. Unfortunately, I didn't ask, no one told, and I put on 2 coats of white primer. After 4 coats of red, coverage was still streaky and poor. Finally I discovered the suggestions for gray primer. I did two coats and tonight put one coat of the red on top of that. It's not great yet, but much better already. I would have to say that a very good primer is the key. Sherwin Williams tints it to the exact shade of gray that is best for your shade of red, and waiting a long time between coats. Keeping my fingers crossed for coat 2. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Grub (Guest Post) (04/04/2008) If you want some awesome red paint buy "Aura" paint from Benjamin Moore. It covers easily in 2 coats over a gray primer. I am sold on this paint. If you want to paint a deep or primary color it is worth the money! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By goodtimes (Guest Post) (03/22/2008) It's not the paint or primer more, its your technique. Don't let these people scare you into more expensive paint. I used white primer and 3 coats of red behr paint all from home depot. The job turned out very nice. Get a book or find a site on proper painting and you'll be alright! Report Spam or Abuse Baseboards for Red Rooms Post By Stacy (Guest Post) (03/15/2008) Hi - do any of you have advice on baseboards for red rooms? I painted my family room Ralph Lauren Duke Red (5 coats over pink primer - agony!). My floor is travertine tile. I have two sets of stairs into the room; both are varnished oak. I am seriously confused about baseboards. I want "tall" baseboards - at least 6 inches, right? But the white seems too bright. The oak is SO expensive (and hard to find) if you are looking for 100 feet of 6" tall baseboards. Other options?? I notice that in most of the photos here you have gone with white baseboards - but I don't see it looking good between the oak stairs, the travertine tile and the red walls. White would be too stark in that room. Help!? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Angela (Guest Post) (03/06/2008) Yes, thank you all for the valuable feedback! I am a creative and environmentally conscious sort so I took a huge risk when I decided to paint my kitchen red with 2 very different color reds that a neighbor had given me. I only had a half gallon of each! I lightly sanded the areas to be painted, purchased Glidden interior/exterior Gripper gray primer at Home Depot and had them tint it even darker (+B050). One coat of the primer, then one coat of the lipstick red that after it dried was a really deep merlot, and finally one coat of the flaming red and my walls have a designer hue and finish. I figured if I was going to have a problem with bleeding I wanted a deep rich color under the vibrant red I was hoping for. It's awesome! Helpful tips: 1) Behr paint sucks! I made the mistake of purchasing some last year for my bedroom. I open the can, did a test patch and immediately ruled it out. Something about the pigmentation in the paint that doesn't allow it to have a deep richness. It appears chalky even for the deep brownish color I chose. 2) Gray Primer is a must! Let it dry overnight before painting. 3) When working with the difficult semi-gloss, DO NOT just peel the tape off after drying. Score the corners with a box cutter before peeling off and savor the very professional clean finish afterwards!!! Thanks again and good luck! Angela P.S.- The leftover paint I used was Evermore brand in semi-gloss. Total cost including paint supplies $16. Cost to environment, one less gallon of paint to be disposed of. : ) Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Angela (Guest Post) (03/06/2008) Yes, thank you all for the valuable feedback! I am a creative and environmentally conscious sort so I took a huge risk when I decided to paint my kitchen red with 2 very different color reds that a neighbor had given me. I only had a half gallon of each! I lightly sanded the areas to be painted, purchased Glidden interior/exterior Gripper gray primer at Home Depot and had them tint it even darker (+B050). One coat of the primer, then one coat of the lipstick red that after it dried was a really deep merlot, and finally one coat of the flaming red and my walls have a designer hue and finish. I figured if I was going to have a problem with bleeding I wanted a deep rich color under the vibrant red I was hoping for. It's awesome! Helpful tips: 1) Behr paint sucks! I made the mistake of purchasing some last year for my bedroom. I open the can, did a test patch and immediately ruled it out. Something about the pigmentation in the paint that doesn't allow it to have a deep richness. It appears chalky even for the deep brownish color I chose. 2) Gray Primer is a must! Let it dry overnight before painting. 3) When working with the difficult semi-gloss, DO NOT just peel the tape off after drying. Score the corners with a box cutter before peeling off and savor the very professional clean finish afterwards!!! Thanks again and good luck! Angela P.S.- The leftover paint I used was Evermore brand in semi-gloss. Total cost including paint supplies $16. Cost to environment, one less gallon of paint to be disposed of. : ) Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By cranapple (Guest Post) (02/25/2008) We're currently using Behr cranapple for our dining room. Following the suggestions form the store (when it didn't cover in a test area) we bought a gray primer and extra black pigment to darken it from a light gray to a darker, sort of 'battleship gray'. The cranapple is now covering. 1 coat wasn't good, but the 2nd coat of red did the trip. The paint guy didn't push the tinted pink/red primer. He pointed right to using gray. Thanks for all the tips! We've used Behr and Sherwin Williams both in the past, but this is the only deep, dark color we've tried from either brand. It's also the only color that's caused trauma. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By A Buckley (Guest Post) (02/25/2008) Anytime you paint with a dark color, always, always, always tint the primer. This way, you'll use two coats of inexpensive primer and one coat of expensive wall paint. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Jan (Guest Post) (02/24/2008) I am in the middle of painting a room a deep red with Behr paint. I am on the 4th coat and can still see where I cut in the corners. I used a white primer. I am not sure if it is the paint or the color of paint is the problme since this is the first time I have used this brand of paint. The ceiling paint of Behr looks good and I only have done one coat so far. I will never let my 15 year old pick out paint again. Report Spam or Abuse ralph lauren red Post By cj (Guest Post) (01/28/2008) I love my dinning room in Ralph Lauren's true red, but now I need a neutral color for the rest of my open concept house. I have gray tile and ginger stained cabinets in the kitchen w/ yellow faux French provincial look. Any suggestions? I don't want anything too dark, though I love taupe. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By John The Painter (Guest Post) (01/28/2008) What you have is called flashing. Re-cut the room use their flat enamel or a satin smooth even strokes from top to bottom. Then lightly go over again witha wet roller top to bottom again. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post by Charidy (3) | (01/21/2008) Contact I painted my livingroom and office with behr paint I LOVE IT! It only took 1 coat. It seems red is just a hard color to paint. I was going to paint my hall red, not anymore!lol Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By dianec. (Guest Post) (01/19/2008) Feedback NEEDED I have wallpaper that was put on w/o preparing the wall, we kilzed over the wallpaper with a latex base kilz. I am wanting to paint the walls red and was told I need a oil based primer. If I use that can I use a latex base paint? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Hallie from Louisville (Guest Post) (01/17/2008) Oh, how I wish I would have found this site BEFORE I began my painting adventure/nightmare. I, too, purchased a red Behr paint from Home Depot, along with their recommended pink primer. The primer went on fine...but I knew with the first brush stroke of the red paint that it would be a disaster. After THREE heavy coats (with a day of drying in between), my poor walls were still streaky and nasty. So, following the advice of you great people, I went to Sherwin Williams and started from scratch. They recommended a GRAY primer and 2 coats, and I have to tell you, after just one coat, I won't need the second. I couldn't believe the difference in quality, not to mention that SW uses a RED BASE instead of white. The results are positively amazing! So, to the next person who reads this, instead of days of frustration and sore arms, just pay the extra $5 per gallon of paint and go with a brand you can trust. I will never, ever use Behr again. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Dee (Guest Post) (12/26/2007) What a major pain. I do not want to spend a lot on my townhouse so was stuck working with beige and white in my bathroom because of what is there. I wanted to paint the ceiling beige, walls burgundy and trim white. Well the walls have been a full time job and a total nightmare. I also backed up and got the pink primer (2 coats). But after 4 coats of red on top, I can still see the light behind the red, lots of streaking where the brush was used at edges and streaks and tiny air bubbles from the roller, no matter how little paint I put on it and how slow or fast I went. It was good quality CIL Delux paint, but it seemed to be more thin and slippery than any I have used before (and I have painted with this paint a lot). I lost it just now and pulled the tape off and am going to start again from scratch, sand it down to get rid of streaks and bubble marks and just do the walls and ceiling in the beige and accent it with burgundy items which match the decor set I bought. I am NEVER painting red again, at least not a satin or semi, that may be a big part of the problem. It seems to be the worst colour to paint with and I was warned that it is a very difficult pigment. Also, once I got it on there the bathroom became quite dark, the light absorbed into the walls. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Sasi (Guest Post) (12/13/2007) Does anyone know how to paint a lighter shade on a darker one? I painted my walls burgundy (Kilz) on a single coat of white primer and am left with roller strokes and brush strokes. It looks ugly. I have to do another coat on it but not sure it would look good. Is it possible to easily paint a lighter shade on it or do i have go through another ordeal? Would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks, Sasi Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Dan (Guest Post) (11/23/2007) I guess I'm in the same boat as most people here. We decided to paint our hallway and stairs a nice burgundy after I built a new wall to divide an open concept office from the hall. We primed both sides of the wall with a white, and the office became this deep indigo, which is beautiful, and went on pretty much with one coat--though we did two for kicks. But the burgundy has been a nightmare. Most of the hall had been a browner burgundy, so it covered pretty well, except we could still see streaks and dark-light strips. The new wall we have painted about 7 times. I've gone through two cans of paint and just bought the third, because it still doesn't look right. But I have to defend Home Depot. While the guy who initially sold me the paint just laughed and said "you're going to need a lot of coats" today when I went to buy my third can, I asked for some advice and a different gave me really good advice and techniques. It helped that it was early in the morning and he wasn't busy, but he also had been a professional painter, and gave me some techniques I have read here. I've tried to use them, and have my fingers crossed. This has been a two week ordeal (it's a HALLWAY for crying out loud!) so I want it to be done! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By vinny (Guest Post) (11/15/2007) I had the same problem as you. I primed with a tinted pink primer and I still had to put 4 coats of red paint over it to get rid of the streak marks. Don't be alarmed because it seems that it is the magenta in the red that causes the streak marks so it is not only you that it is happening to. Also, you should wait at least a day in between coats to allow the paint to properly soak into the wall. I still see a little streaking in my wall but over time I think it will fade. Good luck to all the red paint fans out there-- it is not easy and patience is required. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post by llnman2003 (1) | (11/13/2007) Blog! | Contact We painted our kitchen antique red by behr, I used kilz , grey gripper by glidden & 3 coats of red. It looks so thick, streaked, glossy & dull with severe brush strokes. I NEED HELP! What can I do to fix these problems? Or can I? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By KATHY (Guest Post) (11/12/2007) We just painted our living room "quite red" and realized we should have gone to a more earth tone to match the rest of the house. So we went back for "heirloom red" which was a little darker. We also switched to satin over semi gloss. The first brush stroke was awful, sticky and unforgiving. I checked this site and was drawn to the Floetrol. The girl at Lowe's said we would have to start over with a grey primer but I bought the Floetrol anyway. The paint went on without a problem and will probably only need one more coat. I am thrilled with the result. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post by ejmell (1) | (11/02/2007) Contact I need suggestions for painting walls red with a faux finish. I want to have a deep rich red in my dining room and a subtle faux finish (so it still has a deep red color when done). I am having trouble finding help on the web. If I am choosing the darkest red on the paint strip for my base color, do I go one or two shades up to tint the glaze? I don't want the color to look like a washed out red. I did see one picture on the web where a black tinted glaze was used on red. Any suggestions would be appreciated. (I do know to use a high quality paint) If this isn't where I am to post this, let me know where I should. I am new to thrifty fun. Thanks!!!! Judy Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Bridget (Guest Post) (10/31/2007) Rae, yes that guy was an idiot. Sure you don't need primer if you're going to paint 6 coats! Get the grey primer - you should truly only need one coat primer and 2 coats red. Wait one full day between them, though. Day one red will look bad, after the second coat dries a full day, beautiful! Roni, the glaze sounds like a great idea over the textured wall! Post a photo when you're done! Report Spam or Abuse Faux to fix Post By Roni (Guest Post) (10/30/2007) Have any of you tried a faux glaze over your red? I am about to paint one wall in my master but have textured the walls and will glaze over the red with a dark color like really dark brown or taupe- a venetian plaster finish. Mix 1/2 & 1/2 color glaze and clear glaze. Paint a small area (1ft x 1 ft) and rag it off with a cotton t-shirt as much or as little as you want. Leaves a beautiful finish and MAY take care of some of the streak problems. Don't know. I am really scared after reading all these posts! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Rae (Guest Post) (10/29/2007) I just went to Home Depot yesterday and picked up some Behr red paint. I asked about primer and he said I didn't need it, just put on 4-5 coats with about 6-8 hours in between. Was the guy an idiot? Should I try and go back and complain that I was given poor advise and try and get my money back? Thank you! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Jodi (Guest Post) (10/24/2007) I just painted an accent wall in my kitchen with Behr Firebrick. I didn't use any primer as recommended by the man from Home Depot. I painted over panneling and it looks beautiful. Two coats of paint was all it took. I can't wait to finish the rest with Behr Melted Butter tomorrow. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Bridget (Guest Post) (10/24/2007) Here's the before and after pics of my "new" dining room with Eddie Bauer Cranberry in eggshell finish....I LOVE it! We took out the carpet and put in wood floor, and my husband added the crown moulding which is also a nice touch. The red is awesome. (Ok, so the curtain's just tacked up there, but when I get those rods up, and a new light fixture it will be great!) Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Shauna (Guest Post) (10/23/2007) I have just painted my son's room red. After using a pink primer as suggested by the Home Depot employee first(I put on 2 coats) and waiting 24 hours I applied my first coat of red. To my horror and nobody telling me about using red paint the walls looked TERRIBLE. There were different colors of red and streaks everywhere. I thought with time the streaks would be gone. NO. I phoned Home Depot and they told me that maybe I should use a different brush or just wait. They also asked if I used the W painting method. DUH. After waiting 24 hours it still looks terrible. Does anyone know on how to fix the streaking? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By unhappy customer (Guest Post) (10/16/2007) I have the same problem, I have painted with a primer and three coats and I can see my paint lines. So much for consumer reports "best buy". I have contacted Lowe's and they haven't heard of such a problem. I painted a garnet burgundy. 3 coats later! Still looks terrible. Have you heard anything else? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By S.K.H. (Guest Post) (10/13/2007) First, I am part of construction outfit that paints 2000+ gallons a year in all sorts of applications. The following advice comes from 7 years of experience in all sorts of situations and applications: To be blunt, most people at Home Depot do not know the handle from the bristles of a paintbrush. Sorry to be so harsh, but truth is truth. When painting a hard to paint color such as red, avoid the cheaper lines of paint from Home Depot and such places--their paint is horrible quality despite their commercials on TV. Instead, go to a professional paint store such as Sherwin Williams or Porter. Sure it costs more, and is a little intimidating, but you actually get more coverage from their paint and better results. Just be up front with them and tell them what you are trying to do and tell them your level of experience in painting so they do not assume you are a contractor. Most will be happy to explain everything in exact detail, match your paint color, and suggest the proper paint types for your application. It also helps to purchase brushes and roller covers from these stores.. They have higher quality brushes that enable amateur painters to get stunning results. I have had 5 guys in the past 6 months say, "Wow. I never knew their was such a difference!" when hey started using a Corona brush ($30). (I hire newbie painters all the time.) Get enough tinted primer for your red. Apply the primer evenly at around 60-70 degrees. Then evenly apply 2 finish coats allowing a few hours to lapse after the paint is dry to the touch between coats. If it is not even, apply another. One thing many people are not aware of is there is more to painting than simply rolling paint on the wall. You can find advice videos on HGTV and DIY that show you how to roll and brush paint on correctly and evenly and the proper steps of ho to 'cut-in', mask, etc. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Jen (Guest Post) (10/12/2007) Just painted red walls in living room. We used a gray primer and Ralph Lauren paint. One coat of each was all it took - they look fabulous. I don't normally splurge on name-brand, but the clerk told me this was the cheapest and quickest way. Glad I did! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Khyati (Guest Post) (10/11/2007) I did some research before painting my accent wall red this past weekend and I'm glad I did. I went to Home Depot and they suggested a gray primer because a white primer mixed with red would leave a pink color. So, as suggested on the can, I did two coats of the gray primer and two coats of the brick red. And it looks beautiful! The results are great and though I got lazy around the edges, I'm really happy with my new red accent wall. So, don't shy away from using red, you'll love it. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By B&F Interior Painting (Guest Post) (10/07/2007) When painting red on any wall, gray flat paint should be used first. The flat paint will cover all blemishes that can be found on walls. If you are filling nail holes or hair line cracks, a non shrinking compound should be used and sanded. Now comes the use of brushes, everyone wants to save money but by doing this you will cause brush strokes. I use brushes primary made by Purdy, they are premium brushes and they leave no brush strokes. Now comes the roller covers, everyone I know uses 3/8 nap, but I found that the 1/2 nap works well. Holds more paint and less roller tracks. When rolling start in the middle of the wall where you are about to start. Roll up and then back down through the area where you placed you roller, this is call the paint well. Do not go in the W pattern as most writeup will tell you, this gives you missed spots. The roller cover holds enough paint to do four stripes before reloading. Now as you paint and move left to right or right to left, you need to thin out what was placed on the wall and to do this is to go over what was painted. this thin out the paint to the right thickness needed for a fine finish. If you should see roller tracks this is telling you that paint is needed. These need to be fixed before they dry or they will stay with you forever. The only way to fix them is to re-sand that area an then repaint. Good luck, ffeltes AT sbcglobal.net Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By karen (Guest Post) (10/03/2007) Using Behr paint from Home Depot, California Poppy. I have done 2 coats and it looks awful and streaky. They did not recommend primer AT ALL, and just mixed the paint and sent me on my way. I can see this is going to be fun....NOT. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Audrey (Guest Post) (10/01/2007) I decided to paint the walls of my guest bedroom in red. An intense Merlot (Titanium paint from Kent's). This, mind you, after having mistakenly taken my friend's suggestion to paint the walls in a warm shade which ended up looking like electric bubblegum pink. I was trying to warm up the room from dull white, but the pink made me want to kill someone. So I tried to cover it, at first with primer in white, with no luck, and then with some remnant blue mixed with whatever leftover paint I had. The finish product was a peculiar purplish-grey. On this, I painted the Merlot. It went on like butter (expensive paint but worth every penny) and after two coats (I am a perfectionist) I could not see anything but an intensely beautiful shade that makes me so happy that I slept in the room for 2 weeks before returning to my master bedroom. Everyone who visits sleeps well in that room and feels content, welcome and at ease. Grey, or what turned out to be grey as primer worked for me. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By ArtE (Guest Post) (09/28/2007) Having same problem have 4 coats looking better each time.I think color is a problem as car paint red seems to be hard to properly apply, try another coat or prime and paint another color Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Fslone (Guest Post) (09/24/2007) I painted the top half of my dining room red this weekend. I plan to paint gray under the white chair rail next weekend. I used one thick coat of Sherwin Williams real red with no primer. The walls had been painted white last November. It looks awesome in all lighting. Report Spam or Abuse Home Depot is now recommending grey?? Post By Bridget (Guest Post) (09/19/2007) I'd just like to comment on the last post. Home Depot would never recommend a gray primer - that's one point in all these posts. They recommend pink even though the Glidden idea board is posted in the paint section and shows gray to be best for reds (so your current pink would have been fine according to them). I'm not real sure about painting a little girls room RED - that's a color suited for living or dining areas. I'd reconsider that one, as it would be unnerving to her after some time. Also, if you really want to start over, it would not be best to use "ceiling paint" (not sure what that is), it would be best to use Kilz, or whatever high-hiding primer you choose, that would best cover the multiple colors you have going on there. Just my humble opinion. To anyone following the posts, my Cranberry dining room is done and it looks gorgeous! After the crown molding is up, I'll post pics :) Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By (Guest Post) (09/18/2007) OMG...this same thing happened to me just this week. I was painting red in my daughters bedroom over a pastel pink. Using Behr paint from Home Depot...they advised using that grey primer too and it's horrible. I'm going to buy some white ceiling paint do the walls with that then start fresh without that crumby grey primer. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Tamara (Guest Post) (09/16/2007) I am just in the middle of trying to paint my living room with the "Frosted Pomegranate" shade by Behr. I started with a gray primer (Glidden Gripper), but the red, which is supposed to be a very intense Marlboro red, turned out a kind of brick red. A Behr technical representative said I should have used a tinted primer, and this is where the Home Depot salesperson and I got creative: She suggested using a Zinsser tinted primer, but she could only get it to a medium pink shade. I asked her for extra (!) pigment, but she said she was unable to add it to the primer at the store, because there was not enough room at the top of the can. I procured an extra container to which she added the extra pigment and I mixed it into the primer using a larger container at home. That got the primer to a cyclamen shade. The first coat of red went on pretty well per se, but unfortunately I had chosen a satin sheen, which went on totally waxy and looked more like semi-gloss or gloss. Also, the paint was sagging like crazy! It was a nightmare to process. The coverage was lousy, too. To remedy the situation, I tried to go with the recommendations of some people on this forum and tried to procure the Valspar paint in this shade. Unfortunately, the best they could do at Lowe's was the "Arizona Cardinal" shade, which is more tomato-like and not as deep and rich as the "Frosted Pomegranate." As I needed to match a piece of artwork in the red shade, the Valspar paint was no good, because it clashed rather awfully. I ended up going back to Home Depot and bought the desired color shade not from Behr but from Ralph Lauren paint. Slightly more expensive but a good quality paint. The shade was only a little bit off (no color clash though), but it applies fantastically. I have applied 2 coats over the primer and the one coat of satin Behr so far and expect I need one more (two at the most). This seems to work well. So, all of you who want to choose Behr shades of red, Ralph Lauren seems a very decent and easy-to-apply alternative to the Behr paint. On the other hand, I have to say that I have worked with Behr a lot and have achieved very good results with all other shades. The red was the only problem shade. All pastels and medium dark shades went on fine and processed very easily. However, the Ralph Lauren paint does seem to be a cut above. Hope this input helps a bit. Oh, and if there are any of you in the Washington Metro area who still need some of the Valspar "Arizona Cardinals" red paint, I have 2 gallons and 1 quart left. If you're interested, please contact me at tamara.koch AT mindspring.com. I also have about 3 gallons left of the Behr "Frosted Pomegranate" if there are any takers. :-) Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Mary (Guest Post) (09/15/2007) ok, I am now scared! I was going to paint the bottom half of my dining room a pretty barn red.... I think I will wait until I become BRAVE AGAIN! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By JazzyD (Guest Post) (09/13/2007) I just did the same thing, and yes, painting with Red is very challenging but extremely worth it. I used the pink primer which I'm told is the best. A little ugly to look at for the first day, but it works awesome. I did two layers of red, and got anxious because I still saw streak marks! THEY WILL GO AWAY! Let the paint dry for a full day! Also, on your last coat, do the trimming first, to avoid streak marks. You have to be patient with it, and let it be. Red has a mind of it's own, but it looks awesome in the end. p.s. Accenting the room with black accessories looks really sharp! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Bridget (Guest Post) (09/03/2007) Richard, please upload a photo - I'd love to see the results! Since my first post here over a year ago regarding the Cranberry Valspar (it's actually Eddie Bauer, which is made by Valspar) I've moved to Florida. My whole house is painted a horrid yellow. I've started the blue-taping of the dining room and I'm painting the dining room Cranberry - I LOVE that color! Photos to follow soon. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Richard (Guest Post) (09/02/2007) Thanks for all the info. I'm painting cranberry red Valspar, seems to be popular color. I used the gray primer. Lowes suggested to wait a day and put on the first coat. It looked horrible. So I decided to do a second coat several hours later. Looks better but still not good enough. So I thought I would do another coat the next day, however, after reading all of the comments, I think I'll take tomorrow off and let the paint dry an extra day before giving it another coat. Thank for all the insight! I'll be at the beach waiting for my walls to dry. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Maria (Guest Post) (08/26/2007) I personally used Behr paint from Home Depot in a deep red. I began using the great pink primer they suggest to use, but let it dry throughly for 2-3 days before applying the first coat of red. I let the walls dry for about 2 days before adding another coat of paint. 2 coats later and my walls are absolutely beautiful. I think it's important to work fast and work from the top down without stopping in between. Be sure to blend the edges well and use a low nap roller. I can't say enough about how nice my walls turned out. With the white trim, crown molding, and celing with the black accents I just can't say enough. Taking your time is key...don't rush Behr paint or red for that matter. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By emcgettigan (Guest Post) (08/21/2007) We had a professional painter paint our dining room almost a chinese RED. He used pink primer, the walls took 3 coats when he thought they would take 2. Result: Stunning! We love it- we only have one window in that room and the bright white trim really pops. We were happy with our bright red result. In this picture the room in the back is the bright red. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Michelle (Guest Post) (08/01/2007) My husband & I decided to paint our 5 y.o child's bedroom Antique Red by Behr, despite all he psycho mood babble. My son wished for a fire engine red room. Anyhow, we purchased the paint at Home Depot, along w-the HIGHLY recommended Pink Primer...BIG MISTAKE! Like most of us on this panel, We should have researched the "Paint Walls Red" idea, prior to anything else! after 2 coats, my husband became very distraught, because he realized it would more than likely take tons of coats to get it JUST RIGHT. After reading all of the horror stories about Behr, pink primer vs. grey primer, Home Depot paint vs. Lowe's...we basically decided to re-primer our little one's room & choose a less pain in the ass color...our child likes Green best, anyway. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Dwayne (Guest Post) (07/29/2007) I'm having a problem as well, I'm using a deep red by Behr and used a tinted primer... 3 coats later it doesn't look that good. I'm thinking over covering it up with texture? say some sponging or ragging with some kind of blue? I'll never paint red again. Any ideas on faux textures to help make it look decent? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red: urgent help Post By Nuzhat (Guest Post) (07/22/2007) We have a modern apt with white walls. I wanted to paint the foyer and hallway red. We got a professional painter to do the job. Here is what happened: We picked Benjamin Moore Candy Cane Red. The guy came and did something to the wall. I came back from work, and the walls looked the same white. The second day, he had some kind of pink paint in (you could see the white through it) but the color looked great. Day 3, he had some more paint on. We could see the brush strokes but loved the color; modern and glowing. Day 4: we came back home and literally screamed. He had put on two more coats, and the color was a dark, dense, maroon,horrid red. We hate it! What should we do? Report Spam or Abuse Behr Paint Post By Don Snafio (Guest Post) (07/20/2007) I used to work for Behr paint and been in the industry for 10 years or so. DO not use Behr, it is the poorest quality of paint around, trust me. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By rick (Guest Post) (07/10/2007) the smartest way to paint a wall red is to have the primer tinted to the same colour as the finish ct...sherwin williams is one of the few companies that has come out with deep base primers.....priming things pink or grey is usually only done because the applicator in question has yet to learn about deep base primers...which are less than 8 yrs old...again, introduced to the market place by SW. -a few other tips... 15 mil rollers, roll up and down and *never* stop your motion at the mid point... --go for the tight orange peel look and wait at least 10 hrs between coats.. some people rush things and start applying subsequent cts after the previous ct is dry to the touch...a few hrs...problem is though that there has been not enough curing so that the next ct tears and ruins the uniformity of sheen already began...basically..if you rush between cts you've ruined the paint job...from the uniformity of sheen perspective.. behr products also *set up* faster...that is..they start to dry much faster than all other brands...so you have to be quick about your business...and the aforementioned problem of tearing a previous system becomes compounded even more with behr do to its coagulative nature.. rick vancouver's best painters.com Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post by plumkrazy (2) | (07/08/2007) Contact I too am in the midst of a red wall problem. My analysis after reading all the post was there is a lot of conflicting advise. Put it on heavy dripping from the roller, put it on in thin coats, apply light pressure, apply firm pressure, gray primer, pink primer, 1 coat primer, 2 coats primer, 2 coats paint, 3, 4, 5 + paint. I am wondering if it does not have anything do do with the brand but more the shade of red. I used 1 coat of gray primer and 4 coats of Durtch boy Ruby Lips. Waiting to see the outcome. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Jill (Guest Post) (06/13/2007) Is there a sheen that works best for painting with red (e.g. eggshell, satin, etc)? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Jill (Guest Post) (06/11/2007) For those of you that painted with Cranberry from Valspar, was it from the Eddie Bauer collection/valspar signature colors. Also what colors were underneath your red? Should a primer cover it or would sanding first be the best thing to do? Also will the color of paint reduce the streaking or do most of you roll as close to the edge as possible and then just use the edge of the brush to fill in? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Renato (Guest Post) (06/10/2007) Painting walls red is not for the faint of heart. Some tips: a. Always prime the wall with medium gray. let dry for at least 4 hours. b. Apply first coat. Dry for 4 hours. Be prepared to get the shock of your life. The first red coat is extremely unforgiving. c. Apply second coat. Dry for 4 hours -now you know that everything will all be okay. c. Use a low nap 6 inch roller to apply the 3rd coat. After 4 hours - you get absolute bliss. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Bridget (Guest Post) (05/31/2007) Ash, yes you need to use the primer. Even though it's only a rental and for 2 years, you want it to look good, right!? Take a look down the page from 2/23 - my walls are done in Valspar Cranberry, too, and the color is really beautiful. Diana - 9 coats!?!? And the painter finally got a clue? Sounds like the guy was contracted by Behr. With that many coats of red on your walls, I would really start over. A real pain, but you won't get a true color with all that mess going on. Fire the clueless "professional" and buy grey primer and your shade of red from anywhere but Home Depot and let the primer dry for at least 3 days before painting the color. Then wait a few days for that to dry before deciding if it needs more than 2 coats. It shouldn't. Good luck to you....let us know how it ends up! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Ash (Guest Post) (05/31/2007) We are planning to paint two accent walls (of our *rental* apartment) living room Valspar cranberry red. The walls have fresh antique white flat paint. Do we still need to use a primer? We just need the red color to last and look good for only 1-2 years (we need to paint it back to antique white before we move out). Our painter mentioned that only 2 coats should be fine..but I am not so sure after reading this page... Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Diana Calhoun (Guest Post) (05/31/2007) I currently have the same problem with Behr "Antique Ruby" but with a twist. So far the "professional" painter has put on 9 coats of red over a white primer (which he recommended). The last coat of paint from Home Depot was slightly more wine color instead of red and now my walls are too dark. Is there anyway to get back to the original red color without re-priming the walls and starting the whole process over again? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Kelly (Guest Post) (05/29/2007) Have to say that I had the same issue, so trust these people! Got my Behr paint and pink primer and went to town. Did the primer, then painted one square foot of my wall and instantly realized that this was not going to work -- the bubbles, the streaking, etc. I could tell that I wouldn't have been able to cover the wall in ten coats. Googled "painting red wall" for help and ended up here.....read through everything and went immediately to Lowe's. Bought one gallon of Valspar Heritage Red, consulted with the paint guy there who said two coats of this would cover the primer, no matter what color it was (although he winced at the pink). He was right. Just got done painting the second coat and it looks gorgeous. Wish I had come here first to save myself 30 bucks. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By connie (Guest Post) (05/29/2007) Use Floetrol, it's a latex paint conditioner and helps the paint go on more smoothly with less streaking. We're currently painting our basement in Theatre Red and have used a gray primer with two coats of red paint. We forgot to use the Floetrol on the first coat and we could see marks EVERYWHERE. Once we added the Floetrol the second coat looked 10 times smoother. If you look REAL HARD, with a light literally on the wall you can see an occasional roller mark. We will be adding one more coat with the Floetrol in it and it should be done. I've used Floetrol before with other colors as well and it really does make a huge difference. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Beth M (Guest Post) (05/28/2007) I'm currently painting my kitchen red. I am using KILZ primer in grey, and Valspar Arizona Cardinals red in eggshell. I'm painting over wood paneling, and let me tell you-what a pain in the rear! The Valspar paint is really really thick, and its taken me 4 coats to get it "even". I know I am going to like it when its done, but holy cow, if I had realized what an undertaking this would be, I think I would have picked another color lol. One thing I am glad of after reading this page is that I didnt go with pink primer. I thought that would make it better but the girl at Lowes assured me grey was better. From what I have red that seems to be consensus. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post by victoriansoup (1) | (05/27/2007) Contact Success story! I wanted to paint my dining room red. We live in an old victorian with massive amounts of original woodwork. After 2 weeks of "process of elimanation" of paint chips the day finally came. Painting over Martha Stewarts "Linen White" we made our trip back to Lowes and bought Valspar primer,(High Performance), tinted a medium gray, and Valspar (Hight Performance), Cut Ruby, After one coat of primer and a drying time of about 4 hours I started painting. I did the trim and was scared to death, looked like fire engine red next to the linen white. After I actually did one wall, Its Gorgeous. The paint is wonderful to work with, almost like painting with velvet. I could probably get away with one coat, but my walls are textured and will give it one more coat. This forum is great! What a great help you all have been in helping me make my painting choices! Thank you!! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post by poppy99 (1) | (05/20/2007) Contact I was using Behr paint from Home Depot and was advised to put on two coats of primer (pinkish color). After two coats of primer and three coats of paint it looked HORRIBLE!!.. That's when I switched to benjamin Moore paint - one coat and looks great! Have always used B.M. paint and not sure why I tried the Behrs - NEVER AGAIN! Report Spam or Abuse Test spot Post By Bridget (Guest Post) (05/15/2007) That spot will be noticeable...I'd do that wall over priming the whole thing with a thick coat of gray primer, then the Valspar Ultra Premium paint from Lowes (eggshell is best, satin shows flaws more) - it's about $22/gallon here in GA. Pain in the butt, I know, but it will be beautiful when you're done! Good luck! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By guest (Guest Post) (05/14/2007) Having all the same issues as everyone else here with red from Behr. A couple questions: 1) We made the mistake of not repriming our test spot, so we have a square that is noticeable on the wall. Any suggestions? 2) How much does the lowe's paint or the benjamin moore run for a gallon? Just wondering if it's worth it to buy another gallon at this point. We have two coats on and I already know a third isn't going to do it. Help! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Lynn (Guest Post) (05/08/2007) I came across this site after I was horrified with the first coat of behr red paint in classic cherry I put on the wall. I knew I should have used a tinted primer, but didn't. I decided to go back and start over with a tinted primer from behr (thought I should do it the right way) it looks like mauve. I must say it covered the ugly red nightmare perfectly with one thick coat. I'm going to let it dry for 24 hours before i begin with the new paint i bought in behr satin daredevil red. i'll let you know how it turns out, i'm optimistic & honestly have not had any problems with behr paint in the past. I am painting my whole house, 5 rooms down with behr paint & I love it. I should have researched painting with red first. i'd blame my issue on 'user error' and not the brand of paint. i'm looking forward to seeing the results. Also, i asked the paint guy at Home Depot today about using a tinted grey primer instead of the mauve. Not that his input really matters, but he did tell me that behr's colors will be their truest when I use what the suggest (maybe behr's secretly paying him for saying that? who knows?), i.e. the mauve primer. so, i'm going for it. good luck to everyone else!!! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Jill (Guest Post) (05/04/2007) Hi, so we did all the painting in our condo this week. Our red wall in the dining room turned out great! as did the rest of the walls. All our walls, including the red one, took one coat of light grey primer, and 2 coats of Benjamin Moore paint. See the pic below of my dining room! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Rebecca (Guest Post) (04/29/2007) My husband and I wanted to paint our guest bath and master bath a red color (cut ruby) from lowes. The lady there recomended we paint with a grey primer first. I had never heard of this. So, I went home and looked on the internet for any information about this and read so many horror stories of people who have painted with red. I was so scared to paint my walls, but we went and painted one coat of grey primer and then painted just one coat of the "cut ruby" color using a Valspar paint. That was all it needed! I am so amazed that only one coat of the color was all it needed -- no brush marks, no nothing, but a solid coat of color! I'm not sure why my paint project turned out so good, I'm just glad we didn't have to paint mulitple coats!!! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Kiko (Guest Post) (04/28/2007) I live in NYC in a smallish railroad apartment. The middle room between my kitchen and large room (bedroom) is so tiny that I refer to it as "the hallway". Everything I've ever read says not to paint small rooms a dark color. "They" say it will make the room appear smaller and "cave-like". I ignored this and painted the middle room a deep red. It looks amazing. I have a white couch, hardwood floors, and art deco lighting fixtures. It really works well. I painted the trim gold and left the ceiling white. It is a bit vaudeville, but in a charming way. The room is a like a magnet for chilling out with guests. Everyone loves it. It is very cozy. Remember, lighting is everything! Do not attempt to use overhead lighting in a red room with walls that are less than perfect. My apartment is over one hundred years old so the walls are wavy and the floors are tilted. Glossy paint accentuates flaws. Buy paint in a matte or eggshell and get those ceiling fixtures or chandeliers hooked up with dimmer switches (very easy to install). I used Behr paint in "Velvety Merlot". I confess that I was worried while I was painting that the streaks would never go away. I didn't use primer over the beige that existed. (I, too, thought Home Depot was trying to make me buy more paint). It took about three coats but turned out nicely. Since it is a small room it was not that big of a deal, but if you are trying to paint a huge room in this hue, it is best left to the pros if you can't handle putting in the elbow grease. It WILL even out. Red is a tough color and a huge comittment, but well worth it in my mind. I don't think Behr paint is that bad, though I have had better luck with Ralph Lauren. Of course, it is more expensive. I am a broke musician but I think quality paint is truly worth it. A quality paint job, especially in a dark color, will last for years. It is not advisable to go with a dark color if you can't commit to the process necessary to make it turn out well. Hope this helps! Warm regards to all of you. Kiko Report Spam or Abuse RE: Painting Walls Red Post By Bridget (Guest Post) (04/24/2007) Dawn, Home Depot did refund my money for a can of Behr blue that looked horrible. Not sure why they give customers pink primer!...you see so many posts here saying the same complaint and from painters who know that grey is the best coverage. Red can be a nightmare if not done 'right'. I left a post a LONG way down this page with a picture of my dining room...as I suggested, let it really dry for at least 3 days before freaking out, reds are thicker and take longer to dry (not just to touch, bu