Paint reviews, guides, and color
Independent paint and tool round-ups. Project step-by-steps. Color references and brand reviews. Every product pick lists a real con — no review without a real weakness.
Best Paint for Kitchen Cabinets in 2026
Four US cabinet enamels tested over 8 weeks on identical primed MDF panels. Top pick: Benjamin Moore Advance — and where it falls short.
How to Paint Bathroom Walls: Prep, Primer, and the Mistakes That Bubble in a Year
Bathroom paint prep done right — degrease, kill mildew, recaulk, prime, paint. A pro's guide to the substrate that fails differently than every other room in the house.
Painting Exterior Brick: Honest Guide to Prep, Primer, and What Fails
Painting exterior brick — masonry primer, efflorescence, and the breathability rule. A pro's prep-grounded guide to the work most homeowners underestimate.
How to Paint Exterior Wood: Prep, Primer, and What Fails First
How to paint exterior wood siding right — substrate prep, stain-blocking primer, back-priming, and the failures that show up in two years if you skip steps.
How to Paint MDF (and Stop the Edges from Swelling)
MDF takes paint beautifully — but only if you seal the edges first. Full prep + paint guide for cabinets, trim, and panel work.
How to Paint a Bathroom: A Weekend DIY Guide for First-Timers
Realistic weekend bathroom repaint — Friday-night prep, two coats by Sunday, hardware back Monday. Hour-by-hour plan, supply list, and the tricky parts.
How to Paint Your House Exterior Yourself (Honest DIY Guide)
DIY exterior house paint — honest scope, weather windows, ladder safety, and a week-by-week flow for the ambitious first-timer painting their own home.
How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets (Without Hiring Anyone)
Step-by-step kitchen cabinet refinishing — door removal, prep, primer, paint, reinstall — with realistic time and cost numbers.
What Is LRV? Light Reflectance Value, Explained
LRV is the number that tells you how a paint color will actually behave once light hits it. Here's how to read it and why it matters more than the chip.
Paint Sheen Guide: Matte vs Eggshell vs Satin vs Semi-Gloss vs Gloss
Five sheen levels, gloss-unit numbers for each, and which one belongs in which room. The reference page you can text to a friend.
Eggshell vs Satin Paint: Which Sheen Belongs Where
A chemist's head-to-head on the two most-confused interior sheens — gloss-unit numbers, scrub data, touch-up behavior, and a verdict by room.
Oil-Based vs Water-Based Paint: Which to Use Where
Five-dimension head-to-head with a winner per category. Pick by use case in 60 seconds.