For the longest time, when I wanted to buy a top brand of paint for a painting project, I had to go to a specialty retailer. This was usually a small-scale painting store that focused on one or two brands.
It was the same when I was a child and my parents were painting. We would head to the local Dutch Boy paint store. I still remember that detail because, while my parents shopped, the staff would give me a coloring sheet of the Dutch Boy to color in. Decades later that memory is burned into my brain.
These days, Sherwin-Williams owns the Dutch Boy brand of paint, and you no longer have to visit a specialty store to get top quality paint. Many of the most common and popular national retailers stock and sell cans of paint.
Overview of Paint Brands at National Retailers
If you’re planning a painting project, you’ll want to know which paint brands are available at national retailers. You may be wondering which brands are sold at Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart, and Target, or where you can find Benjamin Moore paint. In this article, we’ll provide you with all the details you need to know.
Finally, at most of these stores, you can also buy spray paint. However, this article is about cans of paint that you pour into a tray and apply with a roller or a brush. Therefore, I’m leaving out info about spray paint brands that you can buy at these stores.
Top Paint Brands at Home Depot
Home Depot offers a wide selection of paint brands, including Behr, Glidden and PPG. However, Behr is its main brand.
Behr is a popular brand for both interior and exterior paint, and it offers a range of finishes, including flat, eggshell, and semi-gloss. Prices range from $15 to $40 per gallon. Consumer Reports consistently rates Behr as a top paint brand for people to use.
Glidden is a more affordable option, and it offers a variety of colors and finishes. Glidden Premium, sold exclusively at Home Depot, received top marks from Consumer Reports.
Another brand of paint that Home Depot sells is PPG. This popular brand offers both interior and exterior paint, and it is known for its durability and coverage. PPG is one of four brands that partners with Samplize, maker of oversized peel-and-stick paint samples.
Finally, Home Depot sells two brands of paint that are specifically used as primers. They are
- Kilz Primers
- Zinsser Primers
I’ve used both Kilz and Zinsser when painting a normally moist place in the house, such as a bathroom or a basement.
Lowe’s Paint Selection
Lowe’s carries a variety of well-known and popular paint brands. This includes:
- Sherwin-Williams
- Valspar
- HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams.
Sherwin-Williams is a well-known brand that offers a range of high-quality paint options, including both interior and exterior paint. In fact, when we hired painters to get our home ready to sell, they used a greige color from Sherwin-Williams. How did I know this? I had to go out and buy more during their project.
Valspar is another popular brand at Lowe’s. Finally, HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams is a newer brand at Lowe’s. It may be the new paint brand on the block but it’s already received accolades. Consumer Reports rated it a top paint brand.
Walmart’s Available Paints
Walmart carries a variety of paint brands, including Glidden and Kilz. Much of the Kilz products that Walmart sells are exterior paints or specialty paint products, such as the kind you can use on cement foundations.
When we renovated one of our homes and added an extension, we saved money by priming the new foundation ourselves. What did we use to prime and seal that cement foundation? Why Kilz paint, of course.
Does Target sell paint?
At first I thought that Target might sell paint. For instance, I know that Target has partnered with lifestyle gurus Chip & Joanna Gaines. Target sells their brand, Hearth & Hand—created exclusively for Target in collaboration with the Gaines’ Magnolia brand. And I know that there is Magnolia paint. (More about that shortly.)
However, while Target sells a ton of home decor from Hearth & Hand, it doesn’t sell the Magnolia brand — or any brand of poured wall paint. You can get spray paint at Target but, again, that is not the focus of this article.
Specialty Paint Retailers and Direct-to-Consumer Brands
If you’re looking for a specific paint brand that may not be available at a big box store, you may need to visit a specialty paint retailer or consider a direct-to-consumer option. Here are some options to consider:
Where to Buy Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore is a trusted brand known for its high-quality paint. While it may not be available at all national retailers, you can find Benjamin Moore paint at specialty paint retailers.
In addition, places like Ace Hardware or super-local hardware stores like Aubuchon Hardware in Southern Maine where I live both stock Benjamin Moore paint. You can use the Benjamin Moore store locator to find a place near you that sells this paint.
When I wanted to recreate the blue wall you see in the Dunphy home on the television show “Modern Family,” I learned it was a Benjamin Moore paint. Specifically, Benjamin Moore Labrador Blue paint.
Direct-to-Consumer Options
If you’re looking for a direct-to-consumer option, there are several brands to consider.
For example, there is Magnolia Home, from Chip & Joanna Gaines, the lifestyle gurus I mentioned earlier. Consumer Reports gives their Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines Premium Interior a top mark for interior paints.
One option is to buy Magnolia Home directly from their website. However, recently Ace Hardware started selling the brand, too.
Another option is Farrow and Ball. This upscale, premium paint is one of the brands you can preview with Samplize paint samples. Specialty stores sell Farrow and Ball paint as does Anthropologie.
Finally, remember PPG Paints, mentioned earlier as a brand you can buy at The Home Depot? Well, there are freestanding PPG Paints stores around the country. I just used this PPG Paints store locator to find one near me.
Samplize Paint Samples
If you’re looking for a way to test out paint colors without committing to a full can of paint, Samplize paint samples may be a good option for you. Samplize sells large paint swatches that stick like Post It notes, making it easy to see how a color will look in your space before making a purchase.
According to the Samplize website, this product offers 100% color accuracy and zero-mess application of real paint. They also offer bundles that allow you to easily test the top eight best-selling colors in a color family, such as warm whites, cool whites, off-white warm grays and more. Who knew there were so many different kinds of white paint?
Samplize samples are relatively inexpensive at $5.95 each, compared to the average sample pot that can cost $9.99 to $13.99. Here is my review of Samplize paint samples.