Paint: Reinventing the Color Wheel

Whoever imagined paint could be reinvented?

Yet that is exactly what Benjamin Moore has done with the development of Aura. Three years in the making, it was introduced this past year and has earned an impressive number of kudos in the process, including Popular Science magazine's 2007 Best of What's New Award. In fact, according to experts, Aura represents such a giant leap in paint technology that it's been described as the most innovative breakthrough in paint since the introduction of latex in the 1950s.

How, exactly, is this new interior paint so different from any other? Aura is a 100 percent, acrylic-based paint featuring a waterborne colorant system. But, any similarities to other paints end there, because it relies on ColorLock, a proprietary patent-pending technology. ColorLock eliminates the problem of the colorant inhibiting the performance of paint, and, in fact, helps to yield an ultra-premium coating where the color is literally embedded in the binding agent.

The results are a checklist of unparalleled advantages. First, Aura is self-priming on most surfaces, requiring no more than two coats - no matter the color, no matter the sheen. And, the depth of color that it delivers also is historic. Second, once the paint is applied, it dries extraordinarily fast and is virtually odorless, which means within hours after painting a room, you can host a party with no telltale signs that interior painting was just completed. Add to the list that there's also virtually no color rub off, and it's unrivaled when it comes to durability, washability and stain, water, and color fade resistance.

With today's sensitivity to the environment, Aura's eco-friendly nature is another plus. Its very low volatile organic compound (VOC) formulation - under 50 grams per liter - exceeds the country's strictest VOC regulatory requirements while delivering exceptional performance. And, because the colorants are waterborne, with none of the solvents found in other color systems, there are no additional VOCs introduced into the product when colorant is added, as is the case with other paints.

While Aura is sustainable "green," the color green is just one of more than 3,400 color choices available. In fact, with the rollout of its new paint species, Benjamin Moore also added 144 new colors - the Affinity palette - its first new color offering in six years. It's a range of 144 highly sophisticated hues that are all uniquely harmonious, ensuring that whatever colors you select, they all are compatible and work together.

"In developing Aura, it's been proven that not all paint is created equal," said Carl Minchew, the company's director of color technology. "It is the next generation of paint, formulated to provide the highest quality finish for those who demand only the best in their interior spaces. Aura is, quite simply, the finest paint Benjamin Moore has ever made."

Look for Aura Exterior, due out this spring. It, too, has ultra-performance and low-VOC properties that make it superior to conventional house paint.

For more information, visit www.myaurapaint.com.

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