Just as colors evoke places, paints from around the world speak in irresistible foreign accents. At least we think so–which explains why admiring the offerings from stylish, far-away paint companies is a favorite pastime around here. True, we’re unlikely to be able to bring a quart home, but we love looking.
Join the club: Here are some of our favorites from the Remodelista greatest-hits archive (and several of these brands now have US vendors).
England
Above: Konig Colours: A New Line of Eco Paints from England’s First Family of Design.
Above: Ecos Paints from 5 Favorites: British Boutique Paint Companies.
Above: Back to Nature: The Appeal of Linseed Paints.
Above: Instant Patina: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.
Above: Marston-Langinger’s Luxe Line of 84 Exterior Colors.
Above: From Plain English: Bespoke Color Created by an Accidental Decorator.
Australia and New Zealand
Above: BioPaints from 5 Boutique Paint Lines from Down Under.
Above: Sydney Harbour Paint Company was founded as Porter’s Paints in Australia and has showrooms in New York and California. (LA designer Amanda Pays swears by Sydney Harbour Paints–take a look at her LA Laundry Room.)
Above: DIY: Paint Chip Mural from Murobond.
France
Above: The Unbuttoned Palette: Ressource’s Sexy Paint Colors from Paris.
The Netherlands
Above: Replicate the Glossy Doors of Amsterdam Using Fine Paints of Europe. The company’s imported-from-Holland paints are available in the US; after reading our post about its Dutch Door Paint Kit, I used it on my own front door and love the results.
Switzerland
Above: Every architect’s dream: kt.Color of Switzerland’s hand-mixed pigment paints, particularly the company’s colors licensed from Fondation Le Corbusier. The collection includes his 17 variations on white. These paints come at a cost: A Fan Deck alone (of 81 hand-painted Le Corbusier color samples) is €400 ($438.96).
Sweden
Above: Remodeling 101: Limewash Paint. These are available in the US–see Justine’s DIY Project: Limewashed Walls for Modern Times.
Go to Palette & Paints to explore more of our favorites, including:
- 10 Easy Pieces: Architects’ White Paint Picks
- Black Magic: Architects’ 8 Top Black Paint Picks
- Expert Advice: 10 Essential Tips for Painting
- Remodeling 101: All You Need to Know About VOCs in Paint
Need to paint your house? Go to Gardenista for help choosing the right color.
This post is an update; it originally appeared on April 24, 2015, as part of our Primary Colors issue.
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