OK Paint, Poor Quality Control
What I hoped would be a cost-effective weekend project to spruce up my kitchen is turning into a week-long headache. I’m sharing my experience to help other DIYers who might be short on time or resources make the right choice for their project.
I scoured the web for reviews and tutorials of this paint before purchasing, because the paint is actually the most expensive part of my kitchen renovation. Two trends emerged: influencers RAVE about it, but Amazon reviews are FULL of photos of curdled or dried-up paint cans. I assumed if I purchased from the brand website and started my project as soon as I received the paint, I would avoid the Amazon spoiled paint issues.
I purchased the Bright White cabinet kit from Beyond’s website, but on opening the package, the paint smelled really strongly (imagine bleach or ammonia, not pleasant) and was half thin liquid, half cottage-cheese texture solids. Shoot. I assumed I could mix it myself and use it anyway, but after cleaning and applying three coats according to Beyond’s exact instructions, I panicked. The paint was just not covering, the texture was awful, and the roller provided with the kit doesn’t actually roll, it was just smearing the paint all over.
I got in touch with customer service, who asked me for photos of the paint texture and offered to send another quart of the paint only instead of replacing the full kit when I asked for a refund, which was a little disappointing. (I used to work for a small paint business, and if a customer had an issue, my usual response was to apologize for the problem, assure them of the typical paint quality, and assist in fixing the issue or providing a full replacement, none of which the team did for me.) We’ll have to see if the replacement quart arrives well-mixed and if the finish after four coats is adequate, but I’m a lot less hopeful than I was before starting the project.
Also, after doing more research, it seems that Bright White actually requires FOUR coats of paint to cover well for most people. That means I’ll likely have to purchase an additional kit, which defeats the cost effectiveness of this option for me ($200 on paint alone is crazy for any brand) not to mention the time saving aspect, as I’ll have to wait for the replacement quart and also potentially a second kit down the road.
My suggestions for buyers: allocate a lot more than a weekend for bigger projects and do a small section at a time in case of quality issues or running out of paint. It seems the expiration date on these paints is relatively soon after manufacturing and my experience with the texture isn’t rare despite purchasing directly from Beyond’s site. Also, if you’re painting your piece lighter than it already is, I’d plan on 4 coats to cover rather than going with what the brand recommends.
For Beyond: please DO NOT advertise your paint as a quick, 2-3 coat solution if the vast majority of your customers say 4 coats are a must for a certain color! We are counting on your word to help us plan for DIY projects, and I can’t stress enough how disappointing it is as a beginner DIYer to have a “quick” project go south like mine did when your time and resources are in short supply. Also, quality control seems to be an issue, so please consider an expiration date on your paints.
