I recently experienced firsthand that low-chemical paint can go a long way in making a room look great and making the painter feel good about their home improvement project. It all started when I looked up at the cupboards above my washer and dryer, for the hundredth time, and felt dismayed at the extent of their ugliness.

So I was off to the Home Depot, where I asked staff in the paint department what could be used to update my cupboards while saving my lungs from the VOCs (volatile organic compounds) off-gassed from almost all paint products. They directed me to a lonely shelf, where two kinds of low VOC paint sat - eggshell or semi-gloss. Since I wanted white it was an easy trip, adding color tints would have taken more time and added more VOCs back into the mix.

There was a bit of an off smell I’ll admit, but it didn’t give me that nauseas feeling I recalled from previous paint work. Even in a small bathroom, where I painted trim, and the laundry room, the paint almost completely lacked fumes. It didn’t cost me any more and it looks great. I’ll never be able to go back now, and I don't know why anyone would want to.