KILZ (R) Uncovers America's Newest Domestic Debate

ST. LOUIS, MO -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 03/29/05 -- There's an issue

being hotly debated in America's homes -- and it's not about

politics, money or in-laws -- it's about paint. According to a new

survey, the KILZ(R) Roller Report, more than half of couples

redecorating a room disagree about paint color.



"In my experience, the one thing I see men and women consistently

disagree about is the color of the walls," said Lee Snijders, host of

HGTV's "Design on a Dime." "Someone's choice of color is a reflection

of their taste and personality and is often the most difficult

decision during a home improvement project."



Considering Americans will spend $175 billion on home improvement

this year(1), KILZ(R), America's #1 primer, conducted the KILZ Roller

Report(2). The report polled members of the Interior Redesign Industry

Specialists (IRIS) to uncover expert insights as to what really

happens when homeowners set out to revamp their homes.



To Paint Or Not To Paint . . .



-- Paint color is the most common item couples disagree on when

redecorating a room (45 percent), followed closely by picking out furniture

(38 percent) and deciding how to create more usable space (11 percent).





Sloppy Shortcuts





-- More than 65 percent of IRIS redesigners' clients admit skipping the

priming step before painting.

-- Paint color and the project cost are the top two concerns consumers

have when redecorating a room.







Getting With the Times



According to the report, the most common words used to describe a

room that a homeowner is looking to redesign are:



-- Outdated (48 percent)

-- Cluttered (20 percent)

-- Impersonal (16 percent)



Spring Into a New Project



-- More than half (52 percent) of respondents said spring is the most

popular season to redesign a room.

-- 35 percent chose fall

-- 7 percent opted for winter

-- 6 percent selected summer



-- Experts revealed that more than half (54 percent) of their clients

delve into a redesign project because they've relocated.

-- 35 percent shake things up after their children head off to college

-- A baby's arrival is incentive for just 11 percent of Americans



Color Me Trendy



-- According to the experts polled in the KILZ Roller Report, today's

hottest colors include (in order of preference):

-- Sage greens (bamboo, moss)

-- Golds (millet, Tuscan, butter and mustard)

-- Reds (warm reds, rust and terra cotta)

-- Taupes (neutrals, chocolate brown and khaki



-- In 2000, the following colors were all the rage:

-- Whites

-- Blues (teal, navy and slate)

-- Mauves (pink, peach and burgundy)

-- Hunter green



-- Looking into their crystal balls, IRIS members predict the following

colors will be trendsetters in 2010:

-- Blues

-- Creams

-- Reds

-- Greens



Home improvement guru and design expert Snijders knows from

experience how important it is to complete a quality project that's

also cost effective. Known as a "rule breaker" in the design

industry, Snijders has partnered with KILZ to provide consumers with

his non-traditional approach to redesign a room -- on their own.

Following are his top recommendations:



-- DESIGN CENTS: Painting is the cheapest way to redesign a room. A new

color can change the tone of a room and you can easily do it yourself. If

you need to make an instantaneous change, accessorizing with plants,

hanging new artwork or including an area rug can refresh a space in under

five minutes.



-- MOVE IN: Placing furniture away from walls actually makes the room

feel large. Consider angling chairs and moving couches in groups to create

a cozy conversation area for guests.



-- A TOUCH OF COLOR: When painting over a dark wall, be sure to tint

your primer with a shade lighter than your topcoat color first. This will

help ensure a perfect finish, and ultimately save money because you'll need

less topcoat to take your walls from one color to the next. Snijders

recommends a general purpose, water-based primer, such as KILZ(R) Premium,

for best results.



-- GO DARK: Darker colors actually make your room look larger. A dark,

flat paint brings depth to an otherwise small room and light colors make a

room feel more airy - not larger.



-- EDIBLE WALLS: Paint kitchens the color of food to entice your guests

to get in the mood to eat. Consider eggplant, caramel, reds and Tuscan

tones.