One of the fastest and least-expensive ways to give new life to a room is with a fresh coat of paint. But to maintain the health of your indoor air quality it matters which kind of paint you buy.

Conventional oil-based paint contains chemicals that release volatile organic compounds (or VOCs) into the air. VOCs can also attach to breatheable materials in the house, such as upholstery and drapes, where they will continue to offgass over time. Oil-based paints contain a long list of carcinogens, including benzene, formaldehyde, toluene, and xylene.

Traditional latex paint uses water as its main solvent. Fewer VOCs will be emitted from water-based paint, making it a healthier choice overall, but it can still contain formaldehyde, acrylonitrile, ethylene glycol ethers, fungicides, and preservatives. All stuff you really don’t want to breathe, or release into the atmosphere.

We sell no-VOC Yolo Colorhouse paints and tint them in the store with no-VOC pigments. Their gorgeous color palette makes choosing and coordinating colors for your home’s interior and exterior easy to do. Yolo offers hand-painted poster-sized samples of their interior colors with repositionable tape to let you try the color throughout the room during different times of the day without having to buy a quart.

Need a color that’s not in Yolo’s palette? We have access to formulas for most national paint brands. Bring us your paint chip or call with the information and we’ll most likely be able to tint the color you want using Yolo’s paint and our no-VOC pigments.

For those who want to add color and pattern to their walls, we offer a selection of vinyl-free wallpaper, plus inexpensive wall hangings made of organic cotton and hemp.

Reclaim is proud to feature the work of Venice Beach, California artist Lisa Bartleson (ovolocontemporaryart.com). Lisa uses sustainable wood, and low-VOC paint and acrylic to create bright, vivid, contemporary art.