Sherwin Williams Cashmere Interior Paint Performance Review
Regarding interior house painting, homeowners often question Cashmere because of where it lies in the Sherwin-Williams lineup.
Most interior painters no longer use comparable paint lines, replacing the longtime favorite Super Paint Interior, despite its recent reformulations. Many say, “Cashmere is so much more than Super Paint ever was!” Largely, Cashmere is considered to be what Super Paint should have been all along!
But is it the name, the contents, or simply proper marketing that drives the recommendation of this product?
Does Sherwin-Williams Cashmere Live Up to the Name?
The raw materials in a can of Cashmere paint are similar to those in SW ProMar 200. We are not recommending ProMar 200 over Cashmere. However, the significant difference between the two interior house paints is found in the percentages of vinyl polymers (a raw material that usually dries, leaving a sticky or tacky film.)
Dust can easily stick to areas painted with house paints containing high amounts of vinyl, making it harder to wipe those baseboards and trim clean. This sticky paint film also results in books sticking to bookshelves and fireplace mantles. Therefore, house paints that contain a high level of vinyl are not recommended for trim. Instead, we prefer enamels.
So, is Sherwin–Williams Cashmere suitable for interior wall applications?
The advertised enhancements of Cashmere are the ability to level and how easily it applies. In our experience over the years, Cashmere is not as easy to apply as when it was first introduced, yet the claim remains.
Cashmere sometimes drags and can be found challenging to work with while brushing. Considering the name, we would say that “cashmere” better refers to the leveling characteristics rather than its ease of use.
Cashmere Flashing Issues!
The second problem that we have is the low-luster finish flashes. This means you better not need any drywall repairs before using Sherwin-Williams interior Cashmere. If so, the sheen variation over drywall patches will be very noticeable.
The issue remains even if you use flat wall paint or primer to spot-prime the drywall patches before top coating.
Cashmere sheens include flat, low-luster, pearl, and medium-luster paint finishes. Does the pearl paint finish sound familiar to you? If not, it should! Benjamin Moore has used this term for years to describe a sheen offered in their Regal Select interior house paint. The name similarity shows that SW is attempting to compete with other manufacturers.
Cashmere Coverage & Performance
Do the performance tradeoffs translate to Sherwin–Williams Cashmere interior house paint being a price point product? Our answer would be yes!
Cashmere could use a re-formulation, especially in the medium-luster finish. The medium-luster sheen is often used for interior trim. However, Cashmere is a poor-performing trim paint in terms of coverage.
If you are considering Sherwin-Williams Cashmere for interior trim paint, be ready for two coats. The extra white base without tint doesn’t have enough pigmentation to cover much of anything.
For example, cashmere was used during a white-on-white trim re-paint project. Once we started painting the trim, it would not cover light scuffs from shoe marks or areas of the trim that had slightly yellowed.
Cashmere’s Identity & Other Recommendations
Cashmere is definitively a mid-level interior paint and performs as such. It offers a smoother dried paint finish with no other measurable benefits. So, it’s hard for us to find reason or value in Cashmere, especially when other SW paints excel in coverage and useability for a similar price.
Furthermore, we do not recommend Cashmere Interior for residential interior trim repaints. In fact, if you are planning to paint the trim inside your home, we highly suggest upgrading to Sherwin-Williams ProClassic or Emerald Urethane Enamel.
Conclusion
Yes, the upgraded trim paint will add to your paint supplies costs, but these products will also be the difference between easily wiping down trim and/ or having to paint it once vs. twice.
