Exclusive Paints

I had the absolute pleasure of working with two gentlemen who had at least 60 years of experience in the paint business between them. They would not rest until they found the right paint for me and my project. This commitment to service and customers is difficult to find these days but not here. They have a wealth of paint products and ample parking as well. This is the only paint store that I will shop at now.

Not the cleanest place in the world, but the colour matching can’t be beat. All colors are made right in front of you from a recipe unlike other places where they use a computer. The problem with using the computer is that the machine will get jammed from dry residue from the paint and the workers rarely know how to clean the mechanism properly so you will not be getting the right amount of dye into the paint for the shade you choose and will have to return after wasting time painting only to realize the shade is off. Been there, done that, actually watched a worker get shot with red because the machine wasn’t cleaned and the dry residue caused it to projectile towards her… lol, it was entertaining.
They also do color matching, you can bring in just about anything, pillows, a piece of fabric, as long, and they can make other brands colors at a cheaper price with the same quality. They sell Pratt & Lambert, Sico, and some others, also they have their own brand of «Exclusive Paints». It’s a family owned and run store, you can park right in front and they are conveniently located on College just west of Spadina on the north side.
All in all my experiences here have been great and I’ve run into some entertainment industry types down there oddly enough. I guess nostalgia sticks for people… after all this place has been around for over 60 years, someone’s always telling me a story when I come in there, I recommend the colour Dove that I got there, can’t remember the make, it’s an off-​white purple… looks like white in the daytime and then turns to a very light calming purple as the night comes upon us, very refreshing!!!

This establishment along with maybe Gwartman’s Art has been in the neighbourhood for generations. They don’t have fancy cash registers or store displays, but what they DO have is some excellent prices on paint. As if they weren’t cheap enough, you can also get paint in colours that sometimes you wouldn’t think of using that are ‘clearance’. If you’re just painting a tool shed, or a kid’s wooden toy box, is the colour really that important? It wasn’t to me, and I paid about half of what I would have at Home Depot. By the way, haggling of prices is almost welcome here.