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Walk into any paint supplier in Berry, Nowra, or Ulladulla and you will see shelves of products from the major paint brands in Australia — Dulux, Haymes, Taubmans, Solver, Wattyl, and others. For most homeowners, choosing between them is guesswork. Here is how experienced trade painters in regional NSW actually think about the major brands.
The Major Players
Dulux
Dulux is the most recognised brand in Australian residential painting. Dulux Wash and Wear is the trade standard for interior walls, and Dulux Weathershield has a strong track record on exterior surfaces across NSW climate zones. The Dulux colour system with a dedicated mixing programme across most paint retailers makes colour matching reliable and consistent. Sources: Dulux Australia
Haymes
Haymes is an Australian-owned brand and a favourite among trade painters who prioritise coverage and opacity. Their interior low-sheen products are well-regarded for requiring fewer coats to achieve full hide over dark colours. Haymes Solashield exterior range has performed particularly well in the high-UV Australian environment, including on the South Coast.
Taubmans
Taubmans offers a reliable mid-range product at consistent pricing. Taubmans Endure interior range is a practical choice for rental properties and investment homes where durability and washability matter most. Their exterior products are widely available through hardware retailers in regional areas.
Solver
Solver is a trade-focused brand that is strong in roofing products, particularly the Solver Roof Paint range used extensively by trade painters in regional NSW. Trade painters who use Solver regularly tend to do so for specialist applications like roof and floor coatings rather than across-the-board interior work.
Wattyl
Wattyl is strong in the timber care and exterior product categories, particularly Wattyl Solagard exterior acrylic and their range of timber stains and oils. For weatherboard homes on the South Coast, which make up a significant portion of the older housing stock in Berry and surrounds, Wattyl timber products are a reliable choice.
[ Screenshot: Paint brand products lined up at a regional trade supplier ]
What Actually Matters When Choosing?
The honest truth: the difference between the top-tier products from major brands is smaller than marketing suggests. The more important variables are:
- Product grade within a brand — premium grade from any major brand outperforms budget grade from the same brand. This choice matters more than choosing between brands.
- The right product for the substrate — using a product rated for your specific surface type matters more than brand loyalty
- Application quality — a mediocre paint applied correctly by an experienced painter outperforms a premium paint applied poorly
A Practical Calculation
Premium interior paint costs roughly 20 to 35 per cent more per litre than budget products from the same brand. On a typical three-bedroom home interior using 40 litres, that might be an additional $80 to $140. Spread across a paint job that should last 8 to 12 years, that is $7 to $17 per year for a meaningfully better result in terms of coverage, washability, and colour retention.
The Most Important Factor That Is Not a Brand
Surface preparation determines 70 per cent of the final result. The remaining 30 per cent is split between product quality and application technique. A skilled painter using a mid-grade product with thorough preparation will consistently outperform a less skilled painter using a premium product with inadequate prep. When evaluating painters, ask about their preparation approach before asking about the brand they use.
Final Thoughts
All the major Australian paint brands produce reliable products at their premium grade levels. What matters more than brand is grade, substrate match, and application quality.
Our residential painters team uses premium-grade products across all jobs in Berry and the Shoalhaven. See our guide on how to find a reliable painter for broader guidance.