What's part café, part Apple Genius Bar, and part paint store, with the less-isn't-Moore approach, and not a hint of Sherwin?

The Green Painter, Houston green building pioneer and New Living's non-toxic paint prodigy, that's what.

Touted as being the first of its class — not only in Houston, but in the country — The Green Painter will open Saturday in the Rice Village area as the only retail store focused solely on healthy, non-toxic paints, sealants, stains and wall coverings. The Green Painter totally digs painting, color, and making them all mesh with a smart, sustainable lifestyle — while opening your eyes and taking you along for the radiant ride.

"Painting was always my passion," said Monte Large, partner at The Green Painter. As a teenager and young adult, "I always used whatever was laying around — old paint, house paint.

"I started doing large-scale works, spending every waking moment in the studio." But Large found out the hard way that not all paint is created equal.

In 2002, Large was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. "I had no family history of it," he said. "I did some research and found out that other classmates of mine — painters in their twenties — had it as well, and I wondered what was going on."

The coincidences were too dire to ignore. Process of elimination led him to draw a link between the toxic chemicals in the paint to which he'd been exposed his entire life and his condition. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that some of the chemicals used in common paints causes cancer in laboratory animals.

It was enough for Large to campaign for safer, less poisonous options for consumers.

Enter The Green Painter.

We know what you're thinking. Non-toxic paint doesn't cover well. Or you'd love to invest in it, but it isn't in your budget. Or maybe it's a nice idea and all, but if you're going to put paint up your walls, you want it your way — your hue.

The Green Painter expects those questions and has a plan for answering them.

"We wanted to create healthy paint options at a high-level quality at an affordable price point for people," Large said. "But we also know it's an educational curve for people coming in."

Which means you can have your non-toxics, and paint with them, too. Learning about — and helping you find — your options is what The Green Painter will focus on as it gets established. From soy-based paint stripper to wood finishes that are by-products of the cheese industry, The Green Painter is priming all the walls for a successful lifestyle change.

"We really do our research on every product we offer," Large said. "It's the Trader Joe's approach. We may not have every item, but you know the products we do have are the best ones."

All-natural, organic national paints such as the food-based Anna Sova will help lead the charge. The Green Painter will also feature its exclusive line of non-toxic paint, NOVOC. "There's a movement to create no-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints, but they've been limited and expensive to date," Large said.

The Green Painter aims to paint that movement red. A gallon of NOVOC paint is listed at $36 on the New Living website. Traditional, chemical-heavy paints at a big-box store like Home Depot typically start at around $30 per gallon.

"Consumers finally have a choice when it comes to choosing paint," explains Lewis Cauffman, green product specialist and LEED-accredited professional.

But even that may not calm some of the most paint-phobic people. What about those of us that are still wet behind the ears when it comes to slapping stain on the walls? What if the idea of traditional paint makes the color drain from your face, let alone paint that's good for you?

Relax. The Green Painter has you covered.

"We have color consultants passionate about helping you make your paint selection," Large said. "We also have a list of certified green painters to help you with your painting needs."

The Green Painter also offers a workforce for hire — what it says are the country's only certified green painters. The Green Painter Program aims to educate paint professionals about sustainable and good-for-you paints, green business methods, and green terminology, in order to certify painters as being experts on green paint.

The store opens with an open house to celebrate it all from 2-5 p.m. Saturday.

Your mixture is their non-toxic command.