Odor free, air dry, decorative latex paints

An aqueous ambient dry paint coating composition containing a polymerized polymeric binder free of organic coalescing solvent and other volatile organic compounds, the polymeric binder comprising:

• a vinyl acetate polymer comprising polymerized vinyl acetate monomer containing chlorinated modifier selected from a chlorinated paraffin, a chlorinated fatty acid, or a chlorinated fatty acid ester, where the chlorinated modifier has a number average molecular weight between about 150 and 5,000 and a Tg below about -20.degree. C., the polymeric binder containing at least 1% by weight of said chlorinated modifier, where said polymeric binder is produced by mixing the chlorinated modifier in the vinyl acetate monomer to provide an organic mixture of chlorinated modifier and vinyl acetate monomer, where said organic mixture is polymerized in water to produce chlorinated modified vinyl acetate emulsion polymer and provide a polymeric binder having a Tg less than 20.degree. C.