Sky Blue--Good Paint Color?

Fall in Michigan can be absolutely beautiful!  It's the kind of day you have to soak up the sunshine and light breeze because they are fewer and farther between as November approaches.  It's the kind of day that 55 degrees feels warm (in the sun).  Shorts and a sweatshirt....I think its a Michigan thing, where as most people would have on long pants if temps called for a sweatshirt.  

Mostly Sunny For Today

I am soaking up the afternoon outside, even dealing with the glare on the screen so I can be outside as long as possible.  And it got me thinking as I stared at the crisp, bright blue sky.  

Mid October Sunny Sky in Michigan

At one point there wasn't a cloud as far as the eye can see.  When I finally took a snapshot a few high wispy ones were making their way in.  I analyzed the sky and thought it resembled some clean, bright Benjamin Moore colors.

Yosemite Blue 2059-40, Utah Sky 2065-40, Big Country Blue 2066-30, Blue Lapis 2067-40.

Question is, how do these colors look in a room as paint on the wall?  Strong, bright, intense, fun.  That could translate to 'too much' for some spaces.  It may be better in smaller doses, in a niche area, or reserved for art work or art pieces.    

Still want a blue room with less intensity but not nursery tones?  Choose a blue that has a gray look, possibly more gray than blue especially in a store's florescent lighting.  How do you determine what THAT is? Pick some blues and some grays on color chips. Grays like to lean toward blue or green or purple.  Now put them along side a more gray that reads gray, like Stonington Gray HC-170.  You most likely will see the undertone; the blue, green or purple, coming through.  Trust your gut to narrow down the color selection.  If you still haven't found one you like, wet samples are always a great way to test a color before you invest in a gallon (or two or five).  A portable sample on a poster board or paint sample product will let you test the color though out the room without committing to painting right away.  If you do paint on the wall, make sure you use a roller so you do not create a smooth brushed surface that will show smoother than the rest of the walls under the new final paint color.

Of course a color consultant can always help you with a professional, unbiased opinion about the colors and find that mix of a 'perfect' blue or other color for your space.  Click here for my contact information.  I look forward to ~making color personal~ for you.

Best,
Jill

Second Coat Required

Ever ask a sales person at your favorite paint store if the paint is darker on the wall than the color chip?

Did they answer what you expected?  

As a color consultant that helps customers a few days a week at Benjamin Moore retailer North Cromwell Paint I have been asked this question many times.  

'Take home' chips are usually 1x2" on a strip of eight colors up to 3x4" individual chips unless the store has some larger chips on hand, so in the store it can be difficult to decipher if a color is going to be dark enough or too dark for a certain room.  

Here's what you need to know:

• When you open the can of paint the paint will look lighter than the paint chip.  It could even look too 'something'...pink, yellow, blue....

• When you first paint the wall the paint will look lighter than the paint chip.

• Once you cut in [a nice wide & feathered cut in so you don't get a 'picture frame' effect] the paint will darken as it dries.  You may not notice it at first, but as you roll on the first coat of paint you will see how the two parts look different.

Cut in line dried to paint color; first coat wet

First coat of paint with old color poking through

• While you are covering up an old color, presuming you did not have to prime, the old color could make the new color look terrible to the point you'll wonder if you are putting the correct new color on the wall.

• So you'd like to get away with one coat eh? Best of luck because even the self primed paints cannot account for normal, typical walls that manage to avoid the roller releasing paint.  It's really just the old color putting up a good fight to stick around.  A second rolled coat should go on rather quickly as your cut in took care of the wall/ ceiling/ trim board meeting spots.

The answer to the question if the paint color looks darker on the wall than on the color chip is no.   

It may be surprising that even a deep color will look like the color chip when you hold it up to the wall, but overall the color will look a little lighter and brighter in the space because it is on a larger surface than 2x2" and has more light to reflect on it.  

Benjamin Moore's Surf Blue

Deep color: a little lighter and brighter

Hope this post sheds some light on the question of how the paint looks on the wall compared to the tiny color chip you can start with from the store.

Don't let the large paint color selection make you frustrated with your project.  Hire a #color consultant for their experience of how certain colors may or may not display your ideal color in your room.  Your lighting and room characteristics are not the same as a retail store. 

 ~Make Your Color Personal~ (click this link for more information about my consulting services)

Best,
Jill

Fresh for 2014

Fall is upon us and we will start to see the newest trends and colors of the year 2014 emerge.  It is a great time to rethink what you can keep or freshen up in your home.

Fall Sky with Nature's Touch

Just yesterday I snapped this picture of the early evening sky. Can you see adding some of these colors to a room in your home?  The blue caught my attention and made me notice how fresh the fall air smelled. 


Benjamin Moore recently announced Breath of Fresh Air as the Color of the Year 2014.  

Classic Color 806

Blues with a muted tone can give a room a non-juvenile atmosphere.  They can be light like a clear sky, or grayed like blue jeans or slate.  They can be deep in value like navy.  

They just may look 'gray' on the color chip, but with fine tuning and 100's of tints and shades of blue available, you can add some blue to your home for a change or update, without the color turning 'nursery blue'....unless of course that is the perfect blue you are searching.  

If the process is daunting, call me, a color consultant, for help.  It is what I love to do: ~Making Color Personal~ !

Best,

Jill

Exterior Colors Gone Wrong

This was an incredibly long, cold, wet spring  in lower Michigan that delayed exterior paint projects.  With anticipation of helping clients find new or different or updated exterior colors for their existing, remodeled or new construction home I used the uncooperative weather to 'window' shop and see how local homes were trending.

We have many inland lakes in the area, so on some drives I found quite a few different home styles with color combinations that really work.

 

Commerce MI

West Bloomfield, MI

     

In the North / Mid East there are some colors that do not belong aesthetically on a home's exterior.   Some colors do not work for technical reasons: drastic light reflective value (LRV) changes; for example very light siding color to two or three shades darker.  Some colorants, therefore some paint colors, do not handle UV rays even though the exterior paint bases are significantly improved to handle fading and nature's elements.   Home Owners Association Rules are often scoffed at, but they really do prevent hideous colors from popping up in a neighborhood.

    

Some stores have home items.  Homes are not stores and can look eye catching without bright and saturated hues.

IKEA

This subdivision purposely painted repeated colors.  Some are deep tones, but none are saturated and overly bright.  

Canton, MI

Please keep in mind that you cannot close a door to an exterior like you can to the bedroom, den or basement that you gave creative colors.  Your exterior doesn't have to be 'builder beige' but its color should represent the neighborhood well.

If you are really stuck, color consultants, such as myself, can help you navigate the barrage of color choices and color placement.

    

Won't the Color Look Darker on the Wall?

Benjamin Moore's Surf Blue

A re-occurring question I am asked as a Color Consultant is if the color will look darker on the wall than on the 2"x2" paint chip available at the local paint store.