How to Avoid Making Paint Color Mistakes
Why is it so hard to get paint color right? Do you fear making a paint color mistake, wasting time and money? There are a number of factors working against you. Use these tips and get it right the first time.
1. Chips: The size of the paint chip. Those little bits of color make it impossible to visualize how an entire wall will look. Also, the ink pigments will appear differently than the pigments in paint. Purchase sample sizes and create color boards, this will make it easier to visualize the completed project.
2. LRV: Light reflective value or LRV is listed on most paint sample chips. LRV determines the amount of light reflected back to the eye from the paint surface. A color with a LRV of 100 reflects all light, appearing bright white while black is 0, absorbing all color. LRV the starting point to determine how dark or light a paint color reads when applied. Full-bodied colors range in the 50s and 60s with rich saturated colors lower and lighter colors higher. Take your climate into consideration when choosing exterior paint colors, harsh sunlight can wash out lighter tones and saturated colors can appear muddy in more temperate areas. For example, a Miami home painted in tropical hues would look out of place in the rich earthy Pacific Northwest.
3. Sheen: Once the color palette is determined you will choose sheen. The paint’s sheen is as individual as the color itself. Each manufacturer uses custom names and formulas, Often, a common name for example “eggshell” differ from vendor to vendor, one “eggshell” may have more shine or luster than “eggshell” from a different vendor. Rule of thumb: When selecting colors and sheens for your project stick to one manufacturer.
4. Color matching: Most retailers tell you they can match any color. Keep in mind, that in addition to various sheens, the bases from which paint colors are formulated vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. This makes it challenging to get an exact match. If you must have a color matched, insist on an “eye match” in addition to the computer match.
Why is it so hard to get paint color right? Do you fear making a paint color mistake, wasting time and money? There are a number of factors working against you. Use these tips and get it right the first time.
1. Chips: The size of the paint chip. Those little bits of color make it impossible to visualize how an entire wall will look. Also, the ink pigments will appear differently than the pigments in paint. Purchase sample sizes and create color boards, this will make it easier to visualize the completed project.
2. LRV: Light reflective value or LRV is listed on most paint sample chips. LRV determines the amount of light reflected back to the eye from the paint surface. A color with a LRV of 100 reflects all light, appearing bright white while black is 0, absorbing all color. LRV the starting point to determine how dark or light a paint color reads when applied. Full-bodied colors range in the 50s and 60s with rich saturated colors lower and lighter colors higher. Take your climate into consideration when choosing exterior paint colors, harsh sunlight can wash out lighter tones and saturated colors can appear muddy in more temperate areas. For example, a Miami home painted in tropical hues would look out of place in the rich earthy Pacific Northwest.
3. Sheen: Once the color palette is determined you will choose sheen. The paint’s sheen is as individual as the color itself. Each manufacturer uses custom names and formulas, Often, a common name for example “eggshell” differ from vendor to vendor, one “eggshell” may have more shine or luster than “eggshell” from a different vendor. Rule of thumb: When selecting colors and sheens for your project stick to one manufacturer.
4. Color matching: Most retailers tell you they can match any color. Keep in mind, that in addition to various sheens, the bases from which paint colors are formulated vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. This makes it challenging to get an exact match. If you must have a color matched, insist on an “eye match” in addition to the computer match.
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