From the magazine Period Homes, it’s titled “A Primer on Paint,” and offers a detailed view of trends in paint products. It’s not about ‘color trends’ but rather about the actual development of paint products.

It's the pigments that make color visible. Aren't they beautiful? Kremer Pigments manufactures pigments from natural materials to create a wide range of historically authentic paints and finishes. Photo: courtesy of Kremer Pigments.

Major paint and pigment manufacturers are featured, with comments from Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, Behr, Fine Paints of Europe, and Kremer Pigments.

If you have been wondering about Waterborne – vs. – Oil based paints, differences in paint qualities, “VOC’s,” and pigments, be sure to read the article. You will also glean a few tips from color consultants James Martin and Barbara Jacobs (Yes, I am honored to be included in this article).

I hope you enjoy reading it, and perusing the magazine, in general.

Do you have a “Period Home?’ What are the joys and challenges?  What do you love the most about it? Let us know about your experience.

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What is the story about the paint price increases? It’s not just for a few “premium” companies, but apparently all across the spectrum of brands, quality and price points.

What’s in that can of paint?
Basically, all paint colors are made up of tinted bases. In sheens from flat to high gloss, the base material is a combination of materials, but this story is about, essentially,  “titanium dioxide.” That’s what makes the the paint color white, in the can, before adding tints to make Your colors. So, when the cost of that material goes up, so goes the price of paint.

If you’re into the economy of science–or the bottom line on why paint products are continuing to get more expensive– you might enjoy this article.

But OK, I will still say it—Paint is the way to go.  All the more reason why we want to really carefully consider what colors we’re using, and paying for.  And, all the more reason to make the most of the paint we are using—and enjoying.

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In this Boston high-rise condo, to create a backdrop for stronger colors we used a neutral-based color palette in custom finish of textured walls, with custom Tibetan rugs.

I’ve worked in tandem with Boston-area designer Cynthia Brumm, of SpaceDesign, on a number of projects. Here, Cynthia was the lead and she asked me to create wall finishes and rug designs. In addition to designing custom pieces for this client, Cynthia selected beautifully vibrant furnishings to complement the owner’s existing pieces.

Existing dining room furniture is beautifully complemented by GEO-Borders in wool and silk, from Silk Road Weaves

Cynthia also designed this dramatic console cabinet in a beautiful dark wood finish.

Cabinet design by Cynthia Brumm. Artisan wall finishes by Barbara Jacobs Color and Design

Custom wall finishes in an architectural, low-profile texture provide a beautiful backdrop for the custom rugs from Silk Road Weaves.

The adaptable nature of GEO from Silk Road Weaves becomes a runner in 100% wool, and complements the living room and dining room rugs, also from the GEO group.

The wall finishes are the same throughout the main open areas: Entry, Hallway, Living room, Dining room.
Kitchen and powder room are different.

Powder room features walls having a soft bronze layered glaze. Wall finishes by Barbara Jacobs.

The overall effect is comfortable, yet stunning, with a dramatic view overlooking the city.

Yes, there is a view of Boston!

All images by Barbara Jacobs.

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For me, today it’s painting shutters instead of writing a blog post; or instead of working on one of the many new rug designs in progress; or even selecting new paint colors for my own little interior project—reviving a former bedroom occupied by one or another of our children over the years.

OK, so I took a break from the shutter work. After all, client projects are much more enjoyable!

The particular pair of exterior shutters I’m talking about (yes, just 2 of them!) has been in my studio since last Fall, over the entire winter. Even with a great place to work on projects like this in any season, I didn’t have to try too had to walk by them and look the other way every time I was doing something more “immediate” and enjoyable, even painting up color samples.

Now, finally, it’s almost Fall again and the prep is done.  I’m on to the surface color, so the end is in sight and, once done, I might even get to organizing the office and studio –again.

The point is, that every time I actually accomplish a long-procrastinated task, the reward is so much sweeter—as in, “I Finally did it!”
Here’s my color celebration, in advance!

The trick is to find the creative in the mundane.

What are Your tips for doing this?

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So, when it comes to actually deciding what colors to use for our homes or even for our businesses, some confusion usually ensues. Typically, the ways color is decided when we need help is one of these:

Paint store defined palettes: Makes it easy, requires little imagination (ie: it’s already done for you). At the very least, this can be a good place to start, to explore testing some colors in your own home.

Ask-a-friend or family member: sometimes works, but the friend or family member is then responsible for their advice (and the relationship!)

Painter recommendations: Painters have more experience with applied color than anyone else in the field.
While some painters are happy to work with you closely to arrive at your specifically personal colors, I’ve noticed that they will typically want you to tell them what colors to use, so they can keep rolling.

However, on the side of patience and imagination,  there might be more that’s needed to achieve something really personal and interesting.

Copy the house down the street: this can be good for inspiration but might not suit your house, Or You, even if it’s the same style building.

What’s different?

• You are different! There are no two people alike, even though they might like the same kinds of colors.
• your House is different – even if it’s only the specific physical location
• Landscaping is likely to be different.
• lighting is probably not the same

Whether it’s for interior or exterior colors, in the process of determining a unique, harmonious and balanced personal color palette for your home, the four qualities in the title of this post are essential to really get it right.

They are all part of eliminating the frustration of being confronted by thousands of colors, and turning the experience into one that’s enjoyable and informative. At some point you may want to consult with a professional about any of these aspects of selecting colors:

1. Imagining – artistic
   
2. Knowing – educated, trained specially in the field
   
3. Envisioning – experience
   
4. Creating – putting it together
   

And finally: Enjoying
Something you can do without any help at all!

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After all, sometimes contrast is just what a space needs to emphasize shape and architectural details.

A new black with No Black! EcoHues Full Spectrum Paint: Deep and cool-toned Mysterio

TIPS
About paint finishes
The thing to remember when using deeper colors in a flat finish, in any brand of paint, is that the very very deep colors can ‘burnish’ when you brush against the surface. This means that if your elbow, for example, happens to rub against the painted surface it might make a mark that looks shiny in some lights.

So, we have three finishes: Flat, as with all EcoHues colors; SemiGloss; and Eggshell. The recommended sheen when using this kind of very deep color on a wall: Use the semi-gloss! It will be a brighter looking color and still retain the depth and mystery of, well, Mysterio!

A few ideas about trim colors

• Don’t feel obligated to paint all the trim in a room the same color.
• Think about the purpose of the trim: to accent a particular architectural element, frame a space, or create unity.
• Painting the trim the same color as your walls, but in a different finish, is a subtle way to add the illusion of a different color
• Painting crown moldings the same color as your ceiling, in a different finish, frames the ceiling and defines the space in a subtle way.
• Painting the crown moldings the same color as your walls adds height.
• Window trim in the same color as walls opens the space by bringing your focus to the outside.
• Using a very dark, contrasting trim color in a higher sheen can be a meaningful design accent To illustrate, a few images from Houzz.com that use  black.
  It’s not Mysterio, but you get the idea:

Modern kids design by DC metro interior designer Laura Manning Bendik

 

This designer’s name is a coincidence!


Eclectic bathroom design by San Francisco interior designer Jacobs Design, Inc. 




Boston-area LDa Architecture & Interiors always does stunning work.

Traditional family room design by Boston architect LDa Architecture & Interiors 

 

Contemporary dining room design by Tel Aviv photographer Yaniv Schwartz – Photographer

We have two very deep colors, and one of them is Mysterio. Another time I”ll feature CharPlum Gray.

Of course, digital color is nothing like the real thing.  Half-way down this linked page you’ll find details to order your own hand-painted color cards in various sizes from 1″x4″ to 8″x10″, with options for 9″x12″ painted on SmallWall.

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With that caveat, I began to look at various yellow paint colors for the exterior of a Victorian home in a Boston-area suburb.  Not only was the only option to be “Yellow,” but the painting was going to be done by an area company specializing in a ‘never-paint-again!’ method, and so it had to be the right yellow to last…and last…and never be changed.

One view, from the back of house, "before." Note existing color-testing by the owner, on the siding

Originally built as a single family house, as were most structures of this general style, this house has been made into apartments.

Stuck on Yellow, the owner had done a few swatch tests and come up "empty."

The house was already yellow…

Before: looking for the right change to make the difference

Selecting a different yellow for the body, with a more subdued color for the doors and an earthy color for porch floor and steps, was not a huge color change but it was a significant one overall.

The new palette: Sherwin Williams colors

• Body: SW 6374 – Torchlight
• Shingle accent:  SW 2817 – Rookwood Amber
• Window and door casing trims, and stair risers: SW 6372 – Inviting Ivory
• Porch floors and stair treads, front and back: SW 7053 – Adaptive Shade, a stoney gray
• Front and back doors: SW 6278 – Cloak Gray, a deep plum
  

  The palette: all from Sherwin Williams. Note: your monitor will not look like mine so please get the actual paint colors to test them.

New colors, almost done - but lacking the detailed accents

I had specified Rookwood Amber to be used on the details of millwork as well, which would have been a lovely detail, and would not have appeared over-decorated. Some of the column detail was done, but other details that were to have been done on the peak trim and some of  the other decorative millwork would have completed the picture.

Ultimately of course it’s up to the homeowner, who is the person hiring the painting contractor. Sometimes the finishing touches are omitted due to the budget constraints and the result, even if beautiful, seems to be missing something.

Three quick tips

• In homes with architectural detail, consider using color in the architectural details as a way to add balance and refinement. “Painting out” the detail sometimes works but the inclusion of the right, subtle color can make a world of positive difference in the overall appearance of your home.

• Even a simple color change can make a big difference. In this case, where Yellow was the only color family considered, it was a matter of getting the right one to suit the building.

• Testing: you can see that the tiny strips of color-tests, applied close together, don’t provide you with much ‘information’ about how the color will look on the house. It’s important to test on large areas that you can move around the building at different times of day, on the different surfaces.  Testing your paint colors on primed card stock or even pieces of wood (ideally, using siding to replicate the shadows) is a better method that small swatches. Be sure to use 2 coats of any colors  you are considering.

Overall, it's a big improvement!

View from the street. The colors of doors, porch and stair treads complement the roof color.

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An Example
The beautiful home that’s the subject of this post is a Victorian house in the Boston area. The owners, an energetic young couple, had done most of the groundwork for renovating by themselves, and it was time to select the interior paint colors. The emphasized their desire for a warm and restful palette that would emphasize and complement the lovely architecture of their historic home, without dominating the spaces.

The Story: A Whole-House, Full Spectrum Palette
The owners were excited to use colors from EcoHues and Ellen Kennon throughout the house. They loved the idea of “No Black,” and complex color formulas, even in colors that are what we’d typically call “neutral.”

As we selected the colors, I provided them with actual 8″x10″  painted color cards. I particularly enjoyed hearing their exclamations of enjoyment in seeing how the colors complemented each other.

The resulting palette is soft, harmonious, yet interesting. Because full spectrum paint colors by definition are so complex and mutable, it was possible to keep the actual number of colors to a minimum—with maximum benefit—considering the size of the house and number of rooms throughout.

Ceilings throughout were done with Ellen Kennon’s “White Opal.” The walls in the master bedroom are Ellen Kennon’s “Gustavian Gray;” the master bathroom is Ellen Kennon “Pumice,” and the nursery is Ellen’s “Dusk.”

The foyer, kitchen, stairwell, sunroom and 3rd floor walls are EcoHues “Dune.”  Ceiling in the foyer and in the mudroom is EcoHues “Spring Showers.” Living room walls are EcoHues “Fieldstone,” and the dining room is EcoHues “Blue Grotto.”  First floor powder room walls and ceiling–along with 2nd floor bathroom walls–are EcoHues “Pacific Mist.” The 2nd floor office walls are EcoHues “Perfect Taupe.” On the 3rd floor, the walls and ceiling of the small bathroom are EcoHues “Spring Showers.”

Start the Tour!

EcoHues "DUNE" - Foyer, kitchen, up the stairs into 2nd floor sunroom/hall area

EcoHues “Dune” is a versatile color for many areas!
Standing in the entry, you look up the stairs, and also see into the dining room straight ahead. At left is the kitchen, with the living room to the right of the foyer.

View 1 into kitchen. EcoHues "Dune" on walls, Ellen Kennon "White Opal" for ceilings throughout the house. Foyer is at left.

View 2 into kitchen. EcoHues "Dune" on walls, Ellen Kennon "White Opal" for ceilings throughout the house.

Dining room
I suggested using EcoHues “Blue Grotto” for a rich, sophisticated wall color that would create a bit of drama in the dining room while creating a cool focus for the more earth-toned adjacent rooms. Visible from the dining room, through the entry to the pantry, is the same granite counter top material as used in the kitchen–a beautiful, very deep blue-green with iridescent flecks.

View from dining room, EcoHues "Blue Grotto," into foyer, EcoHues "Dune."

“Blue Grotto” wall color is the perfect choice to highlight this unique oil painting.

On the other side of the dining room, this oil painting is framed by EcoHues "BLUE GROTTO."

Living room
“Fieldstone” creates a warm, earthy feeling for the living room. It’s a lovely complement to the white and gray  marble fireplace on the other side of the room (not shown here).

View into living room from foyer. Ecohues "Fieldstone" on walls. Ellen Kennon "White Opal" on ceilings.

Upstairs: 2nd Floor
Going up the stairs we enter the 2nd floor sunroom. Off the sunroom are the master bedroom, the nursery, an office, and a bathroom. The sunroom, painted in EcoHues “Dune ” as are the first floor foyer, kitchen, and stairway walls, is a warm hub for the adjacent spaces.

Sunroom, EcoHues "DUNE," view into bathroom, EcoHues "PACIFIC MIST"

The tiles were an inspiration for using “Pacific Mist” on the walls, a perfect fit.

Closeup view: EcoHues "PACIFIC MIST"

Nursery
Being right above one end of the kitchen, the large, airy nursery has the same wonderful, historic curved windows (see the kitchen closeup view). On the other side, the nursery opens into the sunroom.

Nursery: Ellen Kennon "DUSK" walls, view into sunroom, EcoHues "DUNE"

Office
What could be better than a perfect taupe wall color for this home office? We used EcoHues “Perfect Taupe,” with Ellen Kennon’s “White Opal” on the ceiling.

Office: EcoHues "PERFECT TAUPE"

Turn around, and look into the sunroom…
Through the opposite door is the master bedroom with Ellen’s “Gustavian Gray” on the walls.

View: Office, into Sunroom, where walls are EcoHues "DUNE" abd ceiling is also Ellen Kennon's "White Opal."

3rd Floor
“Dune” continues up to the 3rd floor, where there is one still-unpainted, very large room and a small bathroom. This small bath has a very luminous feeling, where  EcoHues “Spring Showers” was used on the walls and the ceiling, too. This very pale gray with lavender tones creates an airy space and is a lovely complement to the marble mosaic floor and warm wood cabinet.

Wall and ceiling are EcoHues "SPRING SHOWERS"

The Client’s Story
“My husband and I had spent the last 3 years renovating our Victorian house and were finally nearing the end.

Deciding on what colors to paint the walls felt overwhelming.  Barbara arrived with beautiful paint samples (with incredible names) and together we quickly made selections for most of the house.  From Gustavian Gray in our master bedroom to Dusk for the nursery to Spring Showers for the ceiling in the foyer, it all came together perfectly.

The paint colors are perfect for each room and we couldn’t be happier with the results.  Barbara also helped with selecting the exterior trim color to complement our new shingles as well as the incredible blueish-purple color for the ceiling of the front and back porch.

Working with  you was a great experience. Thank you Barbara!”

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Just as colors do not exist in isolation, nor do they function in isolation. So, this feature will sometimes include colors in combination, not just single colors. As a color consultant I have wonderful opportunities to help create beautiful environments, both interior and exterior, using a variety of materials. Not just paint!

I look forward to offering many enjoyable and inspired pairings of colors—as paint colors with each other; paint colors and “faux finish” colors; and, paint with tiles, rugs, and other materials.

Because where I live it “almost” feels like Spring, I wanted to start this feature with the color of warmth, sun, and new energy.

Viburnum flowers offer a welcoming, golden yellow.

A friend’s garden offered the inspiration for a number of the colors of my new EcoHues full spectrum paint palette. As with all the EcoHues Full Spectrum paints, there is no black or gray in the mix and they are NoVOC, No Odor as well. The Viburnum flowers translated into the paint color “Viburnum,” a richly saturated yellow but one  that will be very enjoyable to live with.

Viburnum: digital images are always approximate, so see it in person, get a sample.

Coming up: Colors in combination, and paint colors paired with other materials!

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I think that ultimately it’s just about feeling that the colors work together and  are harmonious in the space where they appear. Personally I believe that a more interesting space is created when “matching” colors is not even an issue.  I’d rather see it as the best way to enhance the space while referencing qualities of art work, furniture, rugs, and other important objects in view.

Dining room wall colors reference the art work and stained glass panel. Color design and photos by Barbara Jacobs

What makes a harmonious result?
It’s true that when we’re in a paint store —with literally thousands of colors at our fingertips—it’s easy to bounce from one color family to another, and even from one tiny color swatch to another. Even when we bring along fabrics, pottery, pieces of wood, or other “match-worthy” items there are seemingly infinite possibilities. As with a satisfying meal, harmony comes from combining the contrast and balance of a few key ingredients.

Warm dining room transitions into the cool kitchen. From the kitchen, we also see the blues of the painting in the dining room. Note the glowing warm and cool colors of the art-glass pendants.

Kitchen wall color refers to the tones of leaded glass and granite.

On another note, here’s a problem area resolved with color. Floor tile is harder to change than paint color!

Problem area resolved with color balance. Color design and photos by Barbara Jacobs

Stone wall is the inspiration for new paint colors in kitchen and adjacent family room. Color design by Barbara Jacobs

Context is Critical!
There’s just about no way a color that originates in a fabric or other material can be re-created to an exact match in paint. Even if you have a look-alike color in the paint store, on your walls it might be another story.

Here’s why

• We perceive color as reflected light. Space lighting has a lot to do with how we see color—considering the time of day or night, and the light source.
• Even when using the exact same paint color on different walls, color appears different when light is reflected onto surfaces at different angles.
• Color on adjacent walls intensifies in the corners.
• Ceilings are always in their own shadows, in a way– so using color on a ceiling will be deeper than using the same color on a wall.

Tip
We have a natural tendency to look at color chips on a horizontal plane. Always view paint color chips at the same angle as they will be used on the walls.

Surfaces and textures
Whether on a horizontal, vertical, or curved surface, texture makes a difference in both the source color and the destination color.

• A deeper, irregular texture creates subtle shadows and might even make a pattern.
• A smooth surface will typically be more reflective, even with a matte paint surface.
• Colors on a high gloss surface are the most reflective and will appear brighter.

Test the new colors
View the colors in actual painted large color cards, noting how they work with your furniture and fabrics. Look  from one room to the next, and back the other way.  Look at the colors in all times of day and night, with your painted samples taped onto the various surfaces. This is my most-recommended way to really test colors in your home.

You can read more on this subject in my “Perfect Palettes: Mix and Match” article on HGTV.com.

Thanks for reading ColorViews. You’re invited to write to me about your color experiences and project questions that I’ll consider for publishing!

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