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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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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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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No, it's not a dragon—it's a building. From: Complete works: Gaudi / by Aurora Cuito, Cristina Montes. This image from the book is by Pere Planells

Exquisite photography and detailed descriptions of sites provide a compelling entree into the Gaudi world. As an architectural color consultant I particularly enjoy Gaudi’s bold, personal style of color in architecture. I’m happy to have the English edition so I can actually read the text!

Next stop…Barcelona!

See larger image Antonio Gaudi: Complete Works (Paperback) By (author) Aurora Cuito List Price: $38.95 USD Used from: $34.90 In Stock

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But now that I’ve seen other people call it “magic,” I will come out from behind my little curtain and say… “Yes!”

Actually, when clients become exuberant about “my magic paints” I’ve always replied,” Well, maybe not ‘magic.’  Maybe it’s Physics and Artistic Vision.”  OK, that’s my pragmatic side speaking.  But, however you want to describe it, Full Spectrum is a wonderfully beautiful and–dare I say it–the Most FUN and inspirational way to work with paint color!

Architect and interior designer Richard Morrison is also an enthusiastic advocate of Full Spectrum color, with Ellen Kennon Full Spectrum Paint as his stated favorite.  He describes it like this: “For many people, the difference between standard paint and full spectrum paint is like night and day.”

I could not agree more!

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The owner of this 1950′s custom home wanted to create a great view of his house from the street. True, the house is in a commanding position at the upper crest of a hill on a corner lot where two streets meet. It’s almost like a punctuation point, since the house is visible as soon as you round the corner.

Originally white with mauve trim, the house is surrounded with homes for the most part “colonial” with taupe, brown, or beige siding.

View from the street - click to expand image

The owner’s goal
The owner wanted to make his home a showplace without it standing out too much. In other words, Stand Out as  unique while serving as a focal point and complement to the neighborhood.

Note: existing vertical siding  on two sections.
Each of these two areas in the updated home will have new horizontal trim band to separate it from the lower portion. Also: new shutters will be made and all windows re-glazed. Old stone of chimney is an eyesore against the white background.

At our first  meeting
The owner expressed his interest in making the house ‘stand out – but in a good way” – among the more traditional “colonials” of taupe, tan, cream, and brown. His father had built the house and he was interested in respecting the “bones” of the house and the quality of it’s construction.

It was also of primary importance to him that his home have an aesthetically pleasing view from the street since it is on a corner with an expansive front lawn. In the winter, of course the yard is not so beautiful and he  wanted the house to look great even when the yard did not look its best due to the winter weather.

At this time, he showed me his ‘favorite’ paint colors that he’d selected. It’s always good to know what people like, yet it’s essential to not be bound by their preferences. He was open minded and detail-oriented, which I enjoyed, and which helped the process.

Next, back to the studio, where I printed out the many photos I’d taken at our meeting. When use my initial digital photos expanded in larger black-and-white images, I can work with them to visualize the new color palettes. I can also sketch on the photos as much as I have to, to develop the paint palette.

Our next meeting
The objective of our second meeting was to  review the colors and distribution of a couple of the palette options I’d developed based on our first meeting and a few calls and emails between meetings to confirm the direction.  Meanwhile, he’d had a chance to look at all the color ideas on his own. At this meeting I also brought a number of larger paint sheets with me and we finalized the selections.

Then, back at the studio
I created a digital ‘color sketch’ based on our palette selections. This digital imaging is often a good way to communicate the paint scheme before actually doing the work.

Finally, the painting was started…and efficiently completed!
He’d had the carpentry work done, to trim the vertical siding edges and install the horizontal trim, and also have custom shutters made and painted the new color.

The owner emphasized his interest in creating a coordinated “look” between the exterior and the interior, which he had previously painted.  His enthusiastic comment: “When you’re inside, you see the outside. People have commented on the great blend and relationship of colors inside and out.”

Interior view, existing colors

The owner’s question—and his responses
His question: “Color is the first impression someone has. Does it fit?” And he answers: “It’s Spectacular! Really, Really, REALLY came out great! It’s not the same house at all. It’s that dramatic !”

Owner: "The bay windows look twice the size as before – the colors highlight each bay even from a distance."

He continues, “the house is ‘one of a kind,’ and now it looks it. I tried numerous times to pick colors but it was never really right. Anyone could have painted the house but not just anybody could have picked the colors like this.”

“The colors you picked are Perfect!”

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