5 Expert Tips for Selecting Paint Colors Based on Light

Summer is approaching, and I'm not sure about you, but I'm all about refreshing my home during this time. Something about it being brighter outside and for a longer period of time motivates me to give an update on the inside. A fresh coat of paint on the walls brings a new life to any tired-looking room. But choosing the color doesn't always mean choosing the popular color.

1. Shifting Lights & Shades

For instance, we have seen so many shades of gray over the years as everyone wanted to join the trend. But gray has many values, and it can look very blue/purple or brown in certain lights. We are happy to see the gray era turning to warmer colors, especially in the Midwest, with our many deary days. The warmer the value on the wall, the more comforting you feel inside.

2. Sunlight's Notable Impact

When selecting a paint color, it should not be determined by those teeny tiny samples you receive from the paint store. You should always consider the direction the room faces and how much natural light it receives. For example, a greige color in a brightly sunny room can come across as a very white neutral, whereas in a dark room, it can come across as a dirty brown.

3. The Effects of Artificial Light

Then, when you add the effect of all the temperature options for LED light bulbs, the color on the walls can make for a discomforting sight! When shopping for bulbs, you may notice a number like 3500K, which means 3500 Kelvans. Kelvans is a scale that measures the temperature but not in hot and cold temperatures. For example, the higher the Kelvans, the cooler the light will look. 

Before the LEDs, we were used to incandescent light bulbs, so I often choose the 2700K for a similar look. It doesn't cast too much yellow light but still feels soft to the eye. So be sure when selecting a paint color you have all the suitable temperature bulbs in place because that can make a massive difference to the outcome.

4. Eco-Friendly Paint Swatches

As we become more conscious of sustainability, we have adapted how we select paint colors. We no longer buy the small cans of sample paint that end up in a landfill. Instead, we recommend that clients buy samples from Samplize. https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-101190258-15471872

Samplize is a company that will send you paint samples on a large sheet with a sticky back. I encourage my clients to apply these to the wall and move them around at different times of day before making any final decisions. The best part is they can be reused, and you receive the best accurate color represented instead of painting a sample of the actual paint on the wall and the old color seeping through.

5. Your Interior Design Partner

Our best advice is not to get stuck in the trend of what color is in style. A color can look totally different in each space, so you should select the color that works for you. 

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Until next time,

Trisha