America's Color Consultants

March 12, 2021March 12, 2021

18 Must-Know Exterior House Painting Tips From Experts

Updating your home’s exterior with a fresh coat of paint is a task many homeowners will undertake with spring approaching and is undoubtedly one of the most important factors to consider when it comes to enhancing your home’s curb appeal. And there’s no wonder why exterior paint colors are important – they can make or break a potential homebuyer’s perception of your home.

With so many paint colors, finishes, and factors to consider when undertaking an exterior paint update, choosing a paint color can seem like an intimidating decision to make. To help ease the stress that comes with such a big design decision, we asked paint color experts from Austin, TX all the way to Warrenton, VA for their best exterior house painting tips to make your painting project a breeze.

1) Start with the Rule of 3

Start by choosing 3 coordinating colors. From there, choose a darker color than you initially think; the sun washes colors out quite a bit, so take the time to paint samples on a large sample board. I like to use the 20×30 poster board you can get at any craft store. –Nest Obsessed Interior Design

2) Simplify the process

Use a 3-step process to tackle your exterior paint project:

Select colors that complement the period of your home.
Divide your home into 3 sections when selecting paint colors: Siding color, Trim color, Door and/or Shutter color
Then, place the samples at the front of your home, or on an area where you can see all three paint selections working together, and observe them during different times of the day.

–CPB Designs

3) Be mindful of lighting

It’s always best to paint large samples on the building before you start painting and look at the swatches at different times of the day. Keep this exterior house painting tip in mind if you’re choosing a white paint color for your home exterior. Off-whites can come across as a stark white when painted outside, and grays tend to turn bluish due to the lighting, so it’s best to choose a gray with some yellow in it. Remember, you can always go deeper in color hues on the exterior compared to interiors. –Catalina Paints

4) Keep it minimal

Narrow your exterior color choices down to only two colors: body color and trim color. The stone and roof colors will make up the rest of the palette, but be sure that there’s a definite contrast between the two colors. If your trim color is going to be white, be sure to avoid any pink or yellow undertones. Choose the most neutral white you can get. The best way to determine the undertones is to compare a few samples to each other, such as using paint chips from the store and place them on a white background under good light, preferably exterior, to see the undertones and eliminate any visible whites with color to it.

Any color painted on an exterior surface will be much lighter because of the exposure to daylight, so when you choose your darker color, don’t be afraid to choose a deeper value (darker shades) to ensure that the color doesn’t “wash out.” –Max Ruthven Color & Design

5) When in doubt, test it out

Be sure to sample for the ‘true color’ (how the paint color will ultimately read) of the paint you choose. Use the exterior house painting tip to get the true color for your sample by priming large portions on two sides of your house. When testing color samples, don’t put a sample over the existing color as it will “shift” the color, and don’t paint samples right next to each other. Having two colors side by side can cause them to “shift,” which can change our perception. And, when testing your samples, do two coats. Buy a quart (not the sample pint), so you can sample both the sheen and grade of paint- these both can change how the color reads on your home’s exterior. –Luxury Color Design

6) Don’t rely solely on the paint chips

One huge mistake while selecting exterior colors is to choose colors that are too light. What looks perfect on a color chip will appear much lighter in natural light. An exterior house painting tip to avoid this mistake is to always find your perfect color and go one to two shades darker. –The Business of Color

7) Consider the altitude of your house

Moisture softens colors, so a good exterior house painting tip to keep in mind is to choose a less vibrant color if you are at a higher elevation. The higher you are, the less water vapor is in the air. For example, if you live in Denver and want a yellow house, look at buttery tones instead of lemon ones. –The Color Psychic

8) Use your home’s history to your advantage

The history of your home can actually make it easier to choose a paint palette, as many paint brands are featuring collections that are “historic,” which can help narrow down your choices. Take a moment to research the decade your home was built, and you will find amazing paint color choices that you might not have ever considered. Whether your home is a mid-century ranch or a Victorian three-story beauty, there are swatches out there that will enhance your home’s charm and make it the talk of the neighborhood. –Splendid House Interiors

9) Take cues from your neighborhood

Identify your home’s style and neighborhood, existing elements of your home’s exterior, and nature around the home. Taking the time to survey your neighborhood will help you eliminate colors that not only won’t work for your home but also keep your neighbors happy. –Georgio Savva

10) Play around with accent colors

Add some personality with accent colors on your front door or shutters and paint the siding or larger planes of the house in a more neutral color. Take a hint from London or Paris, where most homeowners paint their doors in unique colors to make them stand out. It showcases the personality of the people who live there and is also easy to change when you are ready for a new hue. –Christine Billings Interior Design

11) Examine the fixed elements on your home

Look at colors independently or against the fixed elements (brick /stone) on the home. Don’t compare paint color choices next to one another but look at them independently on large painted sample boards in the exterior environment. –Your Color Consultant

12) Take inspiration from existing masonry

Use the existing roof and other accent materials like brick or stone to choose the color. These are often the hardest materials to change, so build the colors around that. We also love to pick one tone and play with multiple different saturations of that color to create unity and depth. –Frederick James Designs

13) Strike a balance with a neutral color palette

No matter the style of the house, you can’t go wrong with a palette of monochromatic neutrals. Look to any stone or brickwork as your color guide. Using the same paint color strip, select two of the mid-to-lighter tones. The trim color can be either the lighter or darker tone, and the body of the house the other. Use a black/dark color for the window rails, sashes, and grills for a sophisticated, updated look. The doors can be either the dark color of the window grills or a choice that introduces the color scheme found inside the house. –America’s Color Consultants

14) Pick colors that compliment permanent fixtures

The right exterior paint color depends on which elements are staying. If your home has a stone facade, select a paint color that compliments the stone with a similar undertone. By doing this, your home will have a cohesive color palette and will look beautiful. If your roof is brown, select a paint color with a warm tone, such as a soft creamy white. A black or charcoal roof provides the most versatile paint color options and works well with blue, grey, and white. –Styled Interiors

15) Familiarize yourself with the color wheel

Pick 2 to 3 colors that you love and match them to the rest of the home’s exterior. Once the colors have been chosen, they can be customized by reducing or mixing them with another base color. When we do either of these options, it’s always onsite at the home in a small sample section to see how it looks against the rest of the selections. This helps the client get a unique color. –Yvonne Christensen Design

16) Pay attention to tone

It’s important to find a color that has tone added to the pigments. Tone is adding gray to the pigments, which results in making the intensity of the color duller. This helps the color from being degraded from the Texas UV. Also, move down the monochromatic scale to a darker version of the color preferred. The color will often look lighter when applied in direct sun. –Clement’s Paint

17) Use color charts as references

I tend to select colors off historical color charts, as they are often more architecturally appropriate for exterior usage. One of my favorite ways to select an exterior paint color is to drive around town and identify existing homes that resonate with the look we hope to achieve. Then I knock on the door, express my admiration for their beautiful home, and politely ask if they wouldn’t mind sharing the color. Sometimes going the old-fashioned way is the best exterior house painting tip. –Salt Design Co.

18) Not sure where to start? Ask for an expert’s opinion

Hiring a professional color consultant can save you time and money. While it may not seem like it at first, buying paint samples can add up, and making a mistake that could require a repaint can be expensive. Receiving exterior house painting tips on trends, styles, and the impact lighting has on your color choices are huge benefits of hiring an expert. –Ashford Painting

Originally published by Redfin

March 4, 2021March 4, 2021

The Four S’s of Paint Color

When working with clients to develop a color palette for their homes, I am often met with the sentiment “I don’t want my house to look like a clown house.” These clients fear color. As a trained artist and color expert, I use the four S’s to help them select what will be their ideal color solution.

Simplicity, Strength, Sizzle, Sophistication. These Four S’s have been used for decades as the foundation in graphic design, interior design, architecture and most creative fields. In each category the S’s might differ somewhat, but the general idea remains the same.

Simplicity – The simpler something is, the longer its life. When things are simple we do not tire of them as quickly. If you do not plan to paint for another 20 years, consider choosing this path. An example of this is a monochromatic color palette. Simple does not necessarily mean all white or beige.

Strength – This can mean something different for each person. For paint it means a bold, saturated paint color.

Sizzle – Some people just like things that are exciting – colors that create energy. Complementary and analogous colors can also create this color energy.

Sophistication – In the paint world this can also be defined as classy, refined or elegant.

Sophisticated color does not shout at you, and does not stand in opposition to its furnishings. These colors usually fall into the mid-range of intensity.

January 20, 2021January 20, 2021

America’s Color Consultants Collection of Real Life Paint Colors

From Left to right: Bohemian Lace (HGSW-4052); White Diamond (BM-OC-61); Pure White (SW-7005); Alabaster (SW 7008).

From Left to right: Mindful Gray (SW-7016); Revere Pewter (BM-HC-172); Classic Gray (BM-OC-23); Collingwood (BM-OC-28).

From Left to right: Antique Glass (BM-CSP-695); Sea Salt (SW 6204); Borrowed Light (Farrow & Ball); Aleutian (SW 624l).

From Left to right: Full Moon (SW 6679); Napery (SW 6388); Behr P270-2 September Morning; Kilim Beige (SW 6106).

From Left to right: Urbane Bronze (SW 7048); Grizzle Gray (SW-7068); Stargazer (SW-9635); Lichen (Farrow & Ball).

From Left to right: First Light (BM 2102-70); In Bloom (Magnolia), Dune Grass (BM 492); Behr RD-W14 Aria Ivory.

Sherwin-William paints are indicated as SW, and Benjamin-Moore as BM.

Happy New Year! It’s that time when all the new paint “colors of the year” have been revealed. And there is a hue for everyone! There are soft, muted colors, colors born in nature, bold colors, and dark, moody colors. You can easily Google “Paint Colors of the Year 2021” and find links (and lengthy tomes) from all the popular paint manufacturers. Some of these colors will prove to be trendy – lasting 4-8 years in popularity, and several will prove to be a fad – out of favor in just a year or two.

Many of the shades you see among the major players were developed in coordination with the home decor and furnishings industry several years ago. That’s why you find lots of items that “match” among those manufacturers in any given year. The past several years have seen the continuation of the neutrals trend with the current favorite, gray, now moving from the cooler shades toward the warmer ones being referred to as “greiges”.

America’s Color Consultants often work with people who have had their current furnishings from “a few” to “many” years and more often than not, want a refresh as opposed to a total home redo. Consequently, we are working with fabrics and colors that are not currently “on trend.”

When a client wants a more “modern” color (currently meaning gray) we see which of the beautiful neutrals on the market will work best with their rugs, drapes, furniture, light sources, etc. Because grays are actually black and white paints tinted with color, there is a gray shade of every color.

Over the past 15 years ACC has consulted hundreds of times with homeowners and small businesses and enjoyed the insights of national paint manufacturers and local paint stores, realtors and home owners. We have put together our first ACC Collection of Real Life Favorite Paint Colors (ours and our clients!). A few are personal favorites and colors we would love to spec for someone with bold ambitions; others have proven to be very popular for those planning to sell their properties in a few years; changing from a bright to a neutral; and several are those colors that have proven time again to be both popular and tried and true for clients on the east and west coasts.

Color is SO subjective and there are many factors that are considered when searching for a new paint color. We never push our own personal preferences, but when asked we certainly offer them! Our job, of course, is to educate our clients, guide the process, and assist in identifying the color that makes them say “YES – that’s it!” Experience, product knowledge and industry familiarity make us a valuable tool in your home improvement arsenal!

America’s Color Consultants Real Life Color of 2021 is Agreeable Gray (SW 7029).

While the name of this shade may elicit a yawn, and suggests it is neutral to the point of non-existence, nothing could be further from the truth, in our opinion.

This versatile shade of greige is happy to play with everyone. A medium light shade, it has an Light Reflective Value of 60, so it reflects a fair amount of light, but won’t wash out, and looks great with white or natural wood trim. It works well in any room with any furniture style and loves complementary earth tones. It can stand up to bold accent colors, too. It can comfortably be used in one room or the entire house. It has been a popular choice for all these reasons for the past 10 years with our clients and shows no sign of slowing down any time soon.

December 8, 2020December 8, 2020

Accent Walls

With design trends that are more modern and neutrals maintaining their popularity, accent walls are a good way of accentuating artwork or a fireplace or just adding a surprising jolt of color. An accent wall is a wall painted in a different color than the rest of the room. Usually a contrast to the predominant room color, it could also be a similar color but with a different pattern. Wood, tiles or wall paper can provide that beautiful contrast. There are numerous products on the market now that can serve the purpose.

Random Lengths Butternut Brown Vintage Shiplap Planks

Be careful though – an improperly created accent wall could make the room feel smaller. It’s a safer bet to use accent walls primarily for living rooms or family rooms, rather than smaller rooms such as bedrooms. However, a properly done accent wall behind the headboard of the bed can work very well. An adventurous homeowner could even choose to have two accent walls: multiple accent walls create an accented space. But it would be best to make sure the colors work particularly well together: if the accent colors are fighting each other for attention, then the effect could range from odd to atrocious!

November 16, 2020November 16, 2020

Why are Porch Ceilings Painted Blue?

The legend of Haints Blue: In the south it was common to paint porch ceilings blue to protect the house from evil sprits. The Gullah people passed along this tradition. In the Gullah culture of the South , ceilings and sometimes doors and shutters were painted blue to symbolize water or sky. According to folklore evil spirits and haints, pronunced “haunts,” would be either be tricked by the sky or the blue symbolized water which they could not cross. Blue glass bottles were also hung in trees to trap haints.

In the past Haint Blue was mixed with milk paint formulas using lime and crushed indigo plant pigments. Today many people use pale or dusty hues but there is no standard color. The color ranges from light blues and blue greens to darker shades and gray blues.

October 14, 2020October 14, 2020

Interior Designer or Paint Color Consultant?

A few years ago, I received a call from a desperate homeowner. She told me she had hired an interior designer, and she just hated her new living room. She told me that the room was beautiful, but she just felt something was wrong.

When I arrived for the consultation, I looked at the room: it was beautiful. She had paid about $14,000 for the new furnishings and paint job. So why did she feel it was not right?

It was because she hated blue, and the entire room was decorated in shades of blue.

What is the difference between a paint color consultant and an interior designer?

Not all interior designers are experts in color or paint. They are experts on styles and products. Color is often just a single class in an interior designer’s degree program. Interior designers make their money on upselling products – buying at a significant professional discount and reselling to the client. The paint color of the room is often dictated by the available products for that year.

The Color Marketing Group works on forecasting future color trends which then defines product development and the colors that will be used that season. Interior designers often follow trends and buy those products for their clients.

Paint color consultants are experts on color. Their training is all about how paint is made, used, applied and perceived. Paint color consultants can improve the look of a room with color, at the same time using either existing furnishings or new. Understanding a client’s color perception and mutual communication is key. A good consultant will listen closely to the likes and dislikes of their clients, and will consider lighting, use and mood when helping select the perfect color for a specific space. Not everyone wants to change everything: nor can they afford to. A carefully selected paint color can go a long way to refresh any space.

So what did we do for the desperate homeowner? We could not do anything about the blue patterned rug and blue sofa and blue chairs. We DID change the color of the walls to a soft shade of white, removed some blue pillows, changed out the blue chairs with others we shopped from another room, and recommended the use of an analogous color (that we selected together) for accents to distract from the blue overuse.

Now she loves her new living room.

(BTW: We would never recommend blue if blue was strongly disliked.)

August 18, 2020August 18, 2020

Brick – To Paint or Not To Paint

The beauty of brick is that it is a maintance free building product. It is expensive and the life span of a brick house can be 100’s of years with little or no maintance. Then why paint it? Sometimes we are forced to paint a brick home. An addtion is added and matching brick cannot be found or it is too expensive to use additional brick for the addition. Sometimes after adding an addtion there is very little brick still exposed resulting in very little sense to keep the natural brick.

Lately we have seen a trend to paint brick. Like all trends this one will pass. In 10 years when the paint is peeling and the brick needs to be repainted, you will ask yourself – why did I paint this brick? Before deciding to paint brick ask yourself a few questions. Why am I painting the brick? Does it need to be painted? Is my property historical and will it effect the historical value of the house in the future? Am I OK with repainting it in 10 -20 years. If I am reselling will it be an improvement or not?

Once painted, you can only undo the paint by sand blasting. The cost will exceed the original paint job. An alternative to painting brick – dye it. https://www.dyebrick.com/product/colour-panels. This technique does not give you 1,000’s of color choices, but it does retain the maintance free quality fo brick.

April 30, 2020April 30, 2020

The Cost of Plastering a Room

Hint: It’s not cheap! As members of the home improvement industry, we at America’s Color Consultants (ACC) are very lucky to meet and exchange ideas/information with people across the region, country, and even other parts of the world!

Below you will find a link to an extensive overview/analysis of the steps and costs of redoing plaster walls provided by a new colleague, Jen Miller of Jen Reviews. While dry wall is now the most common type of wall surface found in ACC’s work areas, those with older homes (and/or high budgets) should find this well-researched piece of interest. We would venture to say that lath and plaster work (found in most 40’s/50’s built North Arlington homes) is now considered a specialty field and prices for these vanishing plasterers’ expertise will reflect that.

Thank you, Jen! Jen Reviews are packed with lots of good information and excellent research on a wide variety of food, fitness and home products. Jen’s team of reviewers are all experts in their sometimes-niche fields. Check it out. The referenced article was originally published by their sister site, Happy DIY Home.

January 7, 2020January 7, 2020

The Age of Creativity

Going into a new decade, I am observing a strong movement towards “creativity”.

We are living in the Modern Era, which has included the Space Age and the Dot Com era, both based on science and technology. During the last 20 years I feel the Arts have been disregarded. Five years ago a guidance counselor at my son’s high school told him there was no point in taking an art class, because there are no jobs in art. I was horrified! Everything around us is, was or will be created by an artist: the computer you use, the car you drive, and even the label on the can of tomatoes you buy, all were designed by an artist.

Lately we are beginning to recognize this creativity. You can see it all around you. Paint colors for homes are no longer just shades of white or beige. Paint manufacturers are putting more time and money into promoting paint colors: everyone has a “Color of the Year.” We are seeking out more creative and unique products for our homes. Food products are more creative in stores, and presentation, in addition to taste, is an important element at restaurants.

In our era of shrinking job stability and stagnant wages, people are finding ways to generate additional income through their creativity. A “side hustle” is a common second or even third job. Creative sites such Etsy.com offer unique creations such as this Starry Night Birdhouse or Fantasy Hoof Boots . Visit your local farmers market and you will see that we are even becoming more creative in our local food products such as Immortal Mountain Chocolates.

If you have a creative urge, but don’t know where to start, a subscription to a site like mybluprint.com might be the answer. With on-line tutorials in everything from quilting and photography, to jewelry making and cake decorating, it is a fun way to exercise your creative muscles. Perhaps you caught the competition “Making It” hosted by Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman. The goal of the show was simple: to encourage everyone to “Make It”! It was a “Project Runway”-styled show for crafts people with different skills and backgrounds in which the makers were given projects to create each week. The variety of creative skills and imagination on display was staggering: both impressive and inspiring.

Why all this creativity? Perhaps it is the resurgence of concepts such as Ikigai that are driving this new age of creativity. This Japanese concept means “a reason for being.” The word “ikigai” is usually used to indicate the source of value in one’s life or the things that make one’s life worthwhile, the word translated to English roughly means “thing that you live for” or “the reason for which you wake up in the morning.” Read more at en.wikipedia.org.

America’s Color Consultants franchise model fits perfectly into this new trend. We offer a home-based business which you can pursue part time as your “side hustle” by adding creativity back into your life. A great way to start the next decade.

November 27, 2019

Why Hire a Color Consultant – A Cautionary Tale

Fall is a very busy time of year for my business: lots of people are sprucing up their homes for the holidays. My appointment schedule is booked two weeks out, which I note to potential new clients when they call.

Recently, I had an appointment with a new client. The day before our appointment, she called to cancel saying that her painter had a color consultant who he would send over for FREE. I told her I understood and wished her well. A week later I received a desperate call from the same woman telling me that the house was half painted and it “looks awful!” and can I come right over?

Sadly, I had to tell her that I was booked for the next two weeks! She also told me a bit more about the painter’s “consultant”, who did not ask her anything about her own preferences, didn’t look at her furniture or use any kind of process to help with paint color selection. No samples were provided and she felt strong-armed to use the colors they recommended.

I hoped I could fit her in, but the timing for us both couldn’t be worked out.

Over the last 15 years as a paint color consultant, I have developed a personalized process to assist my clients with their selections, so that they love the colors that they paint. My system is now used by all our America’s Color Consultants franchisees and we offer customer satisfaction. What does “customer satisfaction” mean? After your paint color consultation you can text or call us and we will continue to help you tweak the color selection until it is perfect.

Painting your home is an expensive proposition. While there may be painters with a very good eye for color, there are others who are just excellent painters. Paint color consultants are talented experts who are specially trained professionals – and do the job right the first time. Take your time and don’t feel rushed to make a decision.

It’s your money and your home.