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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.

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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.

 

 

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Spring In DC

Cherry blossoms are blooming, all through DC, and with them the cherry blossom festival is in full swing. Stalls are sprung up full of fun food and Japanese souvenirs, shows combining traditional arts and modern music, and events ranging from ‘Art Blooms at Mosaic District’ to the ‘Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival’. All while the icon pink petals rain down upon the fairgoers.

The cherry blossoms first arrived in DC on March 27th, 1912, as a donation from the mayor of Tokyo to celebrate the friendship between America and Japan, and after over a century, the tradition is still going strong- although even Mayor Ozaki couldn’t imagine the result of his thoughtful gift.

While the National Cherry Blossom Festival is the largest and oldest of cherry blossom celebrations, it isn’t the only one in America. The International Cherry Blossom Festival is located in Macon, Georgia, and involves an airshow and an international food fair. The North Carolina Cherry Blossom Festival is in San Francisco and features both a film festival and a ‘Mikoshi Purification Ceremony’. Major locations from NYC to Philadelphia boast their own cherry blossom festivals.

Of course, the way to have the cheer of the cherry blossom festival at all times is with paint and décor:  Benjamin Moore boasts a soft, sedate shade called ‘Pale Cherry Blossom’ BM 2101-60 (sample shown) as well as a more vibrant ‘Pink Blossom’ BM 2081-40. Other paints, while not named specifically for cherry blossoms, match the beautiful petals- Sherwin William’s ‘Dragon Fruit’ has the exotic flair of the cherry blossoms and ‘Eros Pink’ if you’re looking for that zest of romance. And most brands have that delicate white color that matches the gentle blossoms.

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Product Review

Multi Purpose Tool
What is this tool? It is one of the painting industry’s most versatile tools. Even if you do not paint regularly, this tool is a great addition to your tool box. It has a total of 14 different uses:

Hammer

  1. Flat Head Screw Driver
  2. Phillips Head Screw Driver
  3. Large Hex Nut Wrench
  4. Small Hex Nut Wrench
  5. Convex Scraper
  6. Concave Scaper
  7. Nail Puller
  8. Crack Opener
  9. Chisel
  10. Spackler
  11. Paint Can Opener
  12. Roller Cleaner
  13. Bottle Opener

Most of these tools are very common; a few may not be. #9 for example, is used when painting a corner edge. You run the tool down the corner edge and it creates an invisible groove that your paint brush then follow, allowing you to paint a straight line without tape. For #13 the roller cleaner, use this edge to scrape excess paint off your roller before washing.

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2019 Color Of The Year

PPG Paints – The Power of Nature “The restorative power of nature is important in society now more than ever,” explains Dee Schlotter, PPG senior color marketing manager. “Night Watch” (PPG1145-7) is about bringing the healing power from the outdoors into your home through color. The dark green hue pulls our memories of natural environments to the surface to recreate the calming, invigorating euphoria we feel when in nature.”

Behr – EMBRACING REIMAGINATION – The 2019 Behr Color of the Year, Blueprint S470-5, is an honest, approachable color that conjures up the blueprints that builders rely on to bring architectural designs to life. Blueprint creates a space where you can build your own reimagined life–where awareness of what we want to build for ourselves can transform into action.

Benjamin Moore – Calm, composed and effortlessly sophisticated, Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year 2019, Metropolitan AF-690, exudes glamour, beauty and balance. Metropolitan AF-690 is supported by Color Trends 2019, a coordinating palette of 15 harmonious hues.

Sherwin Williams – A warm terracotta color with ancient, elemental roots. SW 7701 Cavern Clay is a nod to midcentury modern style, but with the soul of the American Southwest, which together creates a desert modern aesthetic.

Dunn-Edwards – has announced its 2019 Color of the Year – Spice of Life – a dark, browned, fire brick red with orange undertones. “Spice of Life is an outgoing, confident hue that adds drama and stimulates the senses,” explained Sara McLean, color expert and stylist for Dunn-Edwards. “It’s a celebration of what makes life interesting and exciting. Spice of Life makes a bold statement with a melding of diverse and global cultural influences.”

Pantone – Vibrant, yet mellow PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral embraces us with warmth and nourishment to provide comfort and buoyancy in our continually shifting environment.

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Why An App Will Never Replace a Color Consultant! 

Will These Paint Colors Work For You in Your Home?

3 color example

Maybe, Maybe Not.

A few weeks ago I received a frantic phone call – “I need help fast! Can you come now?!” It was a Friday evening and it had been a long day: however, I detected desperation in the man’s voice. When I arrived later that evening, the man explained to me he was trying to paint the interior of the house before his wife returned from traveling. The painters were coming in the morning and he needed to buy the paint before they arrived. He had samples painted all over his dining room wall: “I cannot figure out which one to choose.” After a few minutes of discussion, we narrowed down his choices to two color families. From that point, it was just personal preference. He was so relieved that the decision had been made in less than an hour, he still had time to go to the paint store, and the house would be painted before his wife returned. Whew!

While I collected my belongings he asked me if I could help him with one more thing. He had already painted the basement family room, but it looked horrible. His question – “What did I do wrong? I used the paint store’s APP and followed their suggestions.”

Well, from a color theory point of view, the colors were fine if you looked at them on a piece of printed white paper: or on a computer screen they might look appealing in that setting. The problem with the paint manufacturer’s APP is that it is not human – it does not take into consideration your furnishings, the lighting in your home, the light blubs, your age, or your brain and the way you personally perceive color. A computer will never be a human (at least not in my lifetime!).

The colors the APP put together were not paint colors that the average homeowner would or ever should choose to paint on their walls.

At this point the homeowner had already paid the painter, and the work had been completed. My job at this point was how to salvage the project and make it look better. The mistake cost him more money to fix.

Paint store APPs can be fun for ideas: a place to start. The average homeowner paints every 10 years: you want to make the correct decision the first time.

When it comes down to making the final decisions, the $200 – $300 you pay for an expert paint color consultant’s help can ultimately save you thousands.

http://www.americascolorconsultants.com/consultations.html

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Product Review

Ceiling Paint by Glidden

Ceiling paint is designed for your ceilings – Why? It is made as a bright white designed for maximum light reflection. When the light bounces off the ceiling, the brightness of the ceiling white brings more light into your living space. It is also not has high a quailty paint because it does not get exposed to were and tear resulting in a lower cost per gallon.

The challenge with painting your ceiling is being able to see where you have already painted. Glidden solves this challenge. When the paint is wet it is pink, when it dries it is white. How simple.

IMG_0731 IMG_0734

www.americascolorconsultants.com

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Stencil Instead of Wallpaper

If you have been a subscriber to our newsletter for along time you might remember my product review on this wallpaper.

wallpaper removal

I tested it for it’s easy application and hopeful removal. This is an update to that review. Yes, the wallpaper went up very easily, however it was just as hard to remove as old fashion wallpapers. Over the years (about 8 years) my wallpaper became stained and worn. I loved the black on white pattern but it needed to be updated.

Removing the new and improved wallpaper took hours of spraying with vinegar and scraping. Perhaps a more toxic remover would have worked faster, but after all, the claim is that it was easily removable. My guess on why it was so difficult to remove, is when products are created and test in the moment they do not take into consideration what happens to the product over time. In the case of the wallpaper the adhesive bonded with the surface of the wall. The different seasons (heat & cold) most likely enhanced the bond to the wall. When a product is created and tested such as this wallpaper it is applied to the wall then removed a short while later to demonstrate the ease of removal. The shorten time frame does not give the adhesive time to fully bond. The result of the demonstration is a product that is easily removed.

After removing the paper, instead of wallpapering again, I have decided to stencil, then topcoat with a glaze for extra durability. This stenciled design and topcoat should last 20+ years and with the top coat glaze be totaly washable. From my experience you really need to love a wallpaper to commit to using it. When the time comes for a change there will always be the added expense of the removal. Stenciling just requires a coat of paint to cover and change. This stenciling project took about three days despite being a small bathroom. The complexity of the stencil made it difficult to stencil the edges and corners, requiring me to hand paint those areas. If you choose to stencil, a tone on tone design is the least expensive route. The more colors and complexity the more expensive. The cost of stenciling might be more on the front end, but you will not have to pay for the removal.

IMG_0809

Interested in having something stencil, contact us at www.americascolorconsultants.com

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5 Tips For Homeowners Who Hate To Pick Out Paint Colors

paint store chips

Let me know if this sounds like your last paint project. You started with a rough idea and a handful of paint swatches from your home improvement store. You narrowed them down to five colors (three of which your spouse said looked exactly the same). After a couple of days of stewing and asking anyone who entered your home for an opinion, you end up picking the color based on the fact that “Imperial Realm” sounded much more stately than “Original Gray.” And then you slapped a sample up on the wall, only to decide it was much too dark.

And repeat.

As someone who makes her living helping homeowners choose color palettes for their homes, I promise there is a better way. Here are five tips I use in my color consultant practice to help remove the stress in finding the perfect paint color for your home.

#1. There is more than one perfect paint color for your home. Best get this one out of the way quickly. Your color decision is a lot easier to make when you realize there are many perfect choices. Question – which color works with your furniture, your personality, and the light within your home? There will be several shades or hues that will work beautifully, so when you find yourself stewing over two samples, cut yourself a little slack and remind yourself that both will probably look great in different ways.

#2. Look at what you have. I always ask my clients to show me some of their favorite pieces. It gives me a clue about their style, their intrinsic color leanings, and thought process. Before you head out to pick up samples, study the pieces that will share the space. Are there colors you’d like to pick up? Is there a contrasting hue worth exploring?

#3. Toss the paper and grab a brush. Paint swatches are a great way to explore color, but once you have your choices narrowed down to one or two, it’s time to order a sample jar and add a few broad strokes (roughly a 2-foot square should do it) directly to the walls that are going to be painted. For a handful of dollars, you’ll be able to tell whether or not a color works in the space. If you hate it, you’re not out several gallons of paint.

#4. Take your time. Once your samples are up, live with them a few days, especially if you are painting the exterior of your house. Lighting is a huge factor in determining ideal colors, and the best ones will look great at different times of day, both in natural and artificial light. You’ll begin to find that one color will start to look better than the others.

#5. Have fun with it. I always say, if you aren’t having fun with paint samples, you’re doing it wrong (but, then, I love my job). It’s often why my clients hire me in the first place; I can take the intimidating color wheel and break down the process into a beautifully simple solution. In the span of an afternoon, they’ll receive a color palette that was made just for them, and they didn’t have to waste paint or make countless trips to the paint store to get it.

Picking the right paint colors for your home can be a source of stress, procrastination, or anxiety. The above tips should get you started, but if you need help finishing the process, it’s okay to ask for help. Your new favorite wall color is just a phone call and a paint sample away.

Help me pick my paint.

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Color Trends

Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year 2017 As winter ends and spring approaches, the urge to freshen up our home begins – consider purple.

bm-shadow

Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year for 2017 is BM 2117-30 Shadow. I like purple for walls, this purple is very dark, neutral and cozy. Because it is richer purple you would definitely need to be a purple lover to use this color. In this picture purple is used as an accent wall creating a high contrast between the deep purple, the weathered textured wood wall, the white floor and white ceiling.

Need help choosing the perfect purple, contact Americas Color Consultants