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Purple is the color of royalty, dating back for centuries.

But why? Was it the vivid hue, the stately but sedate shade? Or was it simply a matter of rarity that made purple exclusive only to sovereigns?

Back before modern paints and dyes were discovered, the only way to get that signature purple color was to open up a rare sea snail named the Bolinus Brandaris and extract the purple essence- it can take over 250,000 of these mollusks to get one ounce of usable dye, making clothes dyed with ‘Tyrian Purple’ cost more than most people earn in a single year. This trend continued throughout the years, with other restrictions such as Queen Elizabeth the first forbidding anybody other than royalty from wearing purple.

 

It was only in 1858 when a synthetic purple dye was created by accident, when a chemist was attempting to find an anti-malaria drug, only to realize that the compound dyed clothes in a purple hue. This allowed the market for purple to spread like a drop of violet dye on a white cloth. But the connotations of purple being a rich color reserved for the rich remained.

Nowadays, you can simply buy purple paint places such as Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams and local hardware stores, for that touch of nobility in your house.

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Color Wheel

Growing up, we all learn about the color wheel in art class- the way all the opposite colors complement each other, like green and red or orange and blue.  The way they contrast each other can be vibrant and beautiful if done right, and jarring if done wrong. However, there are other ways that colors can mix beautifully besides opposites attracting.

Analogous colors are colors that are similar to each other, and they are next to each other on the color wheel. They use their similarities rather than the contrasts to create a well matching color scheme.

Blue, teal (blue-green), and green are a good analogous set, as are red, orange, and blood orange (red-orange). It’s a good, very natural set up, although be careful to stop these from matchingtoowell and blending the colors together.

Split complementary is a mixture of complementary and analogous colors- it uses two parts analogous colors and one part complementary colors. Purple, indigo, and yellow would be a good example. It softens the edges of the complementary paint colors and is a good pattern for beginners.

If you want to be daring and use four colors at once, then the rectangle and square patterns can be wonderful- the rectangle or tetradic color scheme uses two complimentary sets of colors to match each other, such as green and red, plus blue and orange. The square color scheme are colors evenly spaced around the color wheel, such as red, green, purple, and yellow.

These are only the most basic color patterns, and there are a multitude of other patterns to use- however, those should be left to professional –  like a paint color consultant!

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What Color to Paint Your Bedroom?

The bedroom is one of the most important rooms in your house. It’s where you start and end your day: and, the first and last thing you see is your bedroom walls. While it may not seem important, the color of the walls you stare at as your drift into sleep can change the way you sleep. Not all colors are created equal when it comes to helping you sleep, and some colors can even hurt your chances of getting a restful slumber.

When it comes to calming colors, blue is the best for sleep. Studies showed that people with blue bedroom walls get 7 hours and 52 minutes of sleep a night on average, and 60% of the people in the study found that they woke up happy. Gotta love that! Pastel shades of yellow, green, silver, and orange are also good colors for sleep.  There are other ways to prep your bedroom for sleep. Flat paints are also good for sleep, compared to a glossy finish, and complementary colors are the best when choosing accent colors.

Research says that the color purple may inhibit sleep. While it stimulates creativity, purple also causes more nightmares and only gives an average of 6 hours of sleep. Grey, brown, and red are also poor choices for a bedroom, although there is nothing wrong with these colors for other rooms in the house.  For those of you who love purple use it in your bedroom in a pastel shade, such as Sherwin Williams (SW) Silver Peony SW 6547 instead of SW Clematis SW 6831.

Silver Peony SW 6547

 

 

 

SW Clematis SW 6831
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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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Color often elicits very strong reactions in people.

What do you think of when you think of the color pink? Pink is culturally associated with femininity and love and romance.  It‘s emotional effects can vary.  While bright shades of pink such as magenta or hot pink can be stimulating or even aggravating to some, lighter shades of pink can actually have a calming effect.

In 2005, and as a result of 45 years of scientific research, there was a psychological experiment in Switzerland to see whether painting jail cells in a little girl’s favorite color could actually calm down violent inmates.  The two main hues used were appropriately called ‘Cool Down Pink’ and ‘Drunk Tank Pink’.  These were color saturated bubblegum, pink flamingo pinks.  At first there were signs of success that the color indeed seemed to have the desired effect.  However, once the prisoners had become acclimatized to their surroundings, they became agitated and vocal about their distaste for the color. This was most likely due to the cultural connotations of pink, and thus taken as an attack on the prisoners’ masculinity. Yikes!

While pretty pink cells may not be a cornerstone of prisoner rehabilitation efforts, Cool Down Pink and Drunk Tank Pink are calming colors in their own right, even given their intensity.  In the past few years varying shades of pale pink and rose have become a new neutral trend in paint color due to their calming effect and ability to work well with others.  Take a look at Farrow and Ball “Pink Ground”, a pale dusty pink; Sherwin-Williams  SW6028 “Cultured Pearl”; and Benjamin-Moore  2093-70 “Pink Bliss” if you are considering adding this hue to your home. It would be an excellent choice for that room in which you look to relax after a hard day’s work.

America’s Color Consultants understand the psychological and even cultural effects of color. Every client and every home is unique and a trained, experienced paint color consultant can help you choose the perfect hue for the emotion you want to evoke.

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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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Product Review

Why is this ceiling paint pink? 

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This is a great product! How many times have you painted a ceiling just to forget where you have already painted? Painting white on top of white can be a challenge, however this paint eliminates that challenge. It is not as brilliant a white as other ceiling paint, but who will notice.

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When the paint is wet, it is pink. The color helps you know where you have already painted.

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When the ceiling paint dries it is white.

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2018 Paint Color Forecast

Benjamin Moore 2018 Color of the Year – Caliente AF-290, is strong, radiant and full of energy.
“Caliente is the signature color of a modern architectural masterpiece; a lush carpet rolled out for a grand arrival; the assured backdrop for a book-lined library; a powerful first impression on a glossy front door. The eye can’t help but follow its bold strokes. Harness the vitality.” 

-Ellen O’Neill, Benjamin Moore & Co.

BM Color Palette
Pittsburg Paints  2018 Color of the Year –  Black Flame (PPG1043-7) acts like a black curtain, allowing your other décor elements to take center stage. It’s a fantastic blend of black and indigo, two classic hues. Black creates the silence we crave in an information-heavy world, while the indigo offers possibility and a deep hopefulness. The blend of two colors makes it incredibly versatile – use it on a statement wall, with a matte finish on a ceiling, with high gloss on a naturally-lit staircase, on cabinets, interior and exterior doors and in many more places.The versatile hue can also provide strength and a modern luxe vibe to spaces with a lot of whites, blush pinks and soft pastels.
Sherwin Williams A collision of rich blue with jewel-toned green, a color that is both accessible and elusive, Oceanside SW 6496, is our 2018 Color of the Year. A complex, deep color that offers a sense of the familiar with a hint of the unknown, Oceanside, bridges together a harmonious balance of blues and greens that can be found in what’s old and new.
The color blue evokes a multitude of moods and associations depending on hue, shade and application. Despite this variety, blues are universally perceived as intelligent, honest and interesting-making blue the most beloved color worldwide.
Oceanside’s multi-dimensional, marine-inspired look can create a welcoming statement as a lively color for a front door. Its green-meets-blue tone can also boost creative thinking and clarity of thought in a home office, or invite meditation and introspection into a bedroom or reading nook.
Oceanside is universal when it comes to design style from mid-century modern to Mediterranean-inspired, traditional to contemporary.
Behr is pleased to announce our 2018 Color of the Year,  In The Moment. This cool, tranquil, spruce blue is inspired by nature and is a soothing, restorative coalescence of blue, gray and green. This comfortable color evokes a sense of sanctuary and relaxation amid our busy, always-on lives. In name and color, this hue speaks to our desire to take a break, be present and recharge. In The Moment is versatile and perfect to use for both interior and exterior projects. It also crosses multiple design styles, ideal for working with traditional, modern, coastal and global décor.
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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