Design diaries

You decided on a color, went to the paint store, and brought home a sample pot of paint. You subsequently painted a big square on the wall but the color looks different than what you imagined. Does that sound familiar? You probably are thinking, “Where did I go wrong?”

How did you go about choosing the paint color? Did you find it online? Did you choose it at the hardware store because it looked right? Or maybe you chose the color your neighbor has in their house? Unfortunately, none of these scenarios will necessarily give you the right color for your house. What you see online, in the hardware store, or in a neighbor/friend’s home most probably will not look the same in your space. This can be due to lighting (natural and incandescent), floors (carpet, wood stain, tile), furnishings, ceiling color, and decor (window treatments, accessories). So, one of the first things I always consider is lighting.

Did you know room orientation affects natural light? During the day, sunlight is more intense and contains more blue than red light. At sunrise and sunset, sunlight is less intense and contains more red than blue light. How does this translate to finding the right paint color? Consider the following when making your color choice fit your space:

North facing rooms are usually the darkest, shadowless, and gives off a slightly gray/blue or neutral light most of the day and year. A slightly warmer tone will balance out the “coolness”.

South facing rooms are the brightest in the house, where light is consistently strong all day but tend to have shadows. A softer tone will balance the intensity of light.

East facing rooms are bright in the morning and cool in the afternoon/evening. A more saturated palette can bring balance to the lack of natural light in the afternoon/evening.

West facing rooms can also experience a dramatic difference in light from morning to afternoon/evening. Since the light is warm especially in the afternoons, a cooler tone will provide balance.

Hopefully, this information will provide you a better understanding of light and help you to successfully select the right color for your space.

**Cool (green, blue, purple). Warm (yellow, orange, red)**