WHO doesn't want their home to be picture perfect? After all the brilliant design teams on HGTV can do it in mere minutes with an unbelievably small budget. But, what we all really want to see is the drama of the "reveal". The exact moment the client walks into the room and is instantly overwhelmed with (hopefully) happiness.
It's TV folks and as an architectural colorist I can tell you that the reality is far from what you see on TV. Architectural color is a science that requires knowledge of light, biology, psychology and visual ergonomics. that you can put to use right away!
So what is the secret to choosing color? First, forget the voodoo science, and overly simplified methods we all see on the internet. No, you can't select color by your astrological sign. And, I guarantee that the psychic advertising herself as a color consultant is probably not your best bet. Save your time and money and l will guide you with the first of three very simple steps.
Temperature
Consider that each color has a temperature. We have all learned since elementary school that the color wheel is divided into cool colors and warm colors. We are taught that blue is cool and yellow is warm. But, that is not the case in architectural color. There are warm and cool versions of each color. There are warm blues and cool blues, warm yellows and cool yellows. And here is where most people go wrong...mixing the temperatures. - Here is an exercise that will get you started. Go to your local paint store and pick up a range of color chips. Try to select at least 4 warm blues and 4 cool blues as well as a 4 warm yellows and 4 cool yellows. As you start to examine the color samples the color temperatures will start to reveal themselves. Next I want you to pair a warm blue and a warm yellow. You will intuitively feel the color harmony. Trust your instincts. Now match a warm blue with a cool yellow. Do you feel the the discordanant colors? Keep doing this with other color chips and soon you will develop a finely tuned sense of color temperature. This will be the first step to selecting perfect color.
Please check back for Step Two. We will learn the importance of undertone in color.
