Enjoy the views of these two more color concepts for a California home in the hills. When you want to paint your home, it’s great to be able to see what it will actually look like before you buy any paint at all! This feature, Designer Color Palettes™, is part of our unique consultation process.
Second new color concept
New color concept - view 2
New color concept - view 1
Concept development for a California house in the hills, using our Designer Color Palettes service
Two of the new concept developments for a California house in the hills, using our Designer Color Palettes service.
What I call “Supportive color design”—meaning, using color to really help create the desired results—does not have to be boring. In fact, part of the “function” in the functional-color-focus of supportive color design will vary depending on the location and goals.
It’s the word that skews the imagination. We’re aware that language, and words in particular, can really create an impression that precedes the experience. Paint color names are just on example, setting the mental stage for what to expect. Flowers, food, travel, history…just a few of the kinds of associations that come with paint color names and other types of marketing.
The phrase “functional color” sounds so Dry. In reality and practice, however, the function of a space or place in general is the key to creating color palettes for paint and other materials that will help achieve the goals of the homeowner, architect, business owners.
It’s actually a very exciting process regardless of the size of the project.
For example, the goal might be to create an environment that facilities study, quiet time, communication, comfort and security, celebration, relaxation, or energizing. In a workplace or business maybe it’s communicating elegance, authority, delicious food, efficiency, safety.
Health care spaces have their own concerns, the function being to create surroundings that will help with healing and create a comfortable and welcoming, ‘supportive” surrounding for visitors.
Locations specializing in care for elders have their own unique set of additional concerns about how we are affected by colors as we age, and about designing spaces that focus on the needs of the particular people using the space—whether they are residents or visitors.
It’s always easiest to generalize about color use, like: “Blue is relaxing, Red is stimulating. ” In a sense that’s true but the larger picture is to examine the specific goals, and architectural configuration of any space, to arrive at the choices of the best colors to apply in each material used, and how they will be used together.
That’s where the FUN of color design really enters in.
Orthodontist's office. What an enjoyable project to be involved with. All color and materials selections, and the design of reception desk, by Barbara Jacobs
Orthodontist's office-partial view. Custom Desk Design by Barbara Jacobs.
Orthodontist's office - reception desk detail
New construction allows for the most creativity. I’d call that “Fun” also. But what we did in this orthodontist’s office, that I enjoyed being part of, were all the elements.
This included design of the reception desk, paint colors, carpeting and lighting selections, and furniture selections.
The unique reception desk was challenging and exciting at the same time. Selecting the laminate colors for all the surfaces, and implenting the colors in the 3-d design, was a tactile, visual, and spatial experience.
A bit of creative “whimsy” was intended, yet wanting to be far from a childish space since the orthodontic patients are of all ages. From the shapes to the color use, the enironment is one that welcomes vistitors with a smile, and that feeling of “welcoming confidence” carries throughout the other areas.
Not all the spaces in this office are as whimsical as this area…some are of course more serious and focused, as they should be, while providing a space where patients of all ages can be comfortable.
I look forward to addressing the effects, “meanings,” and the use of specific colors in future posts.
Ideas about color abound, and new ones come up all the time. If your walls could talk, they would tell an interesting and maybe even surprising story! But who are you? The powerful message includes minimalist, brave, shy, bold, extravagant, frugal, cautious, athletic, social…? The list can go on and you can add your own ideas in the comments!
What is “Applied Color Psychology?” For now, I’ll offer a few ideas according to theories of “applied color psychology.” I’ll even offer a little “quiz” right here, for you to have fun with. When you think about your answers and how you match up the color blocks with the various descriptions, remember it’s not for selecting a house color or a room color. That’s a more detailed set of questions and personal considerations. And, it’s a topic for another time!
If this quiz image inspires you to share it–and I hope it does–please remember and respect that, as with all copyrighted materials, this requires permission to reproduce or share directly. Just share the post instead!
I look forward to hearing about your ‘answers’ and your ideas, in the comments to this post.
Where do our personal preferences come from? It’s a complex and multi-leveled process…So from the bottom up, please consider these levels of influence:
Biology-Physiology: the lightwaves that make up all colors do have an effect on us, we’re just not usually aware of it.
Colors in Nature and materials: From plants and rocks, water, animals and more, we are surrounded by colors of nature
Colors as archetypes: Consider how a bee, if black-and-yellow, carries it’s own warning signs. We use these colors intentionally i our world also.
Social and cultural constructs: Different cultures assign a variety of important characteristics to various colors. Red, and white, being two of them. Opposite in one culture from another!
Fashion, politics, trends: I call it “planned preferences” when color trends take center stage. It’s about marketing and sales. But on the bigger and more fundamental level, these ‘color trends’ have a deeper beginning.
Personal life experiences: Do you have a color you Love or Hate, that was present in your youth or in a relationship or other experience? That carries onward as we get older.
A personal example about personal color preferences…
“Yellow” is not a color that I’d use in clothing for myself. Why? It doesn’t do anything positive for my appearance (!) BUT, I can use a chartreuse, a very strong green-yellow, in some cases.
Then also, however, in a home there could be many wonderful places where a strong yellow color could be beautiful. Accessories, for example, are a great way to include a more “extreme” color to great advantage, depending on what else is in the room. Of course, a warm, pale type of yellow is often a beautiful color to be surrounded with.
I am often asked by clients to state my favorite color. My answer is typically something a question, like…For what purposes? or In what situation? or even more often, just stating that I don’t really have one single favorite color. Take yellow, for example…as mentioned above, it’s a color that is often difficult to use for interiors because it can easily become dominant–not connecting–and loud, too bright, and creating discomfort. (Clue to the above ‘quiz.’) And as with all colors, there are so many variations!
In this work as an architectural color consultant, I always enjoy helping clients define and refine their own personal color preferences.
One client “case study” story…for an example, is this:
Wanting a new Exterior color for their Victorian style home in the Boston area, the client very strongly stated they wanted PINK. Ok it’s an unusual request. In that case, as with in other similar situations where a client felt attached to a particular color, I always try to be collaborative. I believe it’s important to always consider client wishes. I can be definite in my recommendations and am always happy to state the reasons for my choices that I consider to be in the best interest of the client’s stated needs. But I have no interest in being a designer-dictator, making it only my own way.
What happened in this “Case of the Pink House” was that I created a few different color schemes with “pink” as the focus. While it would not have been my own, personal first choice, the goal was to find the Right “pink” that would satisfy the client while being in alignment with my professional concerns.
So, in collaboration with this enthusiastic and happy client, the outcome was what you see below about “The Pink House.”
Details: New color in Pink, client requested. Boston, MA
A good friend was asking me about using gray for interiors, and it gave me a great reason to do a blog post about it!
According to a Zillow survey: “…dark gray may attract more prospective buyers — and higher offers — when you’re getting ready to sell.”
True, there seems to be a big flutter about the color called “Gray” for interiors. But actually, as with many “trendy sound/news bytes” about color, it’s not as simplistic as it’s made to be. It’s more than one color, that’s for sure. And, what if you’re not selling? Creating and updating your nest at home will be the focus and goal.
But questions arise to me. Like: Whats the appeal, beyond “Trends?” Where does that interest come from: social, emotional, and/or other things in the marketplace? What are benefits of using those colors in living spaces? In work spaces? What are negatives? This post will address those issues, for interiors. Exterior colors post will be forthcoming.
So, more questions arise, like: Where to apply it? What paint finishes are best for maximum quality effects? And from a deeper, more specific design perspective…what actual color gray are you going to use, to create your new environment.
That’s where creative color — and what I like to call “color discernment” — comes in!
Is “gray” considered “Cheerful?” Not usually, and in fact that is not a word I would ever associate with a gray-toned color. However, here’s another way to look at it. It’s about the language of describing color and the psychology and emotions that come with various colors. For example, a more high-vibration color like “yellow,” for example, is typically considered Happy or Cheerful. That’s understandable, when you look at where we usually see that kind of color…flowers, nature, sunlight associations, greeting cards, etc. Then on the other hand, do you want a really bright yellow color in your surroundings? Depending on the actual color formulation, and lighting in the space, the color can be desirable or could also be uncomfortable, making one agitated. That’s just quick example of the kind of things we need to consider in selecting colors.
See the difference. Two version of the same room, as examples of using variants of deeper gray. The top image is more blue and the Lower image is towards more purple.
Many colors can be up-beat and still comfortable and homey. That will be a great topic for a future post. In interiors, the more low-keyed versions of these colors are the way to go for this kind of result. So, it could be a blue, a red, a green, a purple…even an orange or a yellow!
But in the realm of Gray, I like to consider various tones in that field, so a gray can be warm, cool, light and soft, dark and deep…you get the picture. Following are a few examples of colors I’d not call Gray, per se (as in black + white = gray), but toned-down colors that are beautiful, comfortable, and great options when you look for something in the wide world of beautiful grays for walls, ceilings and even cabinets–which can offer a beautiful color field as important as walls or entire rooms.
Two forms of warm gray are a good complement to the style and furnishings of this historic home.
Warm, earthy gray type color in a bedroom can help create a cozy nest2 photos of the same room shows a warm gray on the wood trim in this Arts and Crafts home. The combination of colors is a good fit for this space in particular and the house in general.Deep, more blue-based grayMore green-based grayVery light, soft gray takes the “edge” off white
Above: 3 examples of the same room shown with various color options.
Finally, one important thing to consider is to not be swept away by the latest trends, especially if you have more long-range plans. But one way to use this kind of social and product-influenced color is that even typically smaller areas like trim can offer distinguished and sophisticated options.
Below: 4 views of the same room, same color except…what is different?
One room with a warm blue…Different views of the same room – note back wall color…Overview of the same roomThis back wall color behind dining table is similar, but deeper than the rest of the room
Q: Homeowners: Are you about to make decisions about paint color?
Q: Builders and Painters: Are you about to recommend paint colors for a client?
Q: What are the best ways you can make high quality color test samples to help you make your color recommendations and decisions?
Are you a homeowner who is overwhelmed by the thousands of color choices available? If so, you’re not alone! In fact, even building professionals, who have been asked a thousand times “how will it look?” can sometimes feel like there are just too many colors out there to sort through to provide clients with something unique yet suitable. Either way, how much time and diligence do you have, to test a lot of color swatches and come up with the very best answer?
You can start with getting the largest possible print color sheets from your paint manufacturer. Set them up outside and have a look at the differences, even before you start actual paint testing.
For example, this group of colors from Sherwin Williams, as viewed outside in bright Northern California sunlight.
Whether you are doing this yourself or perhaps even suggesting that your client do it and let you know what they want to use (and some people will actually want to do this), I’d like to share a few tips that you can recommend, or even use yourself if they are new to you. It’s not “rocket science,” we all know that. But as with many things that seem simple and yet become overwhelming, there are proven methods to help.
Above: New colors for an HOA complex in Cambridge, MA.
To keep it simple, I recommend starting with the premise that color looks different in all types of lighting and of course throughout the day—and evening—on different surfaces. Color changes in corners, also, as it intensifies where two walls of the same color meet, and it changes in other ways depending on the actual lighting and also when two walls or surfaces (ie: wall and ceiling) of differing colors meet. It’s the angle that does it – whether the typical 90 degrees or something else, as in a vaulted ceiling, and the reflection of light causes the colors to affect each other.
Therefore, the following apply: 1. Make the paint test on a moveable and repositionable surface. Something that can be affixed temporarily to any wall, ceiling, or even floor (when you are painting a floor).
Note: do not use your blue tape on the edges of this! Tape the back side only.
2. Make the colored surfaces in proportion to each other, for example: Trim colors will usually be narrower than the wall or siding color surfaces.
3. Be sure the surface you paint the test on is primed, or at least under-painted with a color similar to what you’re testing. For example, you can of course use poster board but since it’s paper, it must be oil-primed so it does not warp. Personally I like the flat-finish, fast drying low odor products for this.
Note to professionals: I’ve typically prepared up to 20 or so poster boards with this type of oil primer, to have ready to go in advance–and easy to use at a moment’s notice–when preparing color tests for clients.
4. Roll on 2 coats of your finish (test) color, making the application as close to what you intend to do on the final surface. Use a roller or brush similar to what you plan to use on the job.
5. Use a stable surface with a texture similar to the wall or surface to be painted. IF the target surface is textured, it’s worth it to make a replica since color reacts so differently with the light falling on textured or smooth surfaces.
6. Be sure to do the test with the same finish you’ll be using on the actual surface (Flat? Eggshell? Semi-or-high-gloss?)
7. Label your sample cards.
8. Size: even if you have to create a few boards to make up each test color, try to end up with at least 4 square feet of new color. You can configure it in any way that they fit for your house view.
9. Paint an area about five feet square (minimum) of white, right on the house, so that when you test your new color boards you are not influenced by the existing house color. If this is not possible, hang up a white sheet on the side of the house (Pin, or even staple it to the siding) and put your test color boards on that. BE sure to include your new or existing trim color in this method.
OK, so what about materials? I mentioned using wood, (smooth and primed, of course), poster board and foam core (oil prime first), and you can use other substrates like gator board, or drywall (also prime).
Interior or exterior, the same process applies. For exterior work you might want to have some siding pieces available that are at least very similar to the house, if not the exact same thing. Doing more than just one “strip” (minimum 4 to 6 strips high, of clapboard style) will give a more accurate view of what the shadows will do at various times of day. Remember to make trim samples also, in the same widths as the actual trim and casings or other details.
Placement is important – try to place your siding strips next to the window or door casings, for the most accurate view of the colors and how they relate to each other.
So, you might ask, why go to all this trouble, anyway? The main reason is: Minimize confusion, and make the color choices easy. Stripes and color patches on the walls – and that includes exteriors – look messy and are visually confusing. You can’t see the specified colors next to each other on a large enough surface because there is just too much going on and the existing colors will inform the appearance of the tested colors.
To illustrate…
Instead of painting one or more “new” colors right on the house body, be sure to put the test colors on a moveable surface as described. It’s confusing to test multiple colors on the same surface (Note in this picture the blue is above, yellow is existing, and the brown is another test color.
Narrow strips for testing trim and detail colors should be placed right where they will be used.
Narrow strips are proportionate in size to the overall area when testing detail trim colors.
