color methodolgy
what Colors resonate with you?
Warm Colors
cool Colors
Neutral and muted Colors
How Light and Finish Affect Color
If your walls seem to change color throughout the day, don’t worry, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you. The type of lighting in the room, the direction it’s coming from, and even the finish of the paint itself can cause a paint color to change its appearance. The fact is that color never stands alone.
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When selecting wall colors, it’s all about balancing the room’s lighting and decor with your paints finish (gloss/sheen level). Remember, these factors should work together harmoniously.
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When trying to choose the perfect hue, you’ll want to consider a few things first.
NATURAL LIGHT
aRTIFICIAL LIGHT
SHEEN AND GLOSS IMPACT ON COLOR
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A paint’s finish, which includes its gloss or sheen value, can also drastically affect the appearance of color, especially in spaces that don’t receive a lot of natural sunlight.
Technically speaking, gloss and sheen are two aspects of the same thing: the amount of light reflected off a painted surface, independent of its color. But to even the untrained eye, the two are very different.
Gloss is shiny, crisp, and highly reflective which can significantly impact how a color looks from different angles.
Sheen looks softer and has more depth and luster. It creates more subtle differences in color appearance and is most notable in low-gloss paints.​
Every paint product has a gloss or sheen number. Some have both. The resulting finish falls into four basic categories:
Flat: No to very low reflection when dry.
Satin: Low to medium reflection when dry.
Semi-gloss: Medium to moderate reflection when dry.
Gloss: High reflection when dry.
Choosing paints with slightly different gloss/sheen values can bring subtle shifts in color perception to a space. Because higher gloss paints tend to enrich and brighten color, contrasting glossy window and door trim with flat or satin walls can add depth, definition, and texture.
Expert hint: Lighter tinted paints have higher light reflectance values than darker ones. So, for a recessed nook off a main room, painting the walls in a lighter tint of the color used in the main room would lighten up the area while still maintaining a sense of flow and coordination.
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