12 Facts You Didn't Know About Paint

Updated September 2026: facts reviewed for accuracy and refreshed with current industry data.

Learn Some Fun Facts About Paint and Painting

Paint color symbolizes many things in cultures throughout the world and has been made up of a variety of materials. From cave dwellers in pre-historic times to royalty in the medieval era to the modern-day family trying to pick that perfect color for their living room, paint has been ubiquitous in everyday life for some time now. Here are 12 facts that you didn’t know about paint to get you inspired for your next project.

1. Sherwin-Williams, founded in 1866, was a pioneer of ready-mixed paint. Before that, paint had to be mixed by hand using a variety of materials: milk, olive oil, eggs, lime and other earth pigments, linseed oil, and many more. The company later hit another milestone with a resealable paint can, so painters could preserve their paints.
2. Paint has been around for tens of thousands of years. The oldest known cave paintings date back more than 40,000 years, and many representations of life from those times are still visible today.
3. Red doors have meant several things throughout history and in different cultures. In early American folklore, a red door was said to signal a welcoming place for travelers to rest after a long day’s journey. In Scotland, tradition holds that a red door meant the home was mortgage-free, a celebration of owing no debt on the house. In China, red symbolizes good luck, and doors are often repainted red to celebrate the New Year. Thinking about a bold entry of your own? Check out these front door color ideas.
4. In the 1940s, linseed oil (a substance commonly used to make paint) was in short supply due to World War II. The shortage pushed chemists to develop synthetic resins, which made paint cheaper and gave colors more durability.
5. The Greek philosopher Plato was among the first to write about mixing colors together to create new ones.
6. The White House was first coated in a lime-based whitewash in 1798 to protect its sandstone walls from freezing. Contrary to popular myth, it wasn’t painted white to cover burn marks after the British set fire to it in 1814. Painting the entire exterior takes about 570 gallons of paint.
7. Paint color can even affect what your home sells for. A Zillow paint color analysis found that homes with powder blue or periwinkle bathrooms sold for about $5,000 over average, while homes with white or off-white bathrooms sold for about $4,000 under average. The same study found blue kitchens and “greige” exteriors (a mix of light gray and beige) also outperformed other colors. Buyer tastes change over time, but it’s something to think about before you list! Learn more about how exterior paint can increase your home’s value.
8. The Golden Gate Bridge’s iconic “international orange” was chosen in part so it would stand out in San Francisco’s ever-present fog. Originally, the U.S. Navy wanted the bridge painted yellow and black so passing ships could easily see it.
9. According to The ChemQuest Group, the U.S. produced an estimated 1.33 billion gallons of paint and coatings in 2025. That’s a lot of color!
10. The U.S. banned the use of lead paint in homes in 1978. Lead paint is toxic and can be very harmful to children who are exposed to it, causing damage to the brain and other vital organs. Children who have lead poisoning often get it by putting a lead-contaminated object in their mouths or eating a peeling paint chip. It can also happen if a child handles something containing lead, then puts their hand in their mouth. If your home was built before 1978, take precautions like wiping down walls, mopping floors, and dusting regularly, and hire a contractor certified in lead-safe practices before any sanding or scraping.
11. Paint performs best in mild weather, ideally around 60 to 70 degrees. When it’s too hot, paint dries too quickly, and when it’s too cold, it takes too long to dry. In Arizona, that makes spring and fall the sweet spots. Here’s more on the best time to paint your home.
12. Different paint colors are said to affect your mood. For instance, greens and blues are reportedly good for stress relief and are best used in the bedroom. Vibrant colors, like oranges and reds, are known to invigorate and wake you up and might be best used in an office or a living room.

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