That Paint Color Looked Great.... Until You Got It Home

Time and time again people working on remodeling their homes get very excited about painting the rooms and adding those finishing touches. They go out to the store and spend a lot of time sorting through samples until they stumble upon those perfect colors.

They take the samples home to make sure those colors will work. When they do, they buy the paint and start painting the walls. The wet color may look a little off, so they satisfy themselves with the notion that the proper color will come out once the paint is dry. After it dries, too often, it still does not look the way they thought it would. Knowing why this happens will actually help make picking out the perfect color a lot easier.

The Interplay of Light and Colors

Lighting affects the colors you see. You may have noticed that the vegetables you buy in some stores look a lot brighter and deeper in color sitting in their bins then they do once you get them home. Some stores actually use a certain type of lighting in the produce section to enhance the colors of the fruits and vegetables there. When it comes to paint samples, unless you have the same type of lighting in your home as the store in which you were looking at the samples, the paint will probably look different once it is on the wall.

If you look at one section of a wall several times throughout the day, you will notice that the lighting changes, and therefore the color of the wall changes slightly, depending on when you look at it. In some instances, the change can be very dramatic. Light reflected off or absorbed by other colors, such as flooring, can also affect the final color you actually end up seeing.

Artificial and Natural Lighting

When you add in the factor of artificial light the color changes again. There are several types of light bulbs. Each type affects colors in a certain way, bringing out or muting colors. For example, compact fluorescent lights or CFLs can produce a cold white or bluish-white light, a warm or neutral white. Each of these will affect the way in which a color will be perceived. Other lighting options include incandescent bulbs, fluorescent lighting, halogens, and LEDs or light-emitting diodes. Each type of bulb has its own effect on colors.

Sunlight, along with where the room is situated, affects the room’s color as it changes positions in the sky. Since indirect light comes in north-facing rooms, the light will be cooler. Muted colors in such a room will not show up as well as bolder, brighter colors. On the other hand, rooms with southern exposure will get plenty of direct sunlight. Warm and cool colors will look nice in this light.

The morning sun causes red, oranges, and yellows to really pop in eastern-facing rooms, while in the opposite direction shadows in the morning can make all colors look dull. However, when the sun moves into those westward rooms the warm light of evening can make colors glow softly.

Getting the Color You Want

The best way to get the color you want is to get samples and paint a little on the wall. This is most helpful if it can be painted in a neutral-colored spot, white or off white. This way you get to see how the color looks during the different light phases. It is also a good idea to settle on your lighting first since that will have a big impact on the final color.

If you are planning on outfitting your family room with fluorescent lights, get them installed before you plan your painting job. Halogen lighting gives off a white light that most resembles natural light. So if you want your colors in those north and west rooms to be vibrant, you may want to consider halogens.

At the Arizona Painting Company, we understand how lighting affects the colors you choose. We are always happy to lend a hand and help you determine the best colors to go with your lighting options. We can also give you an idea about what to expect when choosing a particular color for a room. Our painting professionals have expertise in all matters concerning the effects of light on colors. With our help, you can get the color you want for the rooms you are painting.

Knowing how sunlight and artificial light changes the color of your selections will help you in choosing the best colors for the rooms you want to paint. Contact the Arizona Painting Company for guidance and assistance on your home painting project. Ask us about our professional painters. Save time by hiring one of our teams to come out and do the painting for you. We will make sure the job is done correctly and we will make sure you are completely satisfied with the work. Call today for a consultation.