Unexpected Color Transformations

Most of us have been here: standing in the middle of a department store looking at the brightly displayed swatches under florescent lights, trying to decide what color would be perfect for certain rooms. All the colors look so perfect under the display that it’s easy to forget that with paint; what you see isn’t always what you get at home.

It’s fairly common knowledge that lighting has an effect of the appearance of interior paint colors, but few realize how dramatic the impact can be. For example, lack of natural light would take some of the “pop” away from a bright orange that would have originally given off an energizing glow. Various factors come into play when it comes to determining what the color will ultimately look like when the paint is finally in place. Things like window size, position of the room (where the sun rises and sets), upstairs or downstairs all affect how much light a certain room is exposed to. Unfortunately, these characteristics are hard to change, but there are a few preventative measures that homeowners can take to ensure they are getting the perfect interior paint.

Making Decisions

For some people, picking an interior color is the hardest part. But once that is done, make sure to also grab swatch samples of hues that are both lighter and darker than the desired color. Take the samples home and into the room that is going to be painted. Don’t be surprised if one of the lighter or darker swatches looks exactly like the original selection, after being altered by the lighting of the room. But be sure to do this multiple times during the day and evening to see how it changes.

Test Lines

It may seem like a lot of work, but painting some test lines of the desired color is the only way to know for sure what the finished product will actually look like. These cautionary actions prove to be better alternatives than being unhappy with a final product, or being forced to paint it a second time.  It’s just a fact that some colors are more easily affected by lighting, so some experimenting may be necessary.