The America’s Color Consultants LLC’ tagline is “We Make Choosing the Perfect Paint Color Easy!” With over 15 years of experience we’ve found the term “perfect” has proven elusive for a few of our clients. Every so often we have a client who describes themselves as a “perfectionist.” Uh oh. While 99% of the colors selected with our client’s participation are, indeed, “perfect” and work for them, we sometimes can’t match a client’s perception. We educate our clients that many variables can affect what they see in a color as they seek “perfection.” Here are some examples of what I mean:
Example 1: The client sees a color in a magazine and requests that shade for their space. They are disappointed when they see it as an actual sample. What went wrong?
Answer: Magazines are a printed medium and paint is a suspension medium of chemicals and pigments. Printed pieces can only try to get close to the same shade nuance. The client should use the printed color as an inspiration and starting point, but not have the color in the picture as the expectation. Paint color is influenced by many factors.
Example 2: The client uses a manufacturer’s online tool to select colors for their space, but when they put up samples, the colors are not the same. What gives?
Answer – Much like the answer for Example 1, a computer is a different medium and consequently can only get close to showing you what the true color of the paint is. It can be a good starting point for seeing what a change of color can look like in full coverage of a space (vs a small chip or sample), but don’t expect the color you see on the screen to be what you see on your walls.
Example 3: The client wants the same paint color found in one room of their home painted in a different space. They have the name of the paint manufacturer and color from 8 years ago. When a new gallon is purchased, it is close in color, but doesn’t look the same as the original room. Why?
Answer – Paint can look a bit different in different spaces for a wide variety of reasons: The paint in the original space has dulled over time; The orientation of the room’s natural lighting (NEWS) and time of day of use and affect color perception; Manufacturers of paint change the base formula every 3-5 years which can affect color nuance; Calibration of the computerized paint mixers can be off/need cleaning; Human error at paint store (wrong code punched in); Sheen of paint affects color – pearl and matte finishes will appear differently in addition to all of the above.