#benjaminMoore – America's Color Consultants

January 19, 2023January 19, 2023

America’s Color Consultants “Real” Colors of the Year

America’s Color Consultants (ACC), the nation’s first color consulting franchise, is pleased to introduce its first “Real” Colors of the Year choice for 2023. While the major paint companies spend millions to introduce their colors for the coming year, ACC takes a different approach. ACC franchisees help their clients select colors they’ll love for more than 6-12 months. The average, real homeowner – those who use ACC services – paint their interiors an average of 5-8 years and exteriors 10-15 years.They may add to their interior furnishings, but few change everything enough to necessitate a wild swing in paint color. A color refresh, yes, but few ever ask about the vibrant hues offered as the color or palette for the coming year. Quite the opposite: occasionally a new client will ask “you’re not going to tell me to paint any of those loud colors of the year I see are you?” We assure them that what we select with them will work with their furnishings, and set the mood they want for each space while still looking fresh. ACC sees the trends of the past few years continuing for another five: the turn to neutrals for living spaces. Neutrals do not mean just shades of white or gray, but any subdued color. They can be warm or cool: Paper Mache, Baby Fawn, and Silver Strand are just a few of the colors that have proven popular and usable time and again.

Greek Villa, Sherwin-Williams 7551, is ACC’s first “Real” Color of the Year for 2023. For a space refresh or for resale staging purposes, it works in just about all situations and no client has ever been unhappy with this choice.

On occasion we suggest a color (or 2 or 3!) that a client may not have considered for their space. Our second color is Benjamin Moore’s Dark Celery (2146-10), a bold rich choice for the right space that works with neutrals, grays, as well as deeper jewel tones. It is also the compliment color to Pantones Magenta.

Sherwin Williams – Introducing Redend Point SW 9081, the Sherwin-Williams 2023 Color of the Year. In this soft and soulful neutral, we know what it is to feel cared for, to appreciate what we have, to create deeper connections as we move through the world.
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Benjamin Moore – Raspberry Blush 2008-30 strikes the right chord, setting the stage for Color Trends 2023.Never a backdrop, Raspberry Blush is the definition of charismatic color. This unapologetic shade of red orange had us thinking: bold, bolder, boldest. This sentiment flows through the rest of the palette as we immerse ourselves in hues that make a statement. Inspired by an artist’s desire to communicate through color, shape, and sound, Color Trends 2023 was built to envelop you in vivacious color.
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Behr – The 2023 Color of the Year is a hopeful and welcoming warm white with limitless possibilities to help transform any vision into a reality. BLANK CANVAS DC-003

PPG – PPG and Glidden paint by PPG announced their 2023 Color of the Year: Vining Ivy (PPG1148-6) – an energizing, yet grounding blue-green that can be used in any space. Its versatility takes the guesswork out of design, leaving consumers with more time to indulge in the things that matter most to them.
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Pantone – Pantone’s Color of the Year, Viva Magenta 18-1750, vibrates with vim and vigor. It is a shade rooted in nature descending from the red family and expressive of a new signal of strength. Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, and a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative.
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February 9, 2022February 9, 2022

Trends We See for 2022

This blog was included as part of a larger article on color trends on Redfin.com.

As people emerge from their COVID cocoons, we’ve seen one trend emerging that we expect will continue in 2022: people are going opposite! Those with warm/beige walls are opting for cool grays, whites, and gray-greens. Those who have been living with cooler colors are opting to warm them up! Our clients that are in their forever homes are asking for bolder, brighter colors. They are not likely to follow suggested color trends. Clients who plan to sell in 3-5 years continue to opt for the lighter neutrals that work with their decor: Agreeable Gray, Sea Salt and Ancient Marble by Sherwin-Williams; Gray Owl and Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore continue their popularity streak. The beautiful gray/green shades that are being highlighted by paint manufacturers for 2022 are proving to be popular with clients doing a total reno or for new builds (October Mist-Benjamin Moore; Evergreen Fog-Sherwin Williams).

Another striking trend to emerge is the desire to add personality to one’s home through the addition of architectural elements such as wainscotting, coffered ceilings, and “feature” walls created with furring strips in various patterns. Many clients are also painting their stair railings and balusters a dark brown/black or deep gray color. Some are even trying out these dark colors on the window/door framing and moldings of a “trial” room.

In sum, we have found that our clients are welcoming change and looking to stamp their individuality on their homes in many different ways, and are no longer afraid of color to do it!

Check out the full article on Redfin.com: Most Popular Paint Colors to “Swatch” Out For In 2022

January 17, 2022January 16, 2022

2022 Paint Color Trends -Green

Green Is In! While the color green in its many shades is always a perennial favorite among ACC’s clients, this year the majority of paint manufacturers have selected a green as their Color of the Year. As green represents renewal and growth and positively affects our physical health, we celebrate their selections:

Benjamin Moore – Make room for creativity with October Mist 1495, the Benjamin Moore Color of the Year 2022. This gently shaded sage quietly anchors a space, while encouraging individual expression through color.

Sherwin Williams – Evergreen Fog SW 9130, Soothing, subtle and a perfect shade to freshen up any space.

McCormick Paints – It’s time to Chillax. Our 2022 Color of the Year has an airy, soothing tone that is comfortable in a rustic, modern, or traditional space. This white has no boundaries, a timeless classic.

PPG – Olive Sprig PPG 1125-4 After a year of stay-at-home orders and too few IRL (in-real-life) moments in 2020 and 2021, homeowners, designers, architects and facility managers are craving authenticity, nature and meaningful human interaction after living in a mostly digital world.

Behr – Breeseway MQ3-21 – evokes feelings of coolness and peace while representing a desire to move forward and discover newfound passions.

November 25, 2021January 16, 2022

The “Perfect Paint Color” vs the “Perfectionist”

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?

Paint uses pigment, diferent pigments are mixed to create the paint color.(color above SW 6425 Relentless Olive)

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.