Wallpaper and Paint
In this chapter, we are going to start off discussing wall paint colors by going over metamerism. Metamerism is when the same exact color is perceived differently in different settings. For example, if you have a particular shade of color, like Behr's Green Trellis, it can look different in a room with light decor and lighting than a room that has the same exact wall color, but with darker decorative pieces.
Metamerism happens quite often. You may buy something for your home and view it as one color in the store, but when you get back home, it looks like a completely different color next to your stuff. Some colors will be more affected by metamerism than others. Gray, gray-blue, gray-green, lavender, mauve and taupe (basically the cooler side of the neutrals) are the colors that are the most affected by this. If you see a color in one house, it doesn't mean it's going to have the same look in your client's home.
METAMERISM EXAMPLE:
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT COLORS
Because of metamerism, you have to be very careful when it comes to choosing your colors for your client's space. Here are a few tips to make sure you get the right colors every time.
When you're choosing a color, you need to understand that ALL colors have an undertone. Yes, this includes neutrals. Undertone shades can be grey, blue, yellow, pink, etc. These undertones are the reason so many colors can take on different variations in a mixture of lights. Undertone shades LOVE to battle each other. They will clash. Whether you're using your client's original furniture, or purchasing new ones, make sure you know the undertones of the furniture prior to choosing your paint color. If you are going to base your furniture around your wall color, use the undertones found in the carpeting or floors.
Never base your color purchases by names. Color names can say one thing, and have a completely different hue on your actual wall. What can go by the name of gray, could read blue on your wall. Repeat this with me - NEVER BUY BASED ON PAINT NAMES. This is a huge mistake designers make in the beginning. Although it may have shades, or undertones, of what the color name is, different colors in it can pull in a completely different shade when it's actually applied to your client's walls.
Only purchase your paint AFTER you have picked the one you want IN the room you are painting. Never, ever base your final decisions in a store, looking at a swatch card. Because 90% of the time, it will not be the same color that reads on your client's walls. You want to test colors on your client's wall to determine the right one for the room. Don't paint different colors directly on the wall, it looks messy, and different undertones in a different shade can affect the way all of the colors look together on the wall. We recommend using a product called "Small Wall." It's an adhesive material that can be arranged around the walls in a room, that you can use to paint the shades you are interested in. You can test them one by one, and step back to observe what the color reads in the room of choice before making your final decision.
If you have settled on a particular color, be sure to get as many different shades of it that you can, and test those in a room so the right hue pulls through.
Be consistent with your colors throughout the whole house, especially the first floor. It doesn't have to be matchy-matchy, but it should have the same undertones and the colors should blend well with one another. If you plan to use "clean" or "dirty" colors, be sure to use them consistently throughout the same floor.
