How do you want your home to feel? Warm and cozy? Crisp and clean? Naturally bright?
Light has the ability to transform your experience of a space. Light sources, whether natural or electric, are something to consider before choosing a color to finish your home.
The 2 paint lids pictured below are a good example of how to give a painter a heart attack, and how bulb color can affect paint color. After mixing the 2 gallons together and setting the new lid of the same color next to the old one, I had a mild panic attack, thinking I’d mixed the wrong color into the old one. I checked the labels on both lids- was there a paint tinting mistake?
After taking a few deep breaths, I realized I had set the left lid directly in the doorway of a room with a warm white light bulb casting light on it. The right lid, just outside of that doorway’s light path, is illuminated by my daylight work light. Moving both lids a foot to the left or right confirmed that they were the exact same color.
A Painter’s Tips to Getting the Perfect Color:
- Pick a bulb color and stick with it.
- I’m not saying that I’ve been called back to a cool white kitchen that had a ”yellowing door” concern. I’m not saying that the culprit was a single Warm white bulb replaced among a sea of cool white bulbs. I’m saying, should that happen, I’m going to expect compensation in the form of cookies at a minimum.
- Before you decide on a color, think about all light sources in the room
- Warm white bulbs give your home a cozy feel, but can make even crisp cool whites, like appear yellow. If your kitchen is west-facing, you may notice that the golden hour sun casts a yellow tint on surfaces. Tack up a paint sample and see how your desired color looks for at least 24 hours.
- Consider specialty bulbs
- You put time and effort into curating your style during the renovation and design of your home, so continue that thoughtfulness when considering your lightbulbs. If your fixtures allow, choose a dimming bulb. Programmable smart LED bulbs allow you to customize your lighting to the feel of your home.
- Consult a designer
- Designing your perfect space- lighting included– is tough, and we encourage clients to reach out to a local designer if they’re looking for color and lighting opinions. Professional interior designers have seen it all, and can help steer your project based on your desired vision. The professionals at Craine Painting are detail-oriented, but don’t have a designer’s eye for color scheme and style.
