Being careful to make the right interior paint color choices is a smart thing to do. There is actually a bit of a science to ensuring that the colors in a room are pleasing. Room orientation has a distinct effect on lighting and the appearance of paint colors. The light bulbs you use and test your paint colors on can also help you make most excellent choices that you will be happy with for years.
Test effects of sunlight or lack of it
You don’t have to go through the regretful experience of finding out that the walls in a room don’t look good at certain times of the day or night. Paint color and light play off of one another and can have a positive or negative impact. One basic consideration is the extent to which colors absorb light. For instance, black absorbs all colors and white absorbs none. A second basic principle is that natural sunlight in a room changes throughout the day and artificial light has different effects according to the type of light bulb used.
Paint two coats of a shade you are testing on a piece of drywall, and move it around in a room, observing how the paint looks in different light at various times during a 24-hour period. The following regarding room orientation could be the most important considerations when selecting paint colors:
· North-facing rooms have the least amount of sunlight. The natural light is neutral, shadowless, and a bit grayish throughout each day in most seasons. Such rooms provide a more constant look, which painters consider an asset. Warm hues and bold colors work well, and all paint colors tend to look and feel cooler.
· South-facing rooms are the brightest. They get sun consistently throughout the day, along with distinct shadows and beams of light. Colors tend to be rendered accurately in the brilliant, warm sunlight. Lighter shades glow, and the sunlight brightens dark shades.
· Rooms that face east have yellowish, warm light in the morning and blue light in the afternoon. Yellows, oranges, and reds look great in these rooms.
· Colors can look dull in the morning light of west-facing rooms, though warm tones can create good effect. In the evening, cool tones look warm and beautiful. Choose a color according to which time of day the room is likely to be in use most often.
Paint color by bulb light
The sunlight only tells part of the story of how paint looks in a room. The light bulbs throughout a space can have different effects on paint color, as well. The following are insights on how light bulbs look with various paint hues:
· Fluorescent lighting is flat and cool and enriches shades of green and blue.
· Incandescent bulbs put off yellow-amber light that cause yellows, oranges, and reds to appear more vivid; they have a muting effect on greens and blues.
· If you want the adjustment from sunlight to artificial light to be a comfortable transition, halogens are a great choice. These white lights most resemble natural light and cause all shades to have a vivid appearance.
· LED light (light-emitting diodes) come in a variety of options. One possibility is to get “smart” bulbs that can be controlled wirelessly and imitate colors according to a setting you adjust on your phone.
For best possible results in any light, have your paint selections applied by professionals at Franklin Painting. Our experts are always Franklin employees who know how to achieve top quality work and superior customer service.
Frank Campanelli, the esteemed founder of Franklin Painting LLC, has been leading the company since 1986. He takes immense pride in the stellar reputation his dedicated team has built by consistently delivering top-notch service to each customer.
