Showing posts with label paint sleuthing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paint sleuthing. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Paint Sleuthing



When Miss Marple  wasn't solving fictional crimes, she probably lowered her stress levels by dithering over paint. I can see her now, flipping through shelter magazines, pausing when she sees a lovely off-white room. "What is the color?" she asks herself.

Me, I enjoy researching paint. Even if I have no intention of using the color, if I like it, I want to know its name. My obsession began when I was a small girl; I became captivated by a magazine photo of an apple green bedroom--the walls were green, and the trim was about 4 shades darker. Pink accents completed the look. My mother drove me to the paint store, and after I showed the owner the photo, he mixed the paint without hesitation. It was perfect, just like the photo. My father painted the room, and my mom bought a pink bedspread and throw rugs at the Dollar Store.

Today, it's just not that easy to match a color to an inspiration photo. Many designers are tight-lipped about paints, and if you pester them, they'll say, "The color was mixed." End of story, right?
Well, maybe before the Internet gave paint sleuthing a voice and a community. Visit Gardenweb, Houzz, or Pinterest, and you will get a crash course in paint sleuthing.

Shall we take a little tour?

Exhibit 1
A light-filled, pale bluish room. Can you guess the color?

It's Tidewater by Sherwin Williams (SW 6477), a name that summons images of a blue Virginia sky.


Exhibit 2
A neutral bedroom--Hmmm, I know this color. Elephant  Tusk? Latte?
No, no, no. It's Benjamin Moore Berkshire Beige AC-2 / Flat.

Exhibit 3
Green-painted planked walls. It appears as if the room doesn't receive direct sunlight (but who knows?).
 
The color is BM Celery from the Historic Colors


Exhibit 4
A modern nursery. Instead of traditional pink or blue walls, the room
has been painted a warm gray. Pink accents suggest that Parker is a little girl.

The color is Winter Gates by Benjamin Moore.


Exhibit 5
A white kitchen with high ceilings, interesting trim, and ample light.
The color was inspired by Benjamin Moore's Mayonnaise, and it was matched to
another brand of non-toxic paint.


Exhibit 6
A white room gets a splash of color with a coral-colored cabinet. That's a lot of words
starting with C, but I'll add one more: China. It may have gotten lost in a white cabinet.
The color is Dark Salmon by Benjamin Moore


Exhibit 7
A soothing aqua bedroom. White draperies, bedding, ceiling, floor, and furniture.
Would this color behave the same in a room with patterns and dark furniture? In a room with only one window?

The color is Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue.


Exhibit 8
Here's another color that you'll probably recognize.
The wall color is Silver Sage by Restoration Hardware, and the trim is BM's White Dove.


Exhibit 9
What a pretty space, evoking images of warm spring days, buttercups, and forget-me-nots.
The wall color is Mushroom Cap by Benjamin Moore , and the ceiling/trim is BM White Dove.


Exhibit 10
We're looking at two photos, one color. Miss Marple herself might have been puzzled, as the shade seems to be deceptive.

In the first photo, we see a deep blue-green bathroom. A little research turned up the color:
Benjamin Moore Warm Spring #682.


The cheery green in the back of the cabinet is the same color, according to notes on Houzz.


The green paint inside the cabinet is Warm Springs (BM). Could the difference (which is considerable) be due to the lighting? Error? Computer glitch? Or a true chameleon?
What's your opinion? 
Do you have a go-to color?

Shared at Metamorphosis Monday

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Sunday, July 27, 2014

The Secret Diary of a Paint Sleuth

 
If you are obsessed with paint colors, you may study shelter magazines, looking at walls, ceilings, and trim, searching for that perfect shade of (you fill in the blank). One afternoon in 1988, while I read Veranda, I saw the softest, prettiest shade of yellow. I flipped to the end pages and scanned the resources, only to see the word "mixed." 
No, wait, I told the magazine. Aren't you going to give a hint? A jumping off point? Why taunt and tease me? On that long ago day, a paint sleuth was born. Unfortunately, I lacked the ability to detect undertones, which means I'm a loser sleuth. 
That doesn't stop my obsession.
 
 
                                                                                                                   
                (Image Source: Houzz http://www.houzz.com/pro/lisadf/l-k-defrances-associates)

Today, I'm sleuthing colors in a Florida cottage. Even if you aren't T.P.O. (Totally Paint Obsessed), I hope you'll come along.

The designers call this style "Bahamian." It has a low roof and large operable shutters (they are painted a deep green--Charleston Green?--and shutters around the entry are brown (stained or painted). The exterior is white stucco.
 
The house is sprawling, with garages at one end and ample guest parking.


Luckily, in the living room, no detective work was required to learn the paint colors. According to comments on Houzz, the walls are BM White Dove, and the ceiling is ICI (Glidden) Cloud Nine.

Let's do a little gumshoeing and look at the swatches. 

According to the comments on Houzz, RH's Silver Sage may be a close match to Cloud Nine.


It pairs well with Benjamin Moore's White Dove.


BM White Dove


It's possible that BM White Dove was continued in the navy and white dining room.


A closer look.

But a mystery develops when we step into the kitchen.

Is it safe to assume that the cabinets were painted BM White Dove?  In this kitchen, warm Calcutta Gold marble was chosen for the counters and backsplash, so my vote goes to White Dove. It's warm, with a touch of gray. But since no official color was listed for this room, it's a cliffhanger.


Let's move into the hearth room. No paint color was listed for this charming space, but when the walls and ceiling colors were mentioned on Houzz, the designer left a note, saying the color was "Benjamin Moore's Super White," but she didn't specify what went where. I wonder if Super White went on the ceiling, and, in keeping with the rest of the house, the planked walls were painted BM's White Dove?

BM Super White has a reputation for being very white. It performs beautifully in spaces that have an abundance of natural light (but pouts in darker areas). It gives a clean look. No yellow undertones. This color is a popular choice as a background for modern decor. But it looks warm and cozy in this eclectic den. Of course, the planked walls lend a sense of history, and the beams add architectural interest (and they're gorgeous). Accessories add warmth and break up the white.

I have a feeling this color was chosen for the room, perhaps to make certain that nothing competes with the view.



Here's a different angle of the sitting room. Does it look like the same paint color was used on the walls and trim? Or two colors? The mantel seems whiter...but I just don't know. Light is such a tricky thing.


Shall we look at the bedroom? Creamy, planked walls. Green and cream fabric. An abundance of natural light. When many designers choose a trim color, they run it through the whole house for continuity. So I'm guessing that the walls were painted BM White Dove...but was the trim painted BM Super White? The ceiling is a mysterious, muted green.


Another part of the room. The white-white mirror hangs on a creamier wall. 


I can't begin to guess the exterior color. It remains a whodunnit.
But don't you love the windows and golden lights?

A Few Unsolved Mysteries....

An unknown paint color, a rich navy.


The blue walls in an oceanfront condominium merge with the setting...but the paint color is an enigma.


Love this unknown color in a guest room. Could this be a mix of BM's Wythe Blue and Palladian Blue? Or one of Sherwin Williams's pale aquas? Something else? Who knows.

A pretty, unknown pale lime in a guest room.


I will leave you with a few solved mysteries:



The peachy pink in this bedroom is SW Mellow Coral.

 I'll return with more paint mysteries. Thanks for sleuthing with me today!
A Metamorphosis Monday  contribution.
 
Sources: Interior Design by L.K. DeFrances and Associates via Houzz.
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