• Adjacent. This system combines two or more colors
that are located next to each other on the color wheel—blue,
blue violet, and blue green, for example. To get the best
results with this system, try to select colors that do
not have the same value and intensity.
• Complementary. This type of scheme uses colors
that are opposite one another on the color wheel, such
as red and green, or yellow and violet. If you choose
this system, you might want to select a subtle color and
a dominant color, to prevent the colors from clashing.
• Triadic. A triadic scheme employs three
colors that are equidistant on the color wheel, such as
yellow-orange, blue-green, and red-violet. For best results,
you should choose one dominant color and use the other
two as subtle accent colors.Color Vocabulary
Hue - The basis of a color, such as red or green. Lighter
or darker variations are still the same hue. Thus, a light
red and a deep red are of the same hue.
Value - The lightness or darkness of a color. Light blues,
medium blues, and dark blues have the same hue but different
values.
Shades - Those colors with values closest to black, the
darker blues, the darker reds, and so forth.
Tints - Those colors with values closest to white, the
lighter blues, the lighter reds, and so forth.
Tone - A color's intensity, brightness or dullness. When
gray is added to a color like red, it dulls the intensity
and renders it a darker tone. Assess
the Color Environment
As you plan your interior or exterior paint job, look
at the environment in which your color will appear.
On the inside of the home, the color environment is
created by the overall appearance of the walls and woodwork
you will he painting, the furnishings in the room, and
the hues in adjacent areas. To make the best color choices,
take in the whole picture.
Likewise,
when doing exterior painting, be sure to take into account
the fixed colors of your home—brick, stonework,
and the roof color, for example. The most flattering
color treatments will be those that work well with these
existing elements. Consider choosing a color that will
pick up the color of a non-painted area, the brown that
appears in your brick, or a green highlight from your
stonework, for example.
Also,
remember that no home exists in isolation: Its appearance
is affected by the appearance of neighboring homes,
and even the color of shrubs and trees around it. You
probably don't want to paint your home the same color
as your next-door neighbor's, but you probably do want
to select a hue that will look attractive alongside
it.
Furthermore,
be aware of the fact that certain colors look more at
home in certain surroundings. For example, earth tones
are always a good choice in natural, wooded areas, but
they may not he the best choice in other settings.
Another
factor to consider is the architectural style of your
home. Oftentimes, a home looks most attractive when
painted in period colors. Formal Colonial or Greek Revival
homes look great with white exteriors and muted interiors,
while Victorians come to life with bold color treatments
that accentuate ginger bread and other interesting architectural
details.
Fail-Safe
Color Choices
If “safety first” is your motto, and you
simply want your home to look neat and freshly painted,
there are certain color treatments that will look good
on almost any home. A near-surefire approach when doing
interior painting is to paint the walls a neutral color
like beige, and the ceiling and trim white. In fact,
if you keep the trim and ceiling white, a wide range
of colors will look attractive on your walls.
Similarly,
the safest approach to exterior painting is to use white,
beige, or another neutral color on the siding and a
darker accent color on the trim. Dark brown is often
a good general-purpose color for exterior trim.
Color
Trends
Commenting on the popular paint colors of the moment
is, at best, a risky business. They can change at any
time. With that proviso, it is possible to say that
preferences are far more predictable when it comes to
exterior paint colors than interior colors. For the
past 200 years or more, white has been the top color
choice for home exteriors in the U.S. And a recent color
study, conducted by the Rohm and Haas Paint Quality
Institute indicates that white or off-white still ranks
at the top of the list. Earth tone browns, tans, and
beiges have always been popular, and they remain so
today.
Interior
paint colors are another matter—the "in"
colors tend to change every few years. Of late, rich,
saturated colors in darker shades have met with great
success. For more advice on this year's hot colors,
ask your paint dealer.
|
