Homeowners can do a lot of color selecting groundwork before they speak to a professional color consultant.

An easy way to find your favorite color is to go on the painting company’s website for color picking.

Color inspiration can come from anywhere or anything–nature, fabric, childhood memories, art, even feelings can be the source of color choice. Below are links to many American paint manufacturers and their color collections. There is a lot of inspiration in the links below and you’ll have access to many of the tools used by design professionals.

1. Sherwin Williams http://www.sherwin-williams.com/pro/paint_colors/explore/color/
2. Benjamin Moore https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/color-overview/color-palettes
3. Behr Paints https://www.behr.com/consumer/colors/paint-colors
4. McCormick Paint https://www.mccormickpaints.com/fan-deck/
5. Pittsburg Paints https://www.ppgpaints.com/color
6. Olympic https://www.olympic.com
7. Glidden Paints https://www.glidden.com/colors/color-palette
8. Minwax http://www.minwax.com/wood-products/stains-color-guide/
9. Cabbot Stains http://www.cabotstain.com/colors-and-finishes/families/Ready-Mix-Colors.html
10. RUST-OLEUM https://www.rustoleum.com/pages/homeowner/working-with-color
11. Dutch Boy Paints https://www.dutchboy.com
12. c2paint https://c2paint.com/pages/color

This house painting information for Stafford, Fredericksburg, and Spotsylvania VA – represent web-links for a complete color systems from American paint manufacturers.

PSYCHOLOGY OF COLOR:

Color has immense significance in our lives. Whether it’s a red stop sign, or a dream dominated by blue skies, color speaks to us in many ways. Explore your favorite colors in the color links above. Remember to keep your favorites in mind while choosing your colors. Keep notes and mark down color numbers and manufacturers for future reference.

Your color choices and how you use color in your space reflects you and your taste. Painting with beautiful colors creates the right feel and atmosphere in your home space.

Personal and cultural associations affect our experience of color. Colors are seen as warm or cool mainly because of long-held and often universal associations. Yellow, orange and red are associated with the heat of sun and fire; blue, green and violet with the coolness of leaves, sea and the sky.

Warm colors seem closer to the viewer than cool colors. Using warm colors for foreground and cool colors for background enhances the perception of depth.

Although red, yellow and orange are generally considered high-arousal colors and blue, green and most violets are low-arousal hues, the brilliance, darkness and lightness of a color can alter the psychological message. While a light blue-green appears to be tranquil, wet and cool, a brilliant turquoise, often associated with a lush tropical ocean setting, will be more exciting to the eye.

The psychological association of a color is often more meaningful than the visual experience. Colors act on the body as well as the mind. Red has been shown to stimulate the senses and raise the blood pressure, while blue has the opposite effect and calms the mind.

Studies have found people gamble more and make riskier bets when seated under a red light as opposed to a blue light. That’s why Las Vegas is the city of red neon.

An executive received complaints from workers in a blue office that the office was too cold. When the offices were painted a warm peach, the sweaters came off even though the temperature had not changed.

WARM COLORS

Colors in the red, orange and yellow families are referred to as “warm” colors since they evoke images associated with heat, like fire or sunshine. As a result they make us feel warm in a psychological sense.

Red
This powerful color increases blood pressure and heart rate. It often produces feelings of intimacy, energy, passion and sexuality. It also stimulates the appetite and is often used in restaurants and is an excellent choice for dining rooms in the home.

Orange
Like red, orange warms a room but in a less dramatic and passionate way. The mood and attitude of orange is friendlier than fiery; more welcoming than seductive. Orange works well in living rooms and family rooms and is also a good choice for children’s bedrooms.

Yellow
Yellow grabs attention and catches the eye like no other color, hence the use of yellow highlighters in offices. In poorly lit foyers and hallways, yellow shows the way. In their bedrooms, elderly people report that yellow lifts their mood. But bright yellow can be too strong and may actually cause anxiety in infants, young children and the elderly.

COOL COLORS

Blues, greens, violets and their intermediates are considered cool colors because of their references to pastoral landscapes and ocean vistas. When we look at these colors they elicit feelings of peace, tranquility and relaxation.

Blue
Soothing blue is an ideal bedroom color choice for adults and children. But that same blue that lulls us to sleep also suppresses our appetites, possibly because there are very few naturally blue foods. Put blue to bed, but try and keep it out of the dining room. In Greece, blue is said to ward off the “evil eye.” In the American flag, blue signifies justice, perseverance, and vigilance. Blue is beautiful and is sure to bring a cool relaxation into your space.

Green
As the dominant color in nature, we are at home with green anywhere in the house. Light greens work well in baths and living rooms; mid-range greens are a great accent for kitchens and dining rooms. The calming effect of green makes it popular in hospitals, schools and work environments.

Violet
Despite the favorable response violet elicits in children, many adults dislike purples, with rosier shades of violet being somewhat more appealing. Children’s bedrooms and play areas may be good places to experiment with this color family.

Purple
Purple has often been called a royal color. Purple dye was originally made from mollusks, making it very expensive to produce; thus the association of purple with royalty. According to color theory, purple in a child’s room is said to increase imagination. With both a mystical and a royal connotation, purple can set a regal tone.

NEUTRAL COLORS

White
White symbolizes freshness, purity, and cleanliness. White is always safe color to choose: It is a great offset to any other color you use it with. As an exterior color, white is versatile and will beautify almost any surface.

Black
Black is an authoritative classic color that conveys sophistication. Black provides a neutral yet strong counterpoint to any color you choose. Black is the most powerful color you can use. Some love it, some are suspicious of it. Used as an accent, black can produce an elegant and sophisticated feel, as well as have a grounding effect. Black is a great color for exterior woodwork like trim, shutters, doors, and wrought iron.

Brown
Brown is known as an earth tone/nature color, it goes with everything and is a true classic choice. It is a color associated with quality, reliability and friendship. Decorating with Brown creates a sense of cozy refinement on interior spaces. Red-browns look very informal. Dark browns look more refined. Brown works well with green in an exterior color scheme. Beiges and tans are easy neutrals that can be used on most large wall surfaces. The color brown is associated with natural, organic or wholesome products. Brown is a color that puts people at ease and is very welcoming.

METALLICS

Metallics are available in a wide variety of colors. Metallic paints have a sheen that brings luxurious sophistication to whatever surface they are painted on. Metallics are available in brush, roll or spray applications.

Medias Painting Company provides color consulting on an hourly fee basis.
If you are looking for a Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsylvania, or King George interior designer for color consultation, please call us today at:

(540) 295-8235 / (540) 295-0340 or complete our online request form

Medias Painting Company