Choosing Color with ...

Choosing color with Donald Kaufman...

Paint Swatches

I came across an article in this months Elle Decor on choosing colors...food for thought for anyone planning to paint in their home..

If you have not heard of Donald Kaufman, it is no surprise unless you are into painting houses, interior design or something similar.  This man, along with his wife, is a nationally known color consultant.  He started his own company in 1976, and his best advice "is to use as few colors as possible."


Don Kaufman color

His rules are:

1. Use like intensities: don't put bright green in a room next to a gray-green.

2.  Look at your neighborhood for inspiration if you are considering paint for the exterior.

3.  Spend time looking at all of the elements in a space- furniture, windows, the color of the floor.

4.  Use complementary colors from a color wheel.  If you have a yellow kitchen, try blue for the dining room.

5.  Tone it down.  Find the color chip you think you want, then look for a quieter version, as it will look much brighter on the wall.

6.  Dark colors make a small room feel larger.  They make the walls recede.

7.  The cost is in the labor, not the paint.  So go for the gold in materials.

***Another tidbit from his article: warm neutrals are the safest choices , which is why they represent 90% of all paint sold.  Hmmm....do you want to be in the 90% or more unique?

 

Custom mixed paint color from Kaufman Paints



I use these rules daily when helping clients with choosing colors!  You should think about them as well!  And, if you need help doing this, I would be glad to help!  There are several ways to contact me- just do it!