I came across this article on the Spectrum Paint website – Million Dollar Red! What an awesome color. We used this in our main bathroom after we did a full renovation in my first house – a 1915 Fan House in Richmond’s Museum District. It is a great medium red that takes sunlight and room light well. We loved it so much, we took it to our second house.
Since my college summers, painting for a professional paint contractor, I have only used Benjamin Moore paints. You may remember the Old Virginia Paint Company paint store at Roseneath and Broad. We buy all of our Benjamin Moore paints at Spectrum Paint. (we receive no marketing money for mentioning these companies.)
There are a gazillion paint colors to choose from! If you are like me, you pour over hundreds of samples. It is great looking at interior design books for ideas, but the most important thing to remember is these pictures show the paint under specific lighting conditions of that space. Sunlight is your friend and it will change with the time of day and time of year. Oh boy will the color on the wall change with it! So, what are you supposed to do?
- Paint a sample in several strategic places where the light of the sun will change daily. Live with it for a while. Observe it. Are you achieving the desired look? Is the color getting washed out? Is the color appealing throughout the day?
- Benjamin Moore and many paint stores offer larger sample squares to tape to the wall. This avoids the need to buy a small tin of paint.
- If your friend’s colors inspired you, look at her walls at different times of the day. If you like the color in your office or another public space, observe the space at different times during the day and compare it to your house.
Tips from Ted the Handyman and Fine Carpenter.
- Picking paint colors is not easy. Take your time. Be patient with the selection process. My biggest challenge in selecting colors has been selecting shades of white. I painted a two-story foyer and hall. The client loved it. When the sun is shown during the day it was gorgeous and bright, but at night, the color changed to a bit cooler tone.
- Take your colors with you. My wife and I have all of our favorite colors written in a book. With the arrival of our fifth child, we moved to our third house. Most of our favorite colors did not work in this house because of the differences in sunlight, what these favorites were starting points. The solution was similar colors that were either slightly darker or slightly lighter depending on the amount of sunlight the room received.
- Colors can be challenging but above all remember, decorating your house should be fun. Be patient and enjoy the process.
Call Ampa Creative Home for your home renovations and repair needs. Ampa Creative Home offers finish carpentry, interior design, and handyman services in the Richmond, Virginia Metro area. We started our business as stage set and prop designers and fabricators for the event industry. With our fine carpentry and artistic skills, we are very good with wainscoting wall panels, finish carpentry, painting, and artistic projects. In general, we are problem solvers and get the job done.
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Carpenters, designers, theater technicians and creative people – what a great combination for creative home projects and repairs. Our skill set is perfect for the home, home improvement, and repair.