You Dirty Color You

You walk into a room and feel something is 'off'. Nothing in-your-face-this-looks-hideous, just something not right. Your eyes scan the walls, looking for the culprit and...nothing. 



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It could be a simple case of mixing clean vs. dirty colors, a common mistake that happens to homeowners and designers alike.  Most rooms (read- most) look best if all clean or all dirty colors are used. When clean and dirty colors are mixed, not only does it break up the harmony, but it makes other items in the room such as the curtains or carpet look dirty.

 

So you know how I said this is simple? I may have exaggerated.  Because a clean color can be clean in some contexts but dirty in others. And the classification of clean and dirty changes when compared to one another. 

Look at these two swatches. Can you tell which is dirtier?

BM 2123



BM CC-730



It may be difficult to decipher on the computer screen, but the first is the dirtier of the two.  Neither is a 'better' color than the other, it just depends on where and how it is being used.

Stay tuned for my own struggle with clean and dirty colors in my living room... and how I fixed it! 

 

If you need assistance with your own clean and dirty (home interior) issues, email me at coleyhueske@hotmail.com.

Linking up to...

Savvy Southern Style

DIY by Design

No Minimalist Here

Tales of a Bloggeritaville

The Shabby Chic Cottage

At the Picket Fence

Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

The DIY Showoff

 

A Few Tips from a Colour Expert

Guess who is now a Certified True Colour Expert?  ME!

The past three days I have been in an intense color course in Vancouver, British Columbia, taught by Maria Killam.  There is soo much to learn about choosing color, it's ridiculous!  It has honestly changed the way I see everything, whether that is a blessing or a curse. 

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Now, let me share with you a few tips I have learned over the past few days. Afterall, I am the expert. Hahahaha.... ok, not that funny. 

1. To test colors, you CANNOT tell what color will work by using a small paint chip. You have to make a larger sample, at least 8 by 11.



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2. Do not start painting a room or house just because you 'like' the color. How does it tie in with the room? Does it relate to your furnishings? Does it tie in with your art and decor? What are the fixed elements in the room that you have to live with?
If you do this, your house may end up looking like this...and most likely regret it.

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3. How many times have you seen people compare colors on the wall...or done this yourself?

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If you see this happen, now you know this is a 'what not to do'. And if you do this yourself, STOP. Let me tell you why... When you have various paint samples slopped on the walls next to each other, you are comparing the colors to each other, not to the space.  Always have a piece of white paper behind a sample or if needed, paint the area white and paint the sample color inside the white.


4.  After paint is applied, the appearance is twice as bright and and lighter compared to what it looks like on a paint chip!

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What color tips would you like to share?