Here are the 3 hot C2 Paint colors that will make her kitchen absolutely pop:
'Plantain'
'Fetish'
Chocolate Therapy'
Yummmm!!!!
Showing posts with label C2 Paint. Show all posts
Showing posts with label C2 Paint. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Great Color Inspiration!!
Susan, a Daly's Paint & Decorating customer, came in with a gorgeous tea towel the other day - she wanted to paint her kitchen with a unique color combination - and her towel was the inspiration. The towel is in greens and browns, with a hot pink accent thrown in at the edge.
She didn't want to play it safe, she was ready for some fun. Color is such a great way to make a change, and I loved what we came up with, and I wanted you to see her fabu colors.
Here are the 3 hot C2 Paint colors that will make her kitchen absolutely pop:
'Plantain'
'Fetish'
Chocolate Therapy'
Yummmm!!!!
Here are the 3 hot C2 Paint colors that will make her kitchen absolutely pop:
'Plantain'
'Fetish'
Chocolate Therapy'
Yummmm!!!!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Facebook | Daly's Paint & Decorating - Quick spruce-up Tip from Daly's
Here's a quick spruce-up tip from our Daly's Facebook page:
Facebook Daly's Paint & Decorating: " In-laws coming? Uninspiring guest room? Blah bathroom? Here's my favorite spruce-up trick...The Feature Wall. Instead of repainting an entire room, find a lovely color and paint it on one wall only. This is a great way to create a focal point (and a favored trick to redierect the eye from flaws in the room) and it adds... a fresh look without too much effort. (I'm all about avoiding TOO MUCH EFFORT during the holidays!)"
Facebook Daly's Paint & Decorating: " In-laws coming? Uninspiring guest room? Blah bathroom? Here's my favorite spruce-up trick...The Feature Wall. Instead of repainting an entire room, find a lovely color and paint it on one wall only. This is a great way to create a focal point (and a favored trick to redierect the eye from flaws in the room) and it adds... a fresh look without too much effort. (I'm all about avoiding TOO MUCH EFFORT during the holidays!)"
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tips and Tricks - The Best Way to Choose Interior Paint Colors
Finding the right color can be tricky, and for reasons that aren’t quite obvious at first. Your trip to the paint store will be much easier if you keep a few things in mind:
Most paint chips aren’t made from paint. Shocking, isn’t it? With the exception of C2 Paint, most national brands have their chips printed with ink – and ink is a transparent medium while paint is an opaque one, and light interacts differently with these two mediums. Therefore it is almost impossible to replicate the color on the sample chip to the color that comes from the can. If you have ever wondered why the color on the chip didn’t match the color on the wall, now you know.
Color chips have another disadvantage – they are small. When you look at the size of even a single wall, you quickly realize that a paint chip is too small to accurately give you an impression of how the color will play in a full-scale setting. If you understand that color chips are very handy tools to take you to the next step, they can be very useful. Color chips provide a very quick method for winnowing out the obviously wrong colors and finding those three or four colors that might work. Your next step is to sample the actual color.
Before we roll on some color, let’s look at one more issue: Lighting. If you are trying to make a color choice while standing in a busy paint store or staring at some samples on a computer screen, you are at another disadvantage because you are not looking at your color under the correct lighting conditions.
Preferably, you want to see what happens to your paint color in a series of lighting situations – morning, noon and evening. Each of these different times of day affects the way the color reads, and you want to make sure you like it at all times. Sometimes a color will ‘mud out’ at night (we can spend a lot of time discussing tinting recipes and why this happens… but later), or intensify to the point of looking neon, or wash out and look almost white when you thought it would be a soft taupe, or you find that charming coffeehouse color looks heavy and sluggish. Color does not always do what you expect it to. And if you live in a grove of trees or near the water, testing becomes imperative.
Ideally, you want to try your color with the other design elements that are going into the space like sofas, rugs, art, etc… C2’s Ultimate Paint Chip, which is a poster-sized chip made from real paint, is one option if you aren’t ready to get paint on the walls, or you can try a 16 oz. Sampler or Test Quart of paint (depending upon the brand you are using). Paint AT LEAST an 18’ x 24’ patch on the wall. More if you can. Apply the color on the darkest wall, the lightest (usually opposite a window), and in a corner. This allows you to see your color in all room and lighting situations.
Another major benefit of testing your color - it keeps those unfortunate color mistakes from becoming landfill. And we can all feel good about that!
Most paint chips aren’t made from paint. Shocking, isn’t it? With the exception of C2 Paint, most national brands have their chips printed with ink – and ink is a transparent medium while paint is an opaque one, and light interacts differently with these two mediums. Therefore it is almost impossible to replicate the color on the sample chip to the color that comes from the can. If you have ever wondered why the color on the chip didn’t match the color on the wall, now you know.
Color chips have another disadvantage – they are small. When you look at the size of even a single wall, you quickly realize that a paint chip is too small to accurately give you an impression of how the color will play in a full-scale setting. If you understand that color chips are very handy tools to take you to the next step, they can be very useful. Color chips provide a very quick method for winnowing out the obviously wrong colors and finding those three or four colors that might work. Your next step is to sample the actual color.
Before we roll on some color, let’s look at one more issue: Lighting. If you are trying to make a color choice while standing in a busy paint store or staring at some samples on a computer screen, you are at another disadvantage because you are not looking at your color under the correct lighting conditions.
Preferably, you want to see what happens to your paint color in a series of lighting situations – morning, noon and evening. Each of these different times of day affects the way the color reads, and you want to make sure you like it at all times. Sometimes a color will ‘mud out’ at night (we can spend a lot of time discussing tinting recipes and why this happens… but later), or intensify to the point of looking neon, or wash out and look almost white when you thought it would be a soft taupe, or you find that charming coffeehouse color looks heavy and sluggish. Color does not always do what you expect it to. And if you live in a grove of trees or near the water, testing becomes imperative.
Ideally, you want to try your color with the other design elements that are going into the space like sofas, rugs, art, etc… C2’s Ultimate Paint Chip, which is a poster-sized chip made from real paint, is one option if you aren’t ready to get paint on the walls, or you can try a 16 oz. Sampler or Test Quart of paint (depending upon the brand you are using). Paint AT LEAST an 18’ x 24’ patch on the wall. More if you can. Apply the color on the darkest wall, the lightest (usually opposite a window), and in a corner. This allows you to see your color in all room and lighting situations.
Another major benefit of testing your color - it keeps those unfortunate color mistakes from becoming landfill. And we can all feel good about that!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
What Makes a Color Work?
Yesterday I met with a color specifier at the (soon to be old) Bellevue store. She was thrilled to learn about our different paint lines and she made a comment that got me to thinking...
She wanted to know MORE about what makes certain colors our 'go-to' colors in the palette. In other words, when we help someone choose colors, we often start off with our favorite shades to help facilitate the process of winnowing down the choices.
But what makes them our favorites, and why do they work?
It's more than a lucky guess, of course. As I am writing this, I keep flashing to C2 Paint's "Labrador". It's yellow. But it's not yellowy-yellow because it possesses a red undertone.
This hint of red pigment keeps the yellow from going too acidic, plus it contributes to uniting the color to other shades, ensuring that 'Labrador' will coordinate with a large variety of hues. And interestingly enough, 'Labrador' is ideal both as an exterior yellow (imagine a yellow farmhouse on the middle of the country with tons of crisp white trim and a deep green or rich red front door) and it plays exceptionally well as a kitchen yellow. Very unusual thaqt a single color can span both directions, when you think about the way a color reads outside compared to inside.
Yet, if you look at it in relation to the color chip rack or fan deck, you might think it's too peachy at first. But get it off the rack, and the color really starts to shine. Of course, there are other great yellows, too! Some of my favorites include: C2 'Moxie', 'Polenta', 'Shine' and 'Sugar Cookie' when you want that pretty pale hue.
When looking at any color, don't forget to try the color in the environment it will be used - ultimately, it's the relationship of your new color with all the other factors that make it work.
She wanted to know MORE about what makes certain colors our 'go-to' colors in the palette. In other words, when we help someone choose colors, we often start off with our favorite shades to help facilitate the process of winnowing down the choices.
But what makes them our favorites, and why do they work?
It's more than a lucky guess, of course. As I am writing this, I keep flashing to C2 Paint's "Labrador". It's yellow. But it's not yellowy-yellow because it possesses a red undertone.
This hint of red pigment keeps the yellow from going too acidic, plus it contributes to uniting the color to other shades, ensuring that 'Labrador' will coordinate with a large variety of hues. And interestingly enough, 'Labrador' is ideal both as an exterior yellow (imagine a yellow farmhouse on the middle of the country with tons of crisp white trim and a deep green or rich red front door) and it plays exceptionally well as a kitchen yellow. Very unusual thaqt a single color can span both directions, when you think about the way a color reads outside compared to inside.
Yet, if you look at it in relation to the color chip rack or fan deck, you might think it's too peachy at first. But get it off the rack, and the color really starts to shine. Of course, there are other great yellows, too! Some of my favorites include: C2 'Moxie', 'Polenta', 'Shine' and 'Sugar Cookie' when you want that pretty pale hue.
When looking at any color, don't forget to try the color in the environment it will be used - ultimately, it's the relationship of your new color with all the other factors that make it work.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Is There Such a Thing As One-Coat Coverage with Paint?
I had a conversation the other day with a customer who had expected the paint he had purchased to cover his walls in one coat. His frustration and disappointment got me to wondering: is there really such thing as one-coat coverage?
Here at the store, we generally steer people from this concept. The quick answer is that while one coat may 'look' like it covers, that second coat is where the magic happens. The second coat gives you a thicker film build, which means you have more of that color for the light to reflect from.
But I wanted to dig a little deeper. So I contacted Tom Hill, president of C2 Paint and general paint chemist wonk, and asked him for some more clarification. Here is his input:
I hope that clears it up!
Here at the store, we generally steer people from this concept. The quick answer is that while one coat may 'look' like it covers, that second coat is where the magic happens. The second coat gives you a thicker film build, which means you have more of that color for the light to reflect from.
But I wanted to dig a little deeper. So I contacted Tom Hill, president of C2 Paint and general paint chemist wonk, and asked him for some more clarification. Here is his input:
One Coat Hiding in Paint
To try and simplify this, hiding in paint is determined primarily by refractive index and absorption properties of the pigments used in the paint formulation.
Light passing through a media is refracted (bent) depending on the
refractive index of the specific media. The refractive index of air is
1.0008. Light is essentially not bent in air. The refractive index
of titanium dioxide is 2.7. The only material with a higher refractive
index than titanium dioxide is diamond. A pigment with a higher refractive
index hides better than a pigment with a lower refractive index. The
refractive index of bright yellow colorant is 1.4 and thus a color made from
primarily bright yellow colorant and zero titanium dioxide does not hide very
well.
We use Titanium Dioxide as the prime hiding pigment in paints because
it has the highest refractive index of the pigments available for use to produce
a white color. However, there is a practical limit to the amount of TiO2
one can use in a gallon of paint. Increasing the amount of TiO2 beyond
this practical limit actually reduces the total hiding of the paint.
At this practical limit…with reasonable volume solids, PVC and dry film
thickness…we expect hiding to be at a minimum of 98% but less than 100%.
The definition of one coat hiding in the paint industry is 98% coverage over a
black and white contrast ratio chart. To increase the hiding of a white
base from 98% to 100% we must add a color pigment that absorbs light as well as
refracts light. The pigments that do this are black, yellow oxide, red
oxide, burnt umber, etc. Once there is a sufficient loading of these
pigments plus white true one coat hiding can be achieved. The colors are
all muted and earth tones but they will cover in one coat.
An interesting side note is that adding bright yellow or bright red to
a white base will reduce the hiding of that base. These pigments do not
absorb light and their refractive index in significantly less than TiO2 (1.4
versus 2.7). The blend of these two pigments yields a refractive index
that is less than that of the untinted base and thus poorer in hiding.
Conclusion, in normally formulated paints (i.e. proper PVC…volume
solids…and film build), one coat hiding is not possible to achieve unless the
paint is tinted with a light adsorbing pigment.
I hope that clears it up!
Friday, September 05, 2008
Had a Great C2 Moment Last Night
Yesterday I was on a color call and we were creating an exterior color scheme for a house built in the early 1900's. The facade has lots of fun detail to play with; stucco, lap siding and tons of trim. It's going to look great.
As I was walking down the street back to my car, I noticed a very attractive house. The color wasn't dark or moody, but light while still looking rich. It just so happened that the owners were standing outside, and I couldn't resist complementing them on it.
The first thing out of his mouth, "Have you heard of this paint company C2?"
I held up my C2 Designer Kit, still in my hands from the color call, and said "I am C2!"
"The color is C2's Outback"
"No way!" (It looks completley different outside)
They were very gracious, gave me the Grand Tour of the house (great art, fabu kitchen and great paint colors!) and were even kind enough to send me photos of their home. How cool is that?
As I was walking down the street back to my car, I noticed a very attractive house. The color wasn't dark or moody, but light while still looking rich. It just so happened that the owners were standing outside, and I couldn't resist complementing them on it.
The first thing out of his mouth, "Have you heard of this paint company C2?"
I held up my C2 Designer Kit, still in my hands from the color call, and said "I am C2!"
"The color is C2's Outback"
"No way!" (It looks completley different outside)
They were very gracious, gave me the Grand Tour of the house (great art, fabu kitchen and great paint colors!) and were even kind enough to send me photos of their home. How cool is that?
Thursday, May 15, 2008
C2 LoVo Fun
I wast to share a couple cool C2 LoVo pix of my friend Mark Robinson's new Smartcar for Robinson's Paint & Wallpaper in Collington, Ontario.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
LoVo Your Walls!
Just a few weeks ago, C2 Paint introduced LoVo - luxurious Low VOC paint.
It has all the features and benefits of the premium C2 paint; it's available in all 496 colors, it's infinitely customizable (custom colors are even available in 16 oz. Sampler pots), it has the unique color system that nobody else uses in North America, 18x24" Ultimate Paint Chips made from real paint, etc, etc, etc. - and now these colors are available in Low-VOC. How cool is that?
I am so excited to report that LoVo now constitutes 24% of our interior paint sales. And in only 10 days of sales. Who doesn't want to feel good about doing good? And look good at the same time?
It has all the features and benefits of the premium C2 paint; it's available in all 496 colors, it's infinitely customizable (custom colors are even available in 16 oz. Sampler pots), it has the unique color system that nobody else uses in North America, 18x24" Ultimate Paint Chips made from real paint, etc, etc, etc. - and now these colors are available in Low-VOC. How cool is that?
I am so excited to report that LoVo now constitutes 24% of our interior paint sales. And in only 10 days of sales. Who doesn't want to feel good about doing good? And look good at the same time?
Monday, February 18, 2008
We Just Can't Post It
One of the fun things the staff has been doing lately is come up with creative headlines for the reader-board on the Seattle Daly's sign. Being a creative staff, the sayings aren't always... shall we say, 'tasteful'. The challenge is to use a C2 Paint or Daly's Products reference in the headline.
So in that spirit, here is my favorite saying that you WON'T be seeing on the Daly's sign:
We Don't Take "Shiitake" From Nobody
See what I mean?
So in that spirit, here is my favorite saying that you WON'T be seeing on the Daly's sign:
We Don't Take "Shiitake" From Nobody
See what I mean?
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Getting Ready for LoVo
This past weekend I had the opportunity to tour the paint factory where C2 Paint's LoVo will be made. LoVo is C2's Low-VOC offering - set to launch around Earth Day in April.
From my perspective, one indicator that I'm probably in the right business is that I was actually looking forward to watching paint being made! Yes, that's right up there with watching paint dry in some people's book, but this was cool.
This factory, located in Massachusets, was even designed with input from MIT. As I understand it, it is considered a no-waste facility - meaning they utilize, recycle and incorporate every ingredient that enters the plant into the products they produce. Truely state of the art facilities, and really- if we are going to the effort to make quality, environmentally sound product, it just stands to reason that the facility should operate under the same guiding principles.
They even have a dust collecting system, so that any particulates that aren't blended into an architectural coating are recollected and used in industrial products. They use the dust in air!
Made me feel good to know that LoVo is in good hands. And, no, you can't make any snarky comments on the 'stylish' safety glasses!
From my perspective, one indicator that I'm probably in the right business is that I was actually looking forward to watching paint being made! Yes, that's right up there with watching paint dry in some people's book, but this was cool.
This factory, located in Massachusets, was even designed with input from MIT. As I understand it, it is considered a no-waste facility - meaning they utilize, recycle and incorporate every ingredient that enters the plant into the products they produce. Truely state of the art facilities, and really- if we are going to the effort to make quality, environmentally sound product, it just stands to reason that the facility should operate under the same guiding principles.
They even have a dust collecting system, so that any particulates that aren't blended into an architectural coating are recollected and used in industrial products. They use the dust in air!
Made me feel good to know that LoVo is in good hands. And, no, you can't make any snarky comments on the 'stylish' safety glasses!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Color Perception
We had a customer come in to pick up a color chip from a color consultation she had earlier. She was looking for the color "Chutney" by C2 Paint. When she pulled it out of the rack, we could see that she was a bit surprised at how intense the color appeared.
Luckily we have a small wall painted that color right in the showroom - what a difference! The color on the chip looked a lot stronger than when applied on the wall. However, when you compare the little chip to the wall, they match.
This is a good reminder about why we often stress the importance of trying a new color out in sample form before making a final decision. If she hadn't seen the color in a larger example she probably wouldn't have felt the "Chutney" was the right color after all. Seeing a life-sized sample allows the eye to read the color itself, and not the contrast of the color against it's surroundings. Color is all about relationships, one color to the other...
Luckily we have a small wall painted that color right in the showroom - what a difference! The color on the chip looked a lot stronger than when applied on the wall. However, when you compare the little chip to the wall, they match.
This is a good reminder about why we often stress the importance of trying a new color out in sample form before making a final decision. If she hadn't seen the color in a larger example she probably wouldn't have felt the "Chutney" was the right color after all. Seeing a life-sized sample allows the eye to read the color itself, and not the contrast of the color against it's surroundings. Color is all about relationships, one color to the other...
Monday, October 08, 2007
Northwest Designers Showcase Event
Friday night I attended the opening party for a designer showcase event called The Northwest Designer Showcase, presented by Glenn Richards.
Glenn Richards is this great store in Seattle featuring a huge space filled with antique Chinese and Japanese furniture, architectural elements and accessories from all over Southeast Asia. Downstairs you'll find a very cool furniture designer, Rom Lee, who uses many reclaimed items and beautiful wood elements in his custom designs.
The itinerant proprietors of Glenn Richards (pictured above) John and Laurie Fairman have decided to create a gallery space within their store, and from now through November 17th, you'll find different rooms decorated by local designers:
Lisa Staton, Kathleen Williams, Rachel Marez of Fix Design, Rom Lee, and of course Christina Ursino!
Each installation in their gallery space will be quite different, with plans to feature specific artists and let them have a run at the space.Kudos to that!
Here are some more images from the showcase (and yes, we happily provided the designers with all the C2 Paint they desired! We LOVE designers!)
Here's Lisa Staton in her luxurious living room (a little alliteration on a Monday never hurt anyone...). Note too, that Lisa just had a baby 8 weeks ago AND pulled off a showcase room...
Christian outdid himself AGAIN designing a dining room - I think my favorite touch is the leopard pattern on the dining chairs.
Speaking of babies, Rachel Marez of Fix Design Studio was worried that her baby bump wouldn't look good on camera... as if that is a worry! And look at the cool bathroom she created too!
Kathleen Williams created a romantic bedroom that just GLOWED - I only wish my camera could do justice to these spaces! Sigh...
Glenn Richards is this great store in Seattle featuring a huge space filled with antique Chinese and Japanese furniture, architectural elements and accessories from all over Southeast Asia. Downstairs you'll find a very cool furniture designer, Rom Lee, who uses many reclaimed items and beautiful wood elements in his custom designs.
The itinerant proprietors of Glenn Richards (pictured above) John and Laurie Fairman have decided to create a gallery space within their store, and from now through November 17th, you'll find different rooms decorated by local designers:Lisa Staton, Kathleen Williams, Rachel Marez of Fix Design, Rom Lee, and of course Christina Ursino!
Each installation in their gallery space will be quite different, with plans to feature specific artists and let them have a run at the space.Kudos to that!
Here are some more images from the showcase (and yes, we happily provided the designers with all the C2 Paint they desired! We LOVE designers!)
Here's Lisa Staton in her luxurious living room (a little alliteration on a Monday never hurt anyone...). Note too, that Lisa just had a baby 8 weeks ago AND pulled off a showcase room...
Christian outdid himself AGAIN designing a dining room - I think my favorite touch is the leopard pattern on the dining chairs.
Speaking of babies, Rachel Marez of Fix Design Studio was worried that her baby bump wouldn't look good on camera... as if that is a worry! And look at the cool bathroom she created too!
Kathleen Williams created a romantic bedroom that just GLOWED - I only wish my camera could do justice to these spaces! Sigh...
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Whirlwind Weekend
I just got back from a great weekend spent in Chicago at the Hard Rock Hotel. It was a mid-year meeting of all the C2 Paint partners from all over North America. Hanging out in a hotel that is constantly playing great music, has hip furnishings and good company makes for a fun event.As you have probably guessed by now, I'm pretty immersed in C2 culture - I feel so fortunate to connect with other independent paint retailers from all over.
Here I am with Jeff and Harry. Jeff is from Milton, Ontario and Harry from Providence, Rhode Island. We make up the marketing committee for C2 - so we communicate on an almost daily basis. Fun, fun, fun. We have a lot of work in the pipeline that is getting so close to being launched, can't wait for the fun to begin!
Of course it's not all play and no work! What is Chicago without a little action in the blue's clubs? Blue Chicago isn't too far from the hotel... and it reminds me of the night the color committee went out to Kingston Mines - inspiration for a number of C2 color names.
Pictured here is our spot-on marketing team:Jeff, Kim (marketing & branding), Tia (ditto), me, Harry, and Jill (PR maven). Tia is located in Atlanta, Kim and Jill are Chicago-based. I think there is something to the fact that we aren't all based in the same geographical region - gives us a broader spectrum to operate within.
When I left Chicago on Sunday afternoon, the weather was in the upper 70's. Came home to mid-50's and rain!
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Neat-O Blog mention!
Today is my first official day back from vacation (although I snuck off to Chicago for a 1 nite C2 meeting last week). The in-box isn't toooooo bad, considering.
Found a neat design blog today that speaks about color trends using C2 Paint: http://elementstyle.blogspot.com/2007/09/grey-is-new-black.html - I love it! Plus, grey is one of my fav's right now. Hard to believe I'd feel that way again after the grey and mauve 80's... I think I spent most of the 90's "beiging" out the 80's, come to think of it!
Speaking of grey, while in Chicago I stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel. The spacious rooms are painted an interesting shade of rosy/plum gray - I liked it a lot. It's actually a pretty strong color, not pastel or washed-out. So it made a great statement and was a calming foil to all the rock and roll iconography scattered around the hotel. Plus it looked great with all the chrome (it's the 70's again, baby!!!).
My one complaint - most of the sofas in that joint were UNCOMFORTABLE! How's a girl to strike a pose if she's not sitting pretty?
Found a neat design blog today that speaks about color trends using C2 Paint: http://elementstyle.blogspot.com/2007/09/grey-is-new-black.html - I love it! Plus, grey is one of my fav's right now. Hard to believe I'd feel that way again after the grey and mauve 80's... I think I spent most of the 90's "beiging" out the 80's, come to think of it!
Speaking of grey, while in Chicago I stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel. The spacious rooms are painted an interesting shade of rosy/plum gray - I liked it a lot. It's actually a pretty strong color, not pastel or washed-out. So it made a great statement and was a calming foil to all the rock and roll iconography scattered around the hotel. Plus it looked great with all the chrome (it's the 70's again, baby!!!).
My one complaint - most of the sofas in that joint were UNCOMFORTABLE! How's a girl to strike a pose if she's not sitting pretty?
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
This is a shot of my friend Ron's store, Oswego Paint & Home Fashion, in Oswego, IL.
They are remodeling their shop, and as part of the redo they are using lots great colors.
I wanted to share this shot with you because it perfectly illustrates the whole concept of tinted primers.
In today's design market, deep-toned colors are in high demand. We are seeing a lot of clear Reds being specified, for example.
The red pigment is very transparent, and that usually translates to multiple coats (read:5 or more) on the wall to get full coverage. In this image, you can see the painter is actually painting "Mojo" (the clear red) over what looks like a maroon wall. It might seem a bit counter intuitive, but the maroon is actually specifically formulated for "Mojo".
Our Lead-Geeks (whom I love and are a father/son duo named Bob and Rob. Really!) analyze how light waves travel through the topcoat color, hit the primer color and bounce back up. They mathematically calculate the ideal primer color for each topcoat by looking at the light waves. There is a bright yellow in the C2 palette that had an army green primer - who knew? Yet these specially formulated primers allow the painter to almost always be able to count on only using 2 top coats - even for super clear colors like the "Mojo" pictured here.
Monday, June 04, 2007
My New Favorite Color
When I repainted my house (I finally ended up using C2's Sea Salt) - I decided to try a color for the front door that wasn't black or deep burgundy... I love the sophistication of black doors, but this house is more "cottage" than "manor" and the black would look a bit too tres elegant.
Burgundy has just been so done. Over and over. I love it, it's attractive, but I was looking for something a little different.
Ah ha. C2's Space.
In some lights it's almost a black, other lights it's deeeeeeep turquoise. You look at it and think, "Is it green, is it blue, or is it black?" Perfect! Painted it in high gloss for that yummy finish that looks like it came from an old door off a 400-yr old house in Europe.
Speaking of gloss finishes... When you are choosing a paint color, you need to factor in the sheen and the way it will reflect the light. The Space color I chose is a perfect example of how sheen can take a color that looked somewhat dull on the chip - but once mixed in a high gloss it came alive. The light reflection created a depth for the dark color. The more matte the finish, the flatter this color would appear. And while this would be great for a media room, for example, in the more matte finish - for the front door it would have looked dead.
My trick for simulating the gloss on my paint chip: I painted a small corner of the chip with clear nail polish. What a difference. So there is your helpful hint of the day, my friends. If you don't have polish handy, you can also try shiny cellophane tape to replicate the sheen (even spit works - in a pinch! But only amongst your friends, please!)
Burgundy has just been so done. Over and over. I love it, it's attractive, but I was looking for something a little different.
Ah ha. C2's Space.
In some lights it's almost a black, other lights it's deeeeeeep turquoise. You look at it and think, "Is it green, is it blue, or is it black?" Perfect! Painted it in high gloss for that yummy finish that looks like it came from an old door off a 400-yr old house in Europe.
Speaking of gloss finishes... When you are choosing a paint color, you need to factor in the sheen and the way it will reflect the light. The Space color I chose is a perfect example of how sheen can take a color that looked somewhat dull on the chip - but once mixed in a high gloss it came alive. The light reflection created a depth for the dark color. The more matte the finish, the flatter this color would appear. And while this would be great for a media room, for example, in the more matte finish - for the front door it would have looked dead.
My trick for simulating the gloss on my paint chip: I painted a small corner of the chip with clear nail polish. What a difference. So there is your helpful hint of the day, my friends. If you don't have polish handy, you can also try shiny cellophane tape to replicate the sheen (even spit works - in a pinch! But only amongst your friends, please!)
Friday, May 18, 2007
Holding the Spec
What does "Holding the Spec" mean? To a homeowner or designer involved in a painting project, it means insuring that your painter uses the products and brands you specify, unless you've given them written consent they may make changes. When you look at the bid you get from your painter, make sure you are the one determining what paint brand he will use.
We spend a lot of time educating our customers about the different products we provide them. The designers we work with understand the different color systems and what they can expect from them. The homeowner usually just wants the color on the chip. They give it to their painter, expecting to get THAT color. But what if the painter goes down the street and substitutes the color and has it made in a different brand of paint? Is this acceptable?
Would a designer let the drapery maker substitute a different fabric for the curtains? Would the designer let the carpet store change the color or brand of carpet chosen?
Why do we let this happen, just because it's paint?
We witnessed an interesting example of this just this week. Our store designer Richard (on his day off, even!) went out to a distressed client's home because they were concerned that the newly painted walls were not looking like the colors they had worked so hard to choose.
Richard went out to the job to take a look. Guess what? NONE of the colors looked right. Each shade was totally off from the chip. As he walked through the house (because of course, this was an entire house, not just a single room), he noticed that the paint cans weren't from our store. The painter had taken the specified colors and had them matched into a different product.
The customer was not pleased.
The painter had all sorts of arguments for why he did this, and offered to repaint the house - but it would cost the homeowner extra money. So in other words, the painter admitted that the colors weren't the ones specified, but he was trying to put the financial load on the homeowner even though it wasn't remotely their fault.
Luckily, the homeowners pulled out their contract, where it was clearly written down that the painter was going to use the brand THEY had specified (C2 Paint, in case you are wondering). How does this story end? The painter is repainting the entire job in the correct paint on HIS dime, the homeowners get the colors they wanted and maybe the painter learned a lesson about follow-thru and responsibility.
As a side note: C2 colors are very difficult to match accurately using other color systems. This is because of the tint system C2 uses. No other North American brand uses the same system that C2 does - therefore the colors are difficult to replicate. C2 has some high strength pigments in addition to the regular strength pigments. Many C2 colors will look okay when matched under one light source, but totally off under other light conditions. This is most likely what happened to the homeowners that Richard was helping.
So it's easy for us to match other colors because we also have the typical pigments, but difficult for them to match ours. because they don't have the high strength ones. Either that, or the other paint store was just really bad at matching colors!!!
The lesson in all this is that it is up to you to ensure you are getting what you specified - and paid for.
We spend a lot of time educating our customers about the different products we provide them. The designers we work with understand the different color systems and what they can expect from them. The homeowner usually just wants the color on the chip. They give it to their painter, expecting to get THAT color. But what if the painter goes down the street and substitutes the color and has it made in a different brand of paint? Is this acceptable?
Would a designer let the drapery maker substitute a different fabric for the curtains? Would the designer let the carpet store change the color or brand of carpet chosen?
Why do we let this happen, just because it's paint?
We witnessed an interesting example of this just this week. Our store designer Richard (on his day off, even!) went out to a distressed client's home because they were concerned that the newly painted walls were not looking like the colors they had worked so hard to choose.
Richard went out to the job to take a look. Guess what? NONE of the colors looked right. Each shade was totally off from the chip. As he walked through the house (because of course, this was an entire house, not just a single room), he noticed that the paint cans weren't from our store. The painter had taken the specified colors and had them matched into a different product.
The customer was not pleased.
The painter had all sorts of arguments for why he did this, and offered to repaint the house - but it would cost the homeowner extra money. So in other words, the painter admitted that the colors weren't the ones specified, but he was trying to put the financial load on the homeowner even though it wasn't remotely their fault.
Luckily, the homeowners pulled out their contract, where it was clearly written down that the painter was going to use the brand THEY had specified (C2 Paint, in case you are wondering). How does this story end? The painter is repainting the entire job in the correct paint on HIS dime, the homeowners get the colors they wanted and maybe the painter learned a lesson about follow-thru and responsibility.
As a side note: C2 colors are very difficult to match accurately using other color systems. This is because of the tint system C2 uses. No other North American brand uses the same system that C2 does - therefore the colors are difficult to replicate. C2 has some high strength pigments in addition to the regular strength pigments. Many C2 colors will look okay when matched under one light source, but totally off under other light conditions. This is most likely what happened to the homeowners that Richard was helping.
So it's easy for us to match other colors because we also have the typical pigments, but difficult for them to match ours. because they don't have the high strength ones. Either that, or the other paint store was just really bad at matching colors!!!
The lesson in all this is that it is up to you to ensure you are getting what you specified - and paid for.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
How to Choose an Exterior Paint Color
As I was driving to work this morning, I couldn't help but notice a trail of white paint drizzled on the road, the trail was at least 6 blocks long. Apparently some poor soul's paint can wasn't sealed properly, and it was slowly pouring out of the vehicle unbeknown to the driver. My burning question... Why white paint?
Luckily, the trail was not leading from our parking lot!
If you are planning on repainting the exterior this year, you are probably interested in finding the perfect color scheme for your house. Like a good haircut making you feel like a million bucks, the right exterior colors can make all the difference in how you feel about your house.
When you are looking a colors for the outside, remember they will look vastly different than when standing at the paint rack. If you drive by Daly's during the nicer months, you will always see us hauling people outside to look at color schemes. This is because color looses a lot of it's intensity outside versus inside and we want to see how the color reads in a more accurate manner.
A good rule of thumb is to push yourself a bit and find a color that is deeper/darker on the chip than you want it to look on the house. Since the color is reflecting off into the sky (as opposed to bouncing off a wall for interior colors, thereby increasing the way the color reads) the color looses a lot of definition.
Also, don't forget the roof!
Have you ever driven around different neighborhoods looking at house colors and realized that in many instances, the roof is sticking out like a sore thumb? It's probably because they forgot to take the roof colors into consideration when creating their color scheme. You don't have to make this same mistake.
If your house is surrounded by vast lawns or dense thickets of trees, then you will be getting a lot of reflected green light thrown onto your house, and this will affect how your colors will read. If you don't like the green effect, choose colors with a warm, reddish/orangy cast. Red and green are opposite each other on the color wheel, and will tend to cancel each other out. This doesn't mean you need to paint everything barn red, but just make the "flavor" of the color warm.
In some instances, you may even need to consider the colors schemes of your neighbors homes. If your houses are close together, they may be reflecting upon you. For instance, can you imagine two sage-green houses next to each other, especially if the greens weren't compatible with each other? It might make you feel more sick than serene.
Colors are all about relationships. If you are looking for a body color and two trim colors, remember that the trim colors will influence how sell the body color will read.
Here's a good example of what I mean: My cute neighbors who live across the street choose a body color they thought was a soft sage green. In reality, they realized it was seriously minty when the paint went up. Ack! The beigy trim color they had planned to use with the soft green was going to make the green look sickly (and who wants to spend all this money paying someone to paint the house and then feel heartsick over the colors?). So we rescued the minty green by adding crisp white trim with rich navy accents. The deep navy make the mint green look less intense, and the crisp white gave the whole look a clean cottage feel. Whew. Crisis averted.
They may have avoided some panicky feelings if they had tested their colors out first. I like our new 16 oz samplers, this is enough paint to test the color out on ALL sides of the house. Or I encourage people to use C2's Ultimate Paint Chips. These couldn't be any easier, they are poster-sized chips of real paint. No muss, no fuss. If you are like me, and tend to make colors 25% darker than the chip, or 50% lighter - the Sampler Pots (those 16 oz paint pots) are the next best thing to Fran's Gray Sea Salt Caramels. Any color I want, even custom colors, in a sample pot.
I have had all sorts of chips hanging off the side of my house all winter long, and I think I FINALLY have decided my new color! And it's not one I was even considering before: C2 Paint's "Element" - but at least 25% darker - of course!
Luckily, the trail was not leading from our parking lot!
If you are planning on repainting the exterior this year, you are probably interested in finding the perfect color scheme for your house. Like a good haircut making you feel like a million bucks, the right exterior colors can make all the difference in how you feel about your house.
When you are looking a colors for the outside, remember they will look vastly different than when standing at the paint rack. If you drive by Daly's during the nicer months, you will always see us hauling people outside to look at color schemes. This is because color looses a lot of it's intensity outside versus inside and we want to see how the color reads in a more accurate manner.
A good rule of thumb is to push yourself a bit and find a color that is deeper/darker on the chip than you want it to look on the house. Since the color is reflecting off into the sky (as opposed to bouncing off a wall for interior colors, thereby increasing the way the color reads) the color looses a lot of definition.
Also, don't forget the roof!
Have you ever driven around different neighborhoods looking at house colors and realized that in many instances, the roof is sticking out like a sore thumb? It's probably because they forgot to take the roof colors into consideration when creating their color scheme. You don't have to make this same mistake.
If your house is surrounded by vast lawns or dense thickets of trees, then you will be getting a lot of reflected green light thrown onto your house, and this will affect how your colors will read. If you don't like the green effect, choose colors with a warm, reddish/orangy cast. Red and green are opposite each other on the color wheel, and will tend to cancel each other out. This doesn't mean you need to paint everything barn red, but just make the "flavor" of the color warm.
In some instances, you may even need to consider the colors schemes of your neighbors homes. If your houses are close together, they may be reflecting upon you. For instance, can you imagine two sage-green houses next to each other, especially if the greens weren't compatible with each other? It might make you feel more sick than serene.
Colors are all about relationships. If you are looking for a body color and two trim colors, remember that the trim colors will influence how sell the body color will read.
Here's a good example of what I mean: My cute neighbors who live across the street choose a body color they thought was a soft sage green. In reality, they realized it was seriously minty when the paint went up. Ack! The beigy trim color they had planned to use with the soft green was going to make the green look sickly (and who wants to spend all this money paying someone to paint the house and then feel heartsick over the colors?). So we rescued the minty green by adding crisp white trim with rich navy accents. The deep navy make the mint green look less intense, and the crisp white gave the whole look a clean cottage feel. Whew. Crisis averted.
They may have avoided some panicky feelings if they had tested their colors out first. I like our new 16 oz samplers, this is enough paint to test the color out on ALL sides of the house. Or I encourage people to use C2's Ultimate Paint Chips. These couldn't be any easier, they are poster-sized chips of real paint. No muss, no fuss. If you are like me, and tend to make colors 25% darker than the chip, or 50% lighter - the Sampler Pots (those 16 oz paint pots) are the next best thing to Fran's Gray Sea Salt Caramels. Any color I want, even custom colors, in a sample pot.
I have had all sorts of chips hanging off the side of my house all winter long, and I think I FINALLY have decided my new color! And it's not one I was even considering before: C2 Paint's "Element" - but at least 25% darker - of course!
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Philip's New Website is LIVE!!!
Check out my friend's new website, Philip's Perfect Colors. Now, it's not often that you will meet someone who can lay claim to creating perfect colors, but Philip has really done a bang-up job creating a palette that truly works!
One of my favorite features to Philip's site are his personalized stories on how each color was created. It really gives you a sense of Philip's thoroughness, and you can see how much thought goes into crafting a color.
He employs the full-spectrum philosophy when creating his colors. This means that the full range of color pigments are used in making every single paint formulation, giving the colors a rich depth and range. You may remember a post from some months back where I was talking about the "faux-spectrum" color I used on my walls at home... I simply withheld using any black colorant in my formulation. Looks great, by the way!
Black colorant has a new super-villain name: The Dechromatizer (means, kills color)
A true full-spectrum paint color never employs black to tone down colors. Instead complimentary colors are used. A complimentary color is one that is found on the opposite side of the color wheel. 
Orange is opposite blue, for example. If you mix orange and blue, you get a nice black that actually has a liveliness to it.
Orange is opposite blue, for example. If you mix orange and blue, you get a nice black that actually has a liveliness to it.I am currently taking an oil painting class (never took it during college...), and I don't even have a tube of black in my paintbox.
I will say, however, that I do LOVE a nice black trim on an exterior when used correctly. To me, when you combine black trim with a putty-green body color you have the makings of a perfect (sorry Philip!) Seattle exterior color combination!
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