you discovered why color selection is so time- and space-specific. You'll get the best end result if you prime your whole room grey before looking at color samples (you'll probably need to prime the room, anyway, right ?) That way no other significant color influencers will be present in the room. Light, surrounding colors, bounced colors, all affect the way our eyes/brain perceives color. The science of color is something most people dismiss but it works for��"or against��"you every time. I never select a color based on what I "like" but rather based on what goal I have for the space (high energy, seductive, calming, impressive) lighting, space and the adjacent colors/textures/surfaces. I giggle to myself (and sometimes out loud) when I see people in big box stores holding samples at arms length on a weekend morning to choose a color that will enrobe their room before the sun sets that evening. Then they complain that something was wrong with the color/paint/walls, etc. rather than look at the how and why of color science and their insufficient color selection process.

Has nothing to do with emitting light. Artists and color scientists have narrow, singular areas of expertise when it comes to color. Often they believe because of that limited knowledge and expertise they know and are aware of EVERYTHING there is to know about color. Usually ends up they don't know squat about what happens with and to color from the holistic human experience of architecture and space. Mixing color and applying it to a canvass is random child's play compared to coloring three-dimensional structure. Testing different swatches of color under different colored light bulbs gives us nothing that is useful or meaningful. Remember the more colorants involved mixing the color the MORE metameric it becomes. Few colorants = more constancy. Thats why most commercial paint colors only use 1  4 colorants per color. Also a factor is cost. This is ultimately what regular paint manufacturers do not understand  they canÂt relate to WHY anyone would WANT a non-constant paint color. Why in the world would anyone want a paint color that shifts with the ever-changing natural light source in a room. As an industry, unpredictable and ever-changing paint colors is exactly what theyÂve worked tirelessly to AVOID. And now they are expected to believe that consumers will pay upwards of $50 for a can of paint that shifts and changes with the light. They are confused. Full spectrum is described as luminous because when compared to regular paint colors, it looks and feels like FS reflects more light back into the space. From a micro perspective within the paint color, particles of black colorant will keep most of the light that hits them. "Colored" colorant will absorb some light wavelengths and reflect what it cannot absorb  thatÂs fundamentally what color IS and DOES, right? Why is an apple red? Mixing color without black means odds are most all of the colorants in the color will reflect *some* portion of light back into the room and contribute to the atmosphere and the human visual perception of reflected color. Black doesnÂt do that  it keeps all the light it gets and the visual experience is different because of it. Black colorants contribute nothing back into the atmosphere. Some people say regular paints look dead in comparison to full spectrum. Many people will look at color from that micro perspective only when itÂs convenient or easy to see and understand. Sherwin Williams VinylSafe paint is my favorite example. SW will mix any of their colors that can be mixed in exterior base without black colorant. A big part of why itÂs "vinyl safe" is because there is no black in the VinylSafe formulas. The colors absorb less light or energy. No black in the formula means there is less energy absorption to convert to heat that could melt the vinyl siding. To say that the reflectance abilities of a paint color can be measured and noted as useful for one purpose, i.e. vinyl safe colors, yet at the same time say that it is not detectable from a human visual or significant from a color experience point of view is kind of ridiculous. Manipulating color for reflectance  or luminosity  goals at the micro level either makes a difference or it doesnÂt. CanÂt have it be true and perfectly reasonable on one hand yet not the other. As far as mimicking the healing and therapeutic qualities of natural sunlight, you have to be willing to go down that metaphysical path of beliefs and tenants. Crystals, singing bowls, SADD light treatments, chakras, and on and on. Full spectrum colors reflect at a different rate and at a different quality than regular paint colors  that is simply the fact of how they are constructed. HOW - or if - that translates into a deeply meaningful or not so meaningful physio-psychological experience of color is entirely dependent on the individual. Or Response B: Full spectrum mixed colors "work" the same way regular colors "work". Except the each "work" opposite ends of the color & light relationship or in a single word, metamerism. There are different kinds of metamerism. Regular paint manufacturers - and even one specialty/designer palette, Devine Paint - maximizes control of spectral curves so their colors are not prone to shifting, or in other words so they are less metameric. Metamerism for all intents and purposes is a dirty word in all corners of color world. Most all color professionals across various industry feel there is absolutely no practical use for colors that shift and metamerism is the enemy of mass production. Constancy is what everyone is after. Arguably, the purpose of color science and color labs is to find ways to plot and manage color so it is predictable. Color constancy is the intent with which paint manufacturers create their colors. At the most basic level, constancy is achieved by using the fewest colorants necessary. ThatÂs why black is such a staple in all commercial tints  well, that AND itÂs cheap compared to other colorants. Full spectrum in essence is the opposite. Plus, there is the holistic, New Age spin. The intent here is to mimic natural daylight by including representational amounts of each spectral hue in every can of paint. Applied to walls, full spectrum paint brings the energy of full spectrum, natural daylight and all the healing and nurturing benefits that some people believe are inherent of light. Each room has a quality of light. A unique bundle of wavelengths beaming in, bouncing around off walls and other surfaces. ItÂs all a matter of how you want to deploy color on the walls to interact and respond to that light source. A paint that is highly metameric and shifts and changes, or one that doesnÂt. I do not remember where I got this from. But itÂs a nice explanation of curves and metamerism: 4.6. Metamerism 4.6.1. Two samples can appear to have the same color under one type of illumination but may appear dissimilar under different lighting conditions. This phenomenon is one form of metamerism. A second form of metamerism occurs when two samples appear to be the same color under all lighting conditions, yet their reflectance or transmittance curves are different. Both forms of metamerism are due to differences in pigment compositions. It is important to note that two objects with different reflectance or transmittance curves can have identical colorimetric values (tristimulus values or chromaticity coordinates). Therefore, it is not recommended to use colorimetric values alone for detailed sample comparisons.

Hello everyone. I'm looking for a color consultant to assist me with 1) identifying the "right" colors for my home (meaning the hue, depth, intensity will evoke certain emotions) 2) ensure that they flow from one room to the next and 3) are current. I've worked with a few decorators but have not been satisfied with their knowledge of color. @Barbara Jacobs or @funcolors or @Amy Woolf or any of the pros on this group, might you be able to recommend someone? I'm in the Northern Virginia area. I prefer in-person consultation. Thank you in advance for any guidance you can provide. Best. Maryam

I love Quiet Moments and Beach Glass. Using both in my reno. I also love repeating colors through a home - creates harmony. I have not made final decisions on everything, but my start was my slate entry, which is purple, green and red slate. The green is a gray blue green. The purple is a very dark gray purple. To create harmony I am repeating the blue green and purple grays in some way in each room Guest Bedroom - Quiet Moments - dark purple gray flooring Guest Bath - Beach Glass with Night Train Cabinets dark purple gray flooring. Master Bath Quiet Moments - purple gray towels lighter flooring Master bedroom - purple gray walls lighter flooring Painted the entry lamp in a slightly brighter blue green. Looking for an area carpet for my office that will have the blue greens and purples. Here is a pic of my foyer after painting the light fixture (excuse the dry wall dust coating everything) Not perfectly happy with the bedroom purple yet - have tweeked the taupe to get the right combination of not too gray and not pink. Master bath in progress -