Sensational Color for Your Home Training

Kate Walsh (left) and Kiki Titterud (right) Presenting Me With My Color Certification

Paint color is one of the first things that people notice about your home. It sets the stage for all of your decorating and the mood you are trying to create. I remember when I moved to Jacksonville from New Jersey into a brand new home. I thought about what mood I wanted to create. My home would be a warm and inviting place where people would visit and not want to leave. (Sometimes that's bad) I selected my leading patterns for the rooms with that mood in mind making sure that I was creating harmony and balance - that the colors would flow from one room to the next. Needless to say, I created a very colorful home. Some of my neighbors who love color raved about it; others who are a bit more conservative liked the more neutral rooms. That was fine because color is a very personal thing. One day one of the sales ladies from Furniture Mart, a local furniture store, visited my home to get the feel of it before helping me make my furniture selections. She asked if I had made all of the color choices myself. I told her I had and then waited nervously for her response. She looked at me and said, "I am so proud of you. You did a fabulous job!"

A Muted Green Wall Color  Complements the Red Orange Undertones in My Dining Room Table

Maybe that's one of the reasons I decided to become a home stager, interior redesigner, and paint color consultant. My own home served as part of the training for my entry into the field of home decorating. Since those days back in 2006, I have continued to take courses in home staging , furniture and accessory placement, and paint color. Throughout my travels, I noticed that many homeowners really seemed to be anxious about selecting paint colors for their homes. I could see there was a great need for assistance in this area of home decorating. With that in mind, I took a two-day color class with The Decorating and Staging Academy in Tampa, Florida in February of  2010, which helped me to understand color theory, undertones of paint colors, and variables that affect paint color. That training focused mainly upon the Sherwin - Williams Paint Color System and I became certified as a Color With No Regrets Paint Color Consultant. After the training, I also met with the southeastern US territory rep for Sherwin-Williams to further educate myself on their products. I soon started getting calls for paint color consultations. Not only did my paint color knowledge and skills help me in assisting paint color customers, but it also enhanced my home stagings. I now know what colors are best for selling a home - to emotionally connect with buyers. I realize how powerful paint color is in affecting people's emotions and beautifying their homes.

A Colorful Downstairs Bedroom in My Home



Another More Neutral Upstairs Guest Room in My Home

 Using Turquoise and Chocolate Brown in My Master Bathroom

In order to further refine my skills in color selection, I have just completed another two-day training course on paint color with Kate Smith and Kiki Titterud of Sensational Color for Your Home  which was held on  May 13^th and 14^th at the beautiful green-designed JBanks Design Studio in Hilton Head, S.C. Both of these color experts who are members of the International Color Marketing Group have years of experience in color forecasting, color trends in  fashion and home design as well as advertising. 



A Refreshing Combination of Yellow, Gray  and Orange - JBanks Designs

Our training focused on creating  color palettes to change emotions and infuse feeling into a room; identifying  the undertones of color in flooring, textiles, counter tops and cabinetry; and mastering the art of combining colors and creating schemes.  The training was both lecture and hands-on.  We actually used fabrics, flooring and counter top materials to create beautiful color palettes. As a result of this course, I am now also a certified Color for Your Home Consultant. 

A Leaning Tower of Pisa Draws Our Eyes Upwards - JBanks Designs

The Sensational Color for Your Home training is the only color certification program accredited by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), National Kitchen and Bath Association, (NKBA), and the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) among others.  Our class was comprised of interior designers who were acquiring training credits to maintain their design credentials as well as some decorators and home stagers who wanted to add color to their business services.

What mood are you trying to create in your home?  Contact me to find the perfect hues for you!

Kiki Titterud, Allied ASID, CMG, CFYH, Displays A Board With Several Color Palettes 

Kate Smith, Allied ASID, CMG, CfYH Discusses Color Psycology

Carol Schulenburg, ASP ,IAHSP, Owner of Ballantyne Home Staging of Charlotte, NC, Creates an Engaging Evocative Color Palette

An Upscale Seaside-Themed Seating Area - JBanks Designs



An Orange/Blue Color Scheme in this JBanks Design Studio Conference Room

What A Paint Strip Can Tell You

Sherwin-Williams' Paint Color Strips - Apartment Therapy.com

How many of you walk into a paint store and pick a color because it appeals to you visually? Do you ever look at the information on the paint strip?


Let’s look at Sherwin-Williams paint strip #53. All of the colors on this strip are related.




Sherwin -Williams' Paint Strip #53



They have different amounts of white and color in them causing their values to be different. Value refers to the brightness of a color as compared to white; it’s how bright or dark the color is. Each paint color on the strip is separated by a strip of white which is Sherwin-Williams’ Extra White, SW 7006, a popular color for trim. By arranging the paint colors on the strip separated by the Extra White, you can see what that trim color would look like next to the wall color. The paint colors on the strip are shown in a satin/eggshell finish. Finishes reflect light in different ways which can affect how the color looks in the room. That’s why it’s important to try the paint sample in the finish you are planning to use.  These colors look better in person; my camera did not capture the colors correctly, either. 



Information on Sherwin -Williams' Paint Strip #53



When selecting your paint color, you need to consider the texture of the wall, the existing color of the wall, the size of the room, and the lighting the room receives as well as whether you are using the paint for an interior or exterior application. You can find how much light a paint color reflects back into a room by the Light Reflective Value (LRV) indicated on the back of the paint strip. The higher the number, the more light is reflected back into the room. Looking at Sherwin-Williams' paint strip #53, Eggshell, SW 6363, has an LRV of 81; Saucy Gold, SW 6370, has a LRV of 23. Eggshell will reflect a lot more light back into the room than will Saucy Gold. This can be important if you are trying to make the room look larger. One of the ways this can be done is by selecting a paint color with a higher LRV.

Cachet Cream SW 6365 - LRV = 72

If a paint color has an “I” inside a diamond on the color chip, that paint color should only be used for inside the home. The composition of it will not survive the outside elements as far as fading is concerned.

Some paint colors require primers for adequate coverage. The darker colors on the strip have less or no white in their bases. The white actually helps the color cover the wall. You can see what base is used for both exterior and interior applications for each color on the back of the strip. Those colors having a deep base have less white than those having an extra white base. Those colors having an ultradeep base have no white in them; hence some of them need a primer. You will also see certain special products contained in the bases such as Color Accents and Exterior Accents which also help in creating the color. I’ve been told by a local Sherwin-Williams' Paint Store that bright or deep reds and yellows are the most difficult to deliver complete coverage so primers are usually required.

Bakelite Gold - SW 6368 - LRV = 38  - Primer Needed

You can see how complex color can be. I’m sure all of you can relate to a time when what you thought was a beautiful color was horrible on your wall! What a nightmare!

Saucy Gold - SW 6370 - LRV = 23 - Primer Needed

As I pointed out earlier, there is so much to be aware of when selecting paint colors. For interiors, you also need to consider your existing fabrics, furniture, cabinetry, flooring, and countertops. How much light are they absorbing?  What undertones do they have?  How high are your ceilings; how open is your floor plan? For exteriors, the colors of your home should complement the roof and natural surroundings as well as blend in with the other homes in the neighborhood. As a certified paint color consultant, I am trained in considering all of these factors and more when selecting colors for a home. If you are contemplating painting the interior or exterior of your home and need assistance, please contact me. You want to insure you’ve chosen the right colors the first time to create balance and harmony in your surroundings. Remember paint color is the first thing people notice when they see your home.

Would anyone like to share a paint color learning experience with us? I'm sure we'd all love to know about it.  Tell your story by leaving a comment on my blog.

An Idea  for You...

Coffee Can Lid as Paint Splatter Shield - RealSimple.com

To make a splatter shield when painting a high surface, cut a slit in the center of a plastic coffee can lid and pull the paint brush through.