apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Wow -- so, so pretty...

I just painted one of my walls a deep red (with mere Benjamin Moore) and I like it very much, but this makes me want to take down my pictures, move the furniture, and start over. Really a remarkably beautiful hue.

Fine Paints of Europe sells dozens of colors in sample pots, which are certainly large enough to make sure you've got the right color. Janovic carries them.

I hope that this turns more people on to full spectrum paints!!!!

Are you going to be trying out any more colours? DKC 17 is the best red I have ever come across, in case you are looking...

Any other brands of full-spectrum paints besides Fine Paints of Europe?

damn! it looks delicious, like you could give it a lick and it would taste like watermelon.

out of my budget's wildest fantasies, but tasty looking.

My friend Gary Hutton gave me a great, cheap way to get a lot of the bang of full-spectrum colors: Add a drop of deep, prussian blue to any color you specify. Doesn't have to be very much.

That way, you get most of the other colors in the spectrum into flatter colors to make almost any color more dynamic.

DK paints are worth-it...but this is an idea for the rest of us.

S

Mark, I was wondering how you liked working with Fine Paints of Europe? One painter told me he thought it was somewhat difficult to work with.

there's also ellen kennon, citron, devine, and C2, i believe some of these are more like $35-$45 a gallon. also, farrow and ball which is $75 i think.

i think if i ever painted again, i would use donald kauffman. i thought i shouldn't use such expensive paint for a rental, but my place is so small it wouldn't have been that much and i spent more than that trying to get the color right, anyway.

these companies have a more limited palette, so i think it'd be easier to find a color you'd be happy with, especially if it fluctuates with the light, it won't look too artificially harsh.

donald kaufman paint is amazing! check out his web site! i just painted my living room with his paint and i love it!!

Anyone know who/where sells DK or FPOE in Canada (Montreal specifically)?
I've never heard of "full spectrum paint" ? what is it exactly?

Zed -

I am in Canada. Neither Donald Kaufman nor fine Paints of Europe are sold here, but that doesn't stop you from ordering them as I do. I had Fine Paints of Europe mix up the Donald Kaufman colours for me (he specifies their paint for the clients with the budget; his own colours use a base of either Benjamin Moore or Pratt & Lambert, I forget which). Fine Paints of Europe is headquartered in Vermont (Elliot is their colour guru), and so it is a nice weekend jaunt to pick up your order (have it prepared ahead of time), or you can have it mailed.

In answer to your question, full spectrum paint contains many pigments of colour -- from 8-16 -- whereas regular paint usually contains only 3-4 pigments. This allows for greater depth and complexity of colour, and the resulting product changes colour in different lighting conditions. I find that our white DK walls glow for example. You should google all the paints mentioned here -- Donald Kaufman, Citron, Ellen Kenon, Devine, C2, etc. -- and read how they explain it on their sites.

I don't think that Farrow & Ball have full spectrum paint (yes, I use them too) -- they don't advertize it as such in any case. I think their colours tend to use more pigments though -- maybe in the range of 5 or 6 as opposed to the usual 3.

I'm passionate about color. I go through intense color phases when I can't get enough of whatever hue I'm into at the moment. I like being this way but it makes choosing a wall color very difficult. So far I've kept to blank white walls and used fabrics, rugs, paintings, photographs and objets to satisfy my color lust.

My question: I'm buying an apt in a midcentury white brick building. Should I stick to white walls and use my things to make the place vibrant? Or will plain white walls in featureless rectangular rooms just be too terribly sterile? What to do?

p.s. I've been in a red, pink and brown phase for a few years now. I feel a leafy green phase coming on.

Here are links to order sample pots of some of these full-spectrum paints. I had just done some research on them.

Fine Paints of Europe
http://www.finepaintsofeurope.com/sample_pot_free.aspx
Farrow & Ball
http://www.farrow-ball.com/categorylist.aspx?cid=S&language=en-GB
Citron
http://www.citronpaint.com/gotpaint.html
Ellen Kennon
http://www.ellenkennon.com/ordersamples.htm
Cox Paints
http://www.coxpaint.com/New_products.html
California Paints https://ssl.perfora.net/s125034448.oneandoneshop.com/sess/utn;jsessionid=1544a82cf995dfd/shopdata/index.shopscript

And don't forget to use Colorcharts.org. (click my name) They publish the formulations of most of these brands. You can have SOME of these colors mixed up in a cheaper paint.

Jones, you should definitely satisfy your color cravings. There isn't much that is more satisfying than bathing in a sea that is the color of your choice. It would be a fun project to get into, wouldn't you agree? For my bedroom I've used two different colors in the pale leafy green family. Everytime I'm in the room, I feel like I am either on an island, so relaxed. I live in a rental and the color given to me was an ivory/beige that must be heaven to some, but is just too plain for me. Growing up with wood paneling has severely damaged my nerves for anything neutral. I am willing to repaint all my walls back to that color if I can just live here for a few years in the colors that I like.

I have intense color cravings, it has been 5 months since I've moved into my new apartment and have yet to find the right turquoise of my dreams. The color I want is on the box of my new generation ipod mini blue. I've looked at Behr, Glidden, and Benajamin Moore and have yet to find the right match. A salesperson at the Janovich near me claimed his co-worker would be able to match it for me by just eyeing at it. I am very hesitant to let him try since I'd have to pay for it in gallons. What if it turns out completely wrong.

As of now, I am settling for a more intense blue that reminds me of the blues of Morocco. Has anybody had experience with Banjamin Moore's color, Rocky Mountain Sky? I don't think they have that in a sample pot. Another problem I have is I don't get a lot of light in this apartment so I don't know how an intense blue might look. The deeper French blues that Mark chose to showcase in Part one of that series are a bit too mature for my taste. I need something brighter and more kicky or psychadelic like electric blues. I am willing to try the more expensive brands mentioned here if I can get the color effects I'm looking for. Any suggestions?

You can get a beautiful effect by mixing some glaze in to Benjamin Moore paints. I painted my living room with a mix of about 1/3 glaze to 2/3 eggshell and the results change wonderfully as the light changes. Perhaps not as intense as what we're discussing here, but much cheaper!

Emily, I have a question: can you please tell me exactly what glaze product you mixed into your regular Benjamin Moore paint? Brand? Name? Thanks.

What about mixing a bit of Farrow & Ball paint in with a benjamin moore style paint? Since there are less pigments would it still have the same effect that Mark suggested? I ideally want a sort of grey/blue anyway, would the prussian blue effect the colour of the paint very much?

The Fine Paint of Europe are exquisite. What many people don't know is that Martha Stewart's paint colors are available through Fine Paints of Europe as well as through her Martha Everyday line at K-Mart, which I believe is a Sherwin-Williams product. She really has a very well put together and coordinated line, but there is no comparison of the quality. Her colors are available in the sample pots as well.

Jones -- Paint the walls when the next color craving hits (that is, for the leaf green, not the current phase). When that one wears off, either you'll be eager to paint again in oh, say, primrose yellow... or you'll be dreading pulling out the paint cans. If dread is what you feel, go back to white at that point (or white with one accent wall) and stick with color in easy-to-change accessories.

Kristen,

What greens did you use in your bedroom? Are they really leafy and not apple-green?

And have you looked at the Island Brights colors from ralph lauren? maybe check out mirror baltic blur or bali turquoise

oh, that's mirror baltic blue

PLEASE, PLEASE, would you recommend beigy or similar colors that hide the NYC dirt and are light?

Even with non-full spectrum paints, some are composed of more pigments than others. So next time you are waffling among a few similar colors, ask to see the formula for each at the paint store (sometimes they can provide it). The more individual pigments, the more complex, richer and light-responsive the paint will be.

Grnated, though, a red that turns toward purple in the morning and toward orange at sunset may not suit you... the downside to light-responsive paints, imho.

Phyllis -- I'm not at home and can't take a look, but it's pretty much the equivalent of Benjamin Moore Studio Finishes Latex Glaze. It's whatever was stocked in the paint store when I bought the paint.

I was initially inspired by the examples in Paint Magic (an older edition than the current one) by Jocasta Innes.

There is just so much glaze you can add to mixed paint before it dilutes the pigment too much. Once I feel comfortable with the materials, I get a little more slapdash with quantities. But it's good to keep track of the glaze to paint ratio per room, so you don't end up with walls that are just mismatched enough in their response to light to be irksome instead of enjoyable.

Mixing Farrow & Ball with Banjamin Moore will not give you the effect of full spectrum paint, nor will glazing. I've done a lot of glazing in my time -- check out Olga's apartment as posted today to see what glazing looks like -- it is beautiful, but a VERY different effect than you get with full spectrum paints.

Furthermore, Farrow&Ball, although they are pigment-heavy, are NOT full spectrum paints (I even called our local F&B store today to ask). I have used some of their paints at home too (yes, I am paint-obsessed), but although they use a lot of pigment (they are pigment-heavy), they do not seem to use as broad a range of pigments as do true full-spectrum paints. The F&B effect is rich, and somewhat "chalky" in the English style. Very different from Donald Kaufman et al.

As for Martha Stewart paints -- she did 3 separate lines, each with different colours:
- A Martha Stewart Everday line for KMart (colours like drabware, clay -- a great greenish-grey I have in my house - and siamese eyes);
-A high-end line for Fine Paints of Europe, with 3 different paint palettes -- first, Aracuana colours (I've used some of those in before too) with lovely blues, greens and browns; then something from her Hamptons Place (bright, flowery colours) and finally, colours from her Skylands House. Fine Paints of Europe can still mix them up, but I note that they no longer offer the paint chips for sale on their website;
-And finally, Martha did a line for Sherwin Williams last year.

Many thanks fellow color junkies. I'm just going to do what I feel like doing once I move in. That is, I'll let my color craving guide me. When I read the phrase "primose yellow," I got all tingly.
What a nut.

Please never let the ColorTherapy column ever go away.

Thanks for the tips monika. F&B paint seems to be the only pigment heavy stuff around here. No idea why the full spectrum paints don't seem to be on offer.

Hi Scott--re your tip about adding prussian blue to the mixture, how much is a 'drop'? And one 'drop' is for a gallon?

TERRY: HOW CAN I WRITE A COLOR COLUMN ABOUT BEIGE?? AS SUCH, I THINK YOU NEED SOMETHING VERY SPECIFIC. LOOK SOON FOR A PUTTY COLOR, WHICH WILL BE CALLED "RIVIERA BAROQUE."

Jones, don't know if you will see this now or not, but I just had a thought about this. Why not paint the room a really rich neutral color (like a grey or something unless you feel it's too gloomy. maybe some neutral shade of brown. something warmer than white anyway) and use the rest of the space to reflect your love of colour. I know this is sort of what you are doing already but I think you could still paint the walls something that will really bring out those colours more than white will

Hi Jules, I thought about your question for a while before I could answer. The two colors that I used in my bedroom were Peridot and Spirit Whisper. Both by Behr. I had to think about this long and hard, but I would have to say Peridot is the more leafy of the two.

Marvelous Mark! I am said friend and client and I am sitting in my beautiful coral room. I love it more each day and can not seem to pick out a rug because the walls are so beautiful that nothing seems worthy.

And, Mark is a genius. And nice. And the neatest painter ever.

!

Neither C-2 or Fine Paints of Europe are full spectrum. Although they each have more pigments to work with, their colors only contain 2-4 pigments. I have used Ellen Kennon Full Spectrum Paints in my entire house and LOVE them! The colors are incredibly rich and change constantly with the light.

>> it has been 5 months since I've moved into my new apartment and have yet to find the right turquoise of my dreams. The color I want is on the box of my new generation ipod mini blue. I've looked at Behr, Glidden, and Benajamin Moore and have yet to find the right match. A salesperson at the Janovich near me claimed his co-worker would be able to match it for me by just eyeing at it. I am very hesitant to let him try since I'd have to pay for it in gallons. What if it turns out completely wrong. <<

Kristen, take the Ipod in to the store and have them match the color in the highest quality paint you can afford. Of the three you mentioned, Benjamin Moore is definitely the best. You ought to be able to get a quart, not a gallon. Take it home and try it out, and only *then* buy enough to paint the space with, once you're satisfied with the color. Donate any leftovers that you can't use to your local Habitat for Humanity or some such.

If the color you end up with is off, try to identify what it needs to get to the color in that particular space, and get another small amount mixed. If you are really struggling, get the store's color consultant to come out to the house and mix it onsite - or try another store. Not all of them are as good at color matching as others.

Even the most expensive paints are really relatively cheap. Paint is certainly *the* cheapest way to change a room. Don't "settle" for a color that's less than you really want. Custom blending is really the way to go when you are after a particular look, if you can't find it readily in someone's paint deck. It's done all the time.

Wendy

I can't believe that I found this site and see that there are other color/paint obsessed people! It is so comforting... ;-)

I have used Fine Paints of Europe. When applied properly their paint is gorgeous. They are very nice people to work with and encourage calling them to answer all questions so that, in fact, the paint can be applied properly. Unfortunately, therein lies the problem. While the colors are rich, the application is difficult. I was feeling energetic and tried to do it myself...something I have done with ease using other paints. The result was dreadful! I had them come to my apartment to see what had occured. Their suggestion was to hire a very fine housepainter with experience using their paints. As that was not an option, the rep wrote down exactly what I needed to do the job "properly". They do admit that working with their paint requires more attention and is not simply a matter of just opening the can and using a roller! There are very specific prep steps that must be followed. You can't skip any and expect that the paint will work its magic.

This time round, however, I will look up the other custom blends that are mentioned here and see if there is something a little more cost effective and yet, will yield the same results producing the rich color that changes with the light.

I adore the coral in the picture, above, and am tempted to do that. I have been leaning towards a pale grey (so NYC), but I might have to purchase a small amount of each color to see what looks the best in this apartment which does not get a lot of natural light and sunshine (I have to use lights because it is so dark).

Any and all suggestions are welcomed!

Claudia