I wandered into my radio program halfway through a segment this morning, and was so titillated I had to research further. Guess what color the Golden Gate Bridge is?
It’s International Orange, and by another name it looks like the Vermilion I use in watercolors, or warm red*. Bridge architect Irving Morrow was inspired to use this color by the red metal primer used to seal the bridge, and this innovation was considered daring as bridges up until that point were painted grey or silver. The Navy was actually lobbying to paint in black and yellow to enhance visibility from the sea, not that it’s not visible now.
International Orange isn’t available in stores per se, though on gut instinct I went directly to my British Standard deck from Fine Paints of Europe (they, of the undiluted paint colors) and there it was: “Inter Orange” #BS592. It’s not an obnoxious pylon color, but this deep orange with hints rust, red and terra cotta. I’m sure that if I had a bridge I’d paint it exactly the same color.
Possible recommendations: the front door on your brownstone, your portrait gallery, your Pompeian fresco, your little red wagon.
Bridge photos: Wikipedia Commons
*Any color can be warm or cool, either by inherent property or especially by context.
- Mark Chamberlain, interior and decorative painter
Mark Chamberlain Painting
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Honestly the first time I saw it, it thought it WAS primer. It's pretty much the same rusty red.
BM paint color vermillion is very close to the color of the GG Bridge it looks beautiful with almost anything, blues, browns, golds, dark and light woods, modern or traditional.
http://www.benjaminmoore.com:80/bmpsweb/portals/bmps.portal?_nfpb=true&_windowLabel=sidebarportlet_1_2&sidebarportlet_1_2_actionOverride=%2Fbm%2Fcms%2FContentRenderer%2FselectSideBarArticle&sidebarportlet_1_2np=public_site%2Farticles%2Fapplication_article%2Fapp_colorExplorerTool&sidebarportlet_1_2isNonSecure=true&_pageLabel=fh_explorecolor&cd=2002-10&col=CP
Thanks b77, that color is beautiful. I'll be saving that for my kitchen redo coming up!
I heard that same segment and was so intrigued by it! Told my hubby all about it later that night. It is definitely a striking color!
The bridge website gives the formula if you want to mix up some for yourself:
Many people ask how to obtain International Orange Paint. It's easy;
your paint store can mix it with the following information: PMS code
is 173 or the CMYK colors are: C (Cyan): 0%, M (Magenta): 69%, Y
(Yellow): 100%, K (Black): 6%
Is there a reason why no one is crediting NPR for the segment? NPR isn't a four-letter word. Just sayin'.
I also found it was bizarre that NPR wasn't credited, specifically in the body of the piece, by the author. The story is available through a search at npr.org.
"BM paint color vermillion is very close..."
Indeed - That's the color of my kitchen cabinets now...
...IMO, it's the PERFECT shade of Red.
After we left Marin for Denver, I had a photo of the Golden Gate Bride colormatched a painted a wall to remind ourselves ofour travels over the bridge. We still miss it!