Color Conversations with Cristina

Color does more than convey a mood or set off a room. Color is a language that continually evolves with the cultures that contribute the shades and tones of meaning each of us sees. Artist and Color Consultant, Cristina Acosta, shares her insights and expertise about the colors in your life – your home – your business.

Beware of Matchy Matchy

Posted on | July 22, 2009 | No Comments


Have you seen the TV ads of homeowners bringing their lamps and teddy bears (or whatever) to the paint counter of a big box retailer? They look so relieved when the friendly paint store employee informs them that, “Yes, we can match this color!”

They may be relieved at the paint counter, but that doesn’t always mean they’re going to love the paint color on the walls of their home. Matching paint colors to fabric and favorite object colors isn’t a fail-safe way to choose colors. Though looking for paint colors that exactly match a favorite object may seem like the best solution to finding the proper hue, the wall color may not look as good as you imagined when the paint is on the walls in the three dimensional space of your home.


This is because how your eye perceives a paint color depends upon the amount of color (how big the wall or room is), the light conditions and the paint tints and base mixed to achieve that particular wall paint color.

Here are a couple color choosing tips to guide you when you’re looking to experience a favorite color on your walls:

  • Take your favorite object to the store, but don’t exactly match the color. Choose a color that is either one to three shades lighter or darker. Now the color of the object and wall will relate, but not try to replicate each other (much easier than the near-miss of trying for a color match). The colors of each will be enhanced.
  • Sample two to three versions of the same color. If you want a purple bedroom, sample a dark, dusky eggplant purple, a deep reddish purple and a lighter blue gray purple house paint. Testing limited variations of the same color will educate you on which direction to go with a color you love.

See examples of my color consulting portfolio and articles on my website.
www.CristinaAcosta.com Call me to schedule a color consulting appointment in Bend, Oregon or a phone appointment if you don’t live in Oregon.

Photos: For this remodel, the refrigerator and kitchen counter were recovered in a purple Formica laminate that refers to (but does NOT match) the purple of the living room fireplace tile that is twelve feet away.

Category: Choosing Colors, Color and Interior Design, Color Knowledge, House Painting Tips
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