Decor

The 411 on Full Spectrum Paint

September 12, 2012

I left San Francisco armed with my marching orders -pick paint colors.  Thankfully I know my aunt’s color pallet well.  It’s true what they say about people’s homes being decorated in the same colors they tend to wear.

She posed an interesting question and asked me about full spectrum paint, of which, I’ll admit, is a new concept to me.  So being the ever curious learner I sought out the 411 on it.

Full spectrum paint is formulated with the 7 pigments of the natural light spectrum and doesn’t use black or gray tints. It gives the paint a more vibrant feel, doesn’t look muddy after it dries and blends well with other colors.  It doesn’t change it’s appearance in low light situations either.  It will pick up colors that surround it and will blend in and not clash like regular formulated paint might.  Unfortunately for us designers, it makes it much easier for the novice to pick out a paint color with little input from an expert and still get it right.

Donald Kaufman was the first to develop the concept of full spectrum color.  Then along came Ellen Kennon created a line of similarly formulated full spectrum paint.  For awhile it seemed out of reach for the average home owner, well, Benjamin Moore has their own line, Color Stories. It’s 240 colors broken down by volumes giving designers and homeowners an awful lot to pick from.

Note how the walls just pop against the white and blend with the rest of the room, that is the biggest advantage to full spectrum paint.

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