Have you ever spotted a paint color you love online and tried it in person and it doesn’t look the same? There are so many reasons this could happen. We get asked several hundred times a day “What paint color is that?!,” so we thought it would be fun to do a complete post with all the paint colors & sheens in our entire house listed on the photos to serve as a pinnable reference point.
We try really hard to make our photos as true to life as possible, but here are a few reasons why the color may vary in your house.
1. Lighting. Natural light (The direction the room faces) or light bulb color.
2. If the photographer used any sort of filter.
3. The color of the other things in the space. Carpet/flooring is a big one. Accents like hardware can also affect cabinet paint color.
4. Your phone/monitor calibration/white balance while looking at a color online.
5. Percentages of paint color. Sometimes you love the tone of a paint color, but you want it a little lighter. You can ask the paint counter to mix it at XX%. We (and most people who share their paint colors) always tell you if we don’t go full strength with a paint color, but it’s definitely a factor.
6. Time of day the photo was taken.
7. Using a different sheen.
8. Wall texture or surface paint is used on.
NOW ONTO THE PAINT COLORS!! You can pin these or reference this article in the future. As a note:
SW= Sherwin Williams BM= Benjamim Moore F&B=Farrow & Ball
Love everything you do! Question about the bolder colors: would you have chosen the bolder paint colors in the exposed main level rooms (for example the piano room) of the room had been much larger? We are getting ready to move into a home with two huge long and narrow living room and dining room and cannot decide whether to be neutral or bold. Planning to use loloi rugs either way!
I would say Faye’s room is much larger and we did a bold color in there. I just really like to keep it to a pocket of room, but yes!
Handy to have them all in one place, such gorgeous colours!!
Question about the dark rooms… Do you paint 2 coats or is one enough? You’ve inspired me to use dark colors! Will the second coat make the paint look darker?
Paint colors don’t get darker with more coats you add. They only get more solid. We generally do 2
Thank you for the reply! This was such a great post.
Is the front door of your house also Graphite Matte BM?
no, it’s wood
Your home is an inspiration!
I am following along for a really long time all the way from Zurich, Switzerland.
We live in a 2-bedroom apartment with 5 kids and we don’t (feel to) lack any space.
Sometimes I wonder if family life is very different when you live in such a huge home. (Besides of having to clean way more.. ;))
One kid is in the office, the other in the playroom, one parent in the kitchen etc. Upstairs – downstairs… :)
Would have to try this out one day :)
All the best.