Walk into any paint store, and you’ll find thousands of color chips neatly displayed on the wall; for many people, it’s overwhelming! It’s tempting to think choosing the perfect paint color is simply a matter of finding one that catches your eye. The vendors do a lovely job of making all the colors so alluring with big/fancy displays in those home improvement stores! Some homeowners hold a few samples against one another, settle on a favorite, and head home feeling confident in their decision.
As a color consultant, I do NOT work that way! In fact, I can’t remember ever making a final paint recommendation while standing in a paint store because I know something every experienced color professional eventually learns: the paint chip isn’t the whole story!
Let me introduce you to a helpful concept in color science/philosophy: metamerism.
It’s a scientific term that describes how the same paint color can appear completely different depending on the light surrounding it. A warm gray that looks perfect under the bright lighting of your favorite paint store may suddenly appear bluish in your living room or even slightly lavender in your bedroom. Know this: the paint hasn’t changed, but your environment has.
That’s why I often tell clients that your home finishes the color, and any impressions you get beforehand really are not what you’ll be living with. It’s as if the room itself becomes part of the palette. The variables of your home space- lighting, surrounding finishes, flooring, furnishings, and even the view outside your windows all influence how that paint is ultimately presented.
No two rooms experience color in the same way. A north-facing room naturally produces cooler/softer light, while a south-facing room often feels warmer throughout much of the day. East-facing spaces welcome the morning sun, and west-facing rooms come alive in the afternoon and evening. Color will not only look different once it’s on your walls, but it will also change as the day goes on!
Here’s my point: metamerism isn’t a problem homeowners create; it’s something every home naturally experiences and must work with, not against.
When I visit a home, I spend far more time studying the room than I do studying paint samples. Here’s a brief/truncated version of my initial checklist upon entering a space:
As a paint color consultant, my job isn’t simply to recommend a beautiful color. It’s to recommend one that will continue looking beautiful once it’s living inside your home.
Now, understanding metamerism doesn’t mean paint samples aren’t important; quite the opposite! I encourage my clients to test colors on large sample boards and move them throughout the room over several days. Look at them on sunny mornings, cloudy afternoons, and quiet evenings. Watch how they respond to changing light, because you’ll often discover that one color quietly outperforms the others.
This is how my clients can work with metamerism rather than seeing it as a frustrating obstacle; One of the joys of paint is that it isn’t static. A thoughtfully selected color evolves throughout the day, creating a room that feels alive rather than flat.
Today’s technology can generate beautiful digital palettes in seconds. Paint companies offer visualization tools, and artificial intelligence can suggest colors based on a photograph. They’re all wonderful places to begin. But none of them can truly understand how your home will influence that color once it’s painted on the wall. I receive calls every single day from homeowners who confess, “It looked great on my computer,” but you have to let that go and look at the colors with your own eyes and see how they look and feel in your own home!
That’s where expertise and experience still matter. A color specialist, like myself, doesn’t simply see the paint. We see the home’s architecture, natural light, furnishings, and dozens of other variables that only a live person can see and appreciate.
As a color expert, I know that the best decisions for my clients’ spaces (interior and exterior) come from understanding a room’s personality and intention before selecting paint.
Take each color selection seriously, as each one will shape the design and feel of your home! Metamerism is how each color can change from the store to your room, but remember there are so many more factors involved with choosing the perfect colors for your home!
To better understand how color behaves in your home, you may also enjoy:
