Never Buy a Paint Color Based on its Name!
Have you ever wondered how they pick paint color names? Is it a real job for people? I feel they should have done a Seinfeld episode or SNL should one on picking paint colors based on its name.
So you go to your local paint store to choose paint colors. You’re looking at colors like Cherry Cola, Agreeable Gray, Battleship Gray and think these colors sound interesting. You picture in your mind how these colors might look on your walls at home.
Perhaps you pick some neutrals like Indian White, Moderate White and Shoji White because you’re also looking for a white paint color so you buy some samples and bring them home. BUT SURPRISE!!!!
Indian White, Shoiji White and Moderate White, are NOT white!!! They are beige!! Yes that is so confusing! I know!!! Because ALL. THE. TIME. I’m explaining to clients over and over again that you can’t pick a paint color based on its name.
Why do the Paint Manufactures Have Inaccurate Paint Color Names?
So why do the paint manufactures mislead us with inaccurate paint color names? To sell paint colors of course. They want us to picture an image in our mind with the name of the color. Here’s what I mean….
Behr Battleship Gray
Photo: Behr Battleship Gray via Pinterest
Take Behr’s Battleship Gray as an example. When you hear the term “battleship gray” you of course think of the color of a battleship. GRAY! And by looking at the exterior house color above, it DOES look like the color of a battleship. BUT!!! The color is actually considered a greige. Its not a pure gray but a blend of gray and beige.
What do you think of when you hear the name “blue jeans?”
Left: Benjamin Moore Old Blue Jeans BM 839
Middle: Sherwin Williams Favorite Jeans SW 9147
Right: Sherwin Williams Denim SW6523
All of these colors look like “blue jeans” but they’re all different!
Neutral Paint Color Names are the Trickiest!
In my online paint color consulting business, I OFTEN explain to clients that just because a color is called beige, tan, cream etc. doesn’t mean its actually that color.
Just because a paint color is called white, beige or tan, doesn’t mean that its THAT color!
Here’s what I mean …..
Benjamin Moore Navajo White OC-95 is ….. beige
Sherwin Williams Antique White 6119 …. is a cream with beige undertones.
Benjamin Moore Indian White OC-88 is …. beige
- Shoiji White is …. beige
- Indian White is …. beige
- Timid White is … cream
- Moderate White is …. beige
- Pure White is … not pure. It has a black of drop which gives it a gray undertone.
- Bennington Gray is … tan.
- Canvas Tan is … beige.
- Grant Beige is … tan.
- Agreeable Gray is … greige – a blend of gray & beige.
- Bennington Gray is … beige.
And the list can go on and on. But I’m not writing this blog post to dump on the paint manufacturers. I have alot of respect for them. After all, I make my living recommending paint colors. And I can see that the paint color companies goal is to sell more paint. HOWEVER, my job is to make sure my clients are selecting the correct paint colors for their home, regardless of the paint color name. And if you don’t eat, breathe, and sleep paint colors all day long, lol, it can be challenging to pick the right color, especially if the name is misleading. This is where I come in to help you decipher the world of paint colors!
Read: What does LRV mean in paint colors and why it matters!
Does Picking a Paint Color Overwhelm You?
Perhaps your exterior needs updating, like your front door. Or perhaps you need some help picking out paint colors or you need to “Pick My Brain” on a room that you’re working on. You have some ideas but you’re just not sure which way to go. I can help you with that!
I help busy homeowners, just like you, to style their house to make it a stunning retreat, where they can live and enjoy their home. I help homeowners, make money beyond their wildest expectations from the sale of their house by guiding them when they’re getting their house ready to sell.
Check out my Online Color Consults & Room Makeover Consults here
Hi! I’m Debi Collinson. Designer. Color Consultant & Real Estate Investor.
I conducted my first color consult at the age of 7, for my father for one of his design | build projects. I’m an Interior Designer, a Double-Certified Paint Color Expert, with advanced training in kitchens + bathrooms!
Since 2006, I have helped hundreds of clients, just like you, to style their house to make it a stunning retreat, that is functional for the family AND that they love and enjoy. In 2020, I moved my design business online.
I have successfully flipped 9 houses and just completed a major coffee shop transformation. In my spare time, lol, I’m renovating our forever home … our 1950’s river house.
