Paint Colors: It’s All About Relationships

When selecting paint colors, it’s helpful to think of them in relation to each other instead of as separate ideas. This is because color shifts depending on what other colors are present. 

Consider this color design by artist Joseph Albers (a color master who revolutionized how we think about color). The two squares are in fact the same color. But they appear different because of their surrounding colors. 

Josef Albers from the book Interaction of Color

We’ve all experienced something along the lines of: “Why does my blue wall look purple?!” To avoid these unwelcome surprises, you need to consider that any new color will act differently in your space than it does online or in the paint store. 

A new paint color is going to respond to the colors that are already present in your home and take on a new, sometimes unexpected, personality. 

The right paint color is not your favorite standalone color. It's the one that will look good with all the other colors in your space.