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Going Bonkers Over Picking Yellow Paint

QUESTION
We are in the process of remodeling & redecorating the interior of our home.  I am going bonkers over trying to pick out a soft yellow color to put on the walls of our Kitchen, Dining Room, Living Room & Hallway. These rooms have an open floor plan so I feel its best to keep the color the same in these rooms. I want our home to feel warm & friendly and I have always wanted to paint it yellow, but the colors I've sampled all seem to be too bright. My husband insists on Benjamin Moore paint, so if you could suggest a yellow paint to try from BM, that would be perfect. Thank You So Much!

ANSWER
Choosing a perfect yellow is not as easy as you might expect.  Yellow intensifies when painted on walls more so than many other colors.  What looks like a soft hue on the small swatch can appear much brighter when covering the entire room as it seems you have already experienced.

I recommend looking for a very pale gold rather than a yellow.  While yellow invites friendly conversation around the dinner table, I think the soft glow of a golden hue would be a better choice for your living and dining rooms because it has a more sophisticated look.  The soft gold will still be warm and welcoming in you hallways and kitchen.

Without knowing anything about the style of your home, your families personality or the lightening I prefer not to give you a specific color to use but can point you to a few of the Benjamin Moore paint colors that have worked well for me in the past.  From their collection of historic colors #HC-5 'weston flax' is a wonderful light golden yellow, and #HC-6 'windham cream' is a soft yellow that is a tad warmer.  Colors from their standard paint collection you might like are #302 'you are my sunshine' or #309 'ambiance'. 

Since the same color can look completely different depending on the natural and artificial lightening I always recommend sampling the paint and looking at it in your home at different times of the day.  I have put together a special report specifically outlining the steps to take the beautiful color vision in your head and see it on your walls.  Click here to get the special report: 'Sample Your Way to Paint Color Success'

Neighbors Outraged Over Yellow Home

I live in a planned community, and people have recently started painting their houses. I think it's fantastic - instead of 83 houses the same shade of dull off white, there're some darker greens, burnt oranges, lighter and darker blues.  Maybe 5 or 6 of the houses in the neighborhood have been painted different colors.  Recently one home (unfortunately near the entrance to the neighborhood where everyone could see it) was painted yellow.  Outraged residents immediately started posting on our neighborhood website that it was "highlighter yellow", and all our property values would go down.

The only reason it stands out so much is because so many other houses have the nasty beige and off white paint that was applied by the developer en masse 7 years ago.  So my question is, how to deal with these people who feel so emotional about the color of other peoples homes when they feel their investment in their home is threatened by change?

ANSWER
You have already hit upon the primary reason that this color created such a negative reaction in your situation.  It is not simply the color that people are responding to since some studies show that people respond positively to homes painted yellow and that they sell faster on average than any other color but that in this case the yellow home seems out of sync in a neighborhood of beige and white homes.  Many times a color that would be admired in one setting may be unwelcome in another.  If all the homes in your neighborhood were painted in dramatic colors the bright yellow home probably would not have caused a stir.

Since it is currently only one of a very few homes that are different it would stand out regardless of the color however the fact that it is painted a bright color calls even more attention to this fact. It does seem likely that a fair number of others in the community will choose to move away from the current scheme and add color to their homes based on what you are seeing already. As more and more homeowners paint their properties this home will not stand out quite so much.  While the bright yellow may never blend in it will stand out less among homes that are a variety of colors than it currently does among its white and beige counterparts.

I agree that having the homes painted in a variety of colors is much more appealing than the limited palettes most builders use when building home today.  Just about any color can work in any community but what it comes down to is finding a version of the color that blends with the neighborhood or stands out in a subtle, unobtrusive manner.  As the owners of this home are finding out trying to make a bold, personal statement with a color that clashes with the homes around it may not be well received.

With many people voicing their negative opinion of the color choice after the review committee approved it, the homeowners association may react by attempting to restrict colors or limiting choices in the future in some way.  While this may appease those concerned in the short-term it could serve to insure that this house remains out of sync with the neighborhood so any direction set by the homeowners association should by done with the guidance of someone that has knowledge of how to assess and analyze a home and community for the best and overall impact of particular color or color combinations

In the meantime if a homeowner wants to lessen the impact of a particular home in their neighborhood when it comes time to sell then I can suggest a couple of things that they might do.  First inform their real estate agent of their concern and ask that prospective buyers be directed to their home by a route that avoids a direct view of the home to lessen the impact of a strong color.  Since you mention that the home in is near the entrance to your community this might not be possible.

For homeowners bordering the property they could plant a tree or trees with dense foliage to break the visual field up thus reducing the effect of a large area of bright color.  One tree or a small grouping of trees can be enough to give the viewer a different impression of the color.

Another thing to note is that our reaction to color is very personal and occurs both consciously and unconsciously so if someone truly dislikes the color it is unlikely that you will change their mind but know that even when someone strongly dislikes a color that as they view it over time they have less of a negative reaction to it.

It seems that a bit of time and distance are the only suggestions I can offer to you. I wish there was some magic answer I could provide since you care enough about your community to have asked the question but I hope what I have shares can in some way help you in some way maintain harmony among your neighbors.

Leatrice Eiseman featured in Seattle Times

The Seattle Times ran a long piece in the Thursday, September 28, 2006 issue titled "Forecasters on lookout for the next big color" that prominently featured Leatrice Eiseman. 

The article talks about how colors are forecast and includes an audio clip of Lee sharing her thoughts on the Spring 2007 color trends and palette she developed for Pantone.

Read the article in the Seattle Times

Listen to Lee talk about colors for Spring 2007

Listen to Lee's comments on color forecasting

Interview with Leatrice Eiseman

I know that many of my readers are fans of my friend and favorite color guru Leatrice Eiseman so I wanted to point you to an interview in VisualStore that you may have missed.  Not the questions Lee is typically answering.

See the interview

I read that green is associated with love and is an aphrodisiac...

...and I was wondering if women find men that wear green most attractive?

ANSWER
Green is the color of healing, nature, balance and good health and when we associate green with love it is on a global level.  Green speaks to our desire to foster understanding and acceptance between people and to see the potential value and goodness of each person.  Green does not represent love on the level of passion between two people.

Throughout history red has been the color of passion, romance, and sexual energy.  Red lips and blushed cheeks stimulate arousal.  A red dress attracts attention and captures the imagination.  Driving a red sports car is often considered a sex symbol.  Red roses are given as a symbol of love.

Rich and predominately warm hues are best for creating a romantic or sensuous mood.  Think of luxurious reds, purples, golds, or oranges complemented by a touch of blue, green or even black.  Quite often these are the colors used in restaurants that are sought out for romantic, intimate dinners.

If you're wondering what colors to wear to seem most attractive I would suggest wearing any color the makes you look and feel great.  If bright red looks great on you then by all means wear it.  If your best color is blue or green or brown then wear that color.  Whatever color you choose should make you feel absolutely fabulous.  This is sure to boost your confidence in any situation and having confidence in yourself will attract someone far more effectively than wearing any one particular color.

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All of these wonderful heart drawings are from Carolynchip's photos on Flickr

Why is the term "blue blood" used for aristocrats?

The term blue blood came to be associated with the aristrocracy simply because it was not uncommon in earlier times for European nobility  to have skin that appeared to have a blue cast.  The bluish (or sometimes greenish) discoloration of their skin was often caused by a condition known as Argyria.

Argyria it the result of ingested silver particles that are not able to pass through the body being deposited under the skin.  Historically this was caused by particles from silver eating utensils being swallowed along with food or silver being taken for medicinal purposes.  Since aristocrats were the ones who could afford medicine and who enjoyed the daily privilege of eating off of silver plates, dranking from silver vessels and as the saying goes being born with "a silver spoon in their mouth" it was a condition that was more common among the upper class.

During this same period in history having pale skin "untouched by the sun" was a mark of status among the wealthy who did not have to labor outdoors.  Argryia would have certainly been more noticeable among individuals with untanned skin however it is also thought that the term may have come about simply because veins were more noticable among those with pale complexions even if they weren't plagued by this condition.

Argryia is not often seen today however it did become newsworthy in 2002 when Stan Jones of Montana ran for the U.S. Senate.  Mr. Jones who out of fears that the Y2K bug would render the world helpless and without antibiotics begin a heavy regiment of colloidal silver which permanently turned his skin blue.

I am trying to verify a story that a friend of mine told me after returning from a recent trip to the Caribbean...

...A local tour-guide told him that the reason why homes in Curacao were painted in pastel colours is because in the 1700s a Dutch governor suffered from migraine head-aches which he believed were triggered by the reflection from the stark white buildings. He ordered that all buildings be painted in muted, pastel shades to help prevent his migraines.  Have you ever heard of this legend?

ANSWER:
What your friend shared is an often-told legend from Curacao.  It is believed that their early 19th century Governor-General Albert Kikkert suffered from migraine headaches, which he thought were caused by the bright sun reflecting off the white-painted buildings in the Dutch Caribbean's capital city of Willemstad.

While it is unlikely that this was the source of the problem bright or glaring lights can often be extremely irritating to someone with a migraine headache thus the Governor-General issued a decree in the early 1800's that the citizens of Willemstad paint their structures any color but white.  The result are the wonderfully brilliant pastel colors of the historic buildings. 

Curaçao, the largest island in the Netherlands Antilles has buildings dating as far back as the 1600s still stand today.  Since it is located outside of the region affected by hurricane belts hundreds of historic buildings have been preserved and over 750 pastel-colored building have been restored to date.

In 1997 The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), an organization that seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity recognized Willemstad as a World Heritage city.

Lower right photo from Doctors Shopper website

Upper left photo from www.curacao-tourism.com

What color should I paint my office if I want it to be warm and friendly?

ANSWER:
Choosing the right colors in your office is important because when you feel at ease in your working environment you will perform better.

Pronounced or strong colors are not generally used in areas where people have to concentrate, such as offices or classroom for example. This does not mean that these areas have to be boring since colors that are a bit more subtle can still have an enormous impact.

By using the descriptors "warm and friendly" it sounds like you would like to create a comfortable and welcoming environment not only for yourself but also for your clients or visitors.  In that case natural colors including sage green, soft yellow, light gold, coffee latte, or coral are all good choices. Steer away from colors that are too dull or cool such as gray, ice blue, etc unless you have lots of wood and other natural elements that will keep the office from feeling cold and too impersonal.

Below are some specific colors suggestions if you want to see samples of the types of hues that I recommend however you can find similar colors from whichever paint company you chose to use.

• Benjamin Moore Scenic Drive 697 a natural soft green;
• Benjamin Moore Roxbury Carmel HC-42 is as delicious as it sounds;
• Benjamin Moore Concord Ivory HC-12 a straw gold that I find cheerful yet more sophistocated than a sunny yellow;
• Benjamin Moore Southern Charm 1173 is a warm fleshtone neutral;
• Benjamin Moore Dearborn Tan 1153 is a tan with reddish undertones.

Why are all of the houses in Bermuda painted pastel colors?

ANSWER:
I visited Bermuda and was also curious about the colors used on the building on the island so I hopped on my rented moped and headed to a local paint manufacturer, Bermuda Paint to ask them about the history of the colors and how the colors are changing today.

Buildings in Bermuda characterised by white slate roofs, stepped chimneys and pastel-washed walls are instantly recognisable.  Bermuda’s distinctive color palette began in the 17th century when the early settlers were challenged with  building shelters from unfamiliar materials for a climate that was quite different from that of their homelands. 

The original simple, practical structures were constructed of indigenous materials including Bermuda Cedar, stone, lime and palmetto. Lime was mixed with water to make whitewash which was often tinted with color before being applied to the exterior of buildings.

From the nice folks at Bermuda Paint I learned that traditionally people chose to cover their homes in the colors of flowers.  The most popular traditional colors are hues of yellows, pinks, coral, peach, and greens. Blue and other non-traditional colors were not used as an exterior paint color until more recently. 

Bermuda's government does not dictate the colors and the color palette has changed as vibrant paints have replaced the more subtle tones of the traditional lime wash.  A homeowner can paint their home any color they choose and some people have chosen to use non-traditional hues but most of the buildings in Bermuda are still adored with the colors of flowers.