Six Reasons Why You Need Help Choosing Color

Spring is upon us!  Have you seen all of the vibrant, bold, brilliant colors in the stores and fashion magazines?  House Beautiful recently devoted their entire March issue to the many hues and shades of green and when I popped into one of the design centers recently, I was delighted to see how much color they are currently showing!

Many of us have trouble with color and I confess, I did at times, too, until I earned my certification as a true color expert.   You really have to absorb color and train your eye to see the undertones that are present in all colors, particularly when they are adjacent to one another.  I believe that people view color analytically when it is much more of a visceral experience and using colors that don’t ‘go together’ is a common mistake when it really is a matter of undertones. A color’s unique qualities are usually hidden until you take a closer look.  What you see at first glance is the color’s mass tone, but what is less obvious is the color’s undertone.

Does your eye pick up the pinky beige undertones here? (kelowanahomes.com)

Here are a few fun facts about these 6 odd names for beautiful colors we use and see every day. If you aren’t able to see the undertones and would like help using some of these or any other color in your own home, our virtual or in-home color consultation may be helpful.

I think many people have heard of vermilion, particularly in the art world.  Vermilion is a very strong red, with blue undertones, leaning toward orange and is hands-down my favorite color, even though it was originally produced from the bodies of insects!  It is very close to the Pantone Color of the Year for 2012, Tangerine Tango.

Verdigris Green is currently making an appearance all over interior fashion, from pillows to paint to accessories and even recently at the Laguna Design Center in a pair of leather chairs.  The Greeks produced this color with yellow undertones by hanging copper in an enclosed environment with hot vinegar and when copper oxidizes naturally, this patina appears on the surface, as with the Statue of Liberty in New York.

I see this color, Titan, frequently used in ancient art and also in house trim from time to time in older period homes.  The name was inspired by the sixteenth-century Italian artist Tiziano Vecellio (Titian) and is really more of a brownish orange.

I almost don’t want to mention this odd name for this next color:  puce.  Puce?  I may have heard it mentioned back when I was in classes for my design degree, however I’m under the impression some of these names are ancient because this is another one that refers to a bug.  Puce translates from French to English as ‘flea’ and the theory is that this color is the color of blood, though it can range from reddish brown to purplish brown.

Cattleya is a gorgeous soft purple named for this particular orchid that was a favorite of William Cattley, a botanist from the 1700’s, who helped the British gain interest for these delicate flowers. At first glance it appears as lavender, however it is actually bluer than lavender.

The name for the last color, Bittersweet, comes from the American Bittersweet plant, with its orange berries. Can you see the reddish undertones? This color actually gained popularity when it was introduced in 1949 in the Crayola box and is said to repel mosquitoes, because they prefer darker colors.

So what do you think? Have you heard of any of these colors and do the undertones make sense?

(images courtesy of m-w.com)