True, but most of those shows feature exceptional professional painters. There’s a lot you can do as a project manager of commercial or residential properties to educate your customers about why they should hire a professional painter to apply color to their walls.

In their haste to get the painting done, your customer is likely to overlook some very basic things that need to be considered before the color of paint is even selected. “Customers typically don’t think about how a room or an office space will be used. The function of a space, whether for entertaining guests or holding a meeting, can be enhanced by the right color,” says Guy Gagnon of Gagnon Painting and Decorating.

Gagnon has 30 years of experience painting for commercial and residential builders, including new construction, renovations, and redevelopment projects. It’s also important to consider the style of furnishings that will fill the room and the type of lighting in the space. “Both natural and artificial lighting influence how a color appears on a wall and how it reflects, or is absorbed, by the objects in that room, including mirrors and other decor, flooring and furnishings.”

With consumer interest in, and government incentives for, green home and work spaces, there also will be environmental concerns. They include temperature and occurrence of mold or mildew that homeowners do not know how to address in preparing walls and selecting the right quality of paints.

Paint Color Card, Wall Sample or Computer-generated Image

Every paint store supplies some version of a sample: Your customers will be familiar with the 3x5 color card or 8x8 card. They might want you to acquire a sample size can of paint to apply color to a section of wall space. Or, thanks to technology, they’ll show you a computer-generated replica of their room with their chosen color of paint.

“Each of these has their strengths and weaknesses,” states Gagnon. “Digital renditions of paint color do not account for the way room lighting affects color. You also can’t get a sense of how you might use different colors to accent different features, such as arches or trim, in the same room. Color on walls can also been visible from one room to another. Your swatches need to be large enough to give you a sense of how the color interacts with light, décor and colors on adjacent walls.”

It’s most helpful to place the color cards on various sections of wall in a room, rather than just painting a swatch of color on one spot.

Paint Color, Psychology and Productivity

At home or at work, the coloring of a space affects mood and that can effect how productive or creative people are in a given space. Light colors, such as yellow, make rooms appear larger and brighter. Darker colors create a closed-in feeling. Colors with warm hues, such as orange can invigorate a space and the people working in it. Greens, blues and purples, the cooler colors can create a sense of calm and focus.

“There’s a whole range of effects that color and different hues can evoke in a home or work space. By understanding your customer’s goals for how a space will be used and educating them on the intricacies of the painting process, you can help them avoid costly mistakes in selecting and applying color to their walls.

Resources

• Painting and Decorating Contractors of America
• Healthy Indoor Painting Practices
• The Science of Color Preference – American Painting Contractor
• Forbes: How to Use the Science of Color to Give Your Business an Edge
• Scientific American: Simmering Science: Can Your House's Color Reduce Your Summer Energy Bill?
• FindaPainter.com

Karen M. Rider is a Connecticut-based freelance writer and copywriter with interests in health, environment, education, and the arts. A member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors.