Are you staring at a blank wall with no clue what to do with it? Do your friends, neighbors, and family members often mistake your living room for a cheap doctor’s office? Are you starting to seriously disagree with that “Agreeable Gray” wall color that was all the rage a few years ago? Then consider this Color of the Month entry your intervention.
This month, we’re looking at an array of color trends and ideas from around the world. So clean those brushes and lay down some tarp. It’s time to unpack everything you need to know about our favorite color this month, which is...
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Peach!
Color It…What Again? Color Trends Around The World
Before we dive into peach and why it’s our Color of the Month, let’s talk about some other color trends that took 2023 by storm.
First, blue and its endless shades. Blue creates a calming feeling, which is great for bedrooms and spaces where you just want to breathe, rest, and relax. What’s more, a bright sky-blue can turn any frown upside down with its mood-lifting effects. It’s perfect for quiet reading spaces. And here in the South, we even use it on porch ceilings to keep ghosts away. Really, look it up. It’s a thing.
For bedtime, we like deep, dark blues. They offer a cozier, more calming effect that’ll help you drift into a long, restful slumber.
Barbie fans will be thrilled to know that pink is in and here to stay! Pink adds natural warmth to a room. It makes things more interesting without overwhelming the space. Of course, you don’t want to over-pink your home like something straight out of Barbie Land. Instead, look for softer pinks with, dare we say, peachy tones?
Why Peach Is Our Color of the Month
Peach is a soft, warm color that has a natural ability to reflect light. It creates a cozy, inviting atmosphere, especially in north-facing, low-light rooms. The best part? Peach goes well with a variety of furniture styles. In fact, its versatility is one reason it’s our Color of the Month.
As a color, peach features both pink and orange undertones. So, it looks different depending on the light source. In natural sunlight, peach appears cheerful and bright. But in artificial light, peach feels muted and cozy.
Peach will also change hues depending on the colors around it. For example, peach’s pink undertones shine with cream or white, whereas the orange punches through when paired with beige or brown. It’s like the chameleon of color!
More Space? More Light? Why Not Both!
Did you know you can make an interior space seem bigger without moving an inch of wall? And no, this isn’t Danielewski’s House of Leaves. (If that reference was too obscure, then do yourself a favor and give that book a read. It’s wild! Anyway…)
You can use color to change the perception of space without altering its structural integrity. For instance, lighter and cooler colors make a space seem larger than it is. But darker colors make the space seem tighter and more closed-off. You can also arrange color, texture, or the environment to make a room feel longer, taller, or wider.
It may sound like magic, but it’s actually science. That’s right, this Color of the Month entry is taking you to school!
Light colors make a space seem larger because they reflect natural light. Dark colors shrink a space because—you guessed it—they absorb natural light. You can also play with combinations for different effects.
For instance, if you want to make the room feel taller, paint the walls a dark color while leaving the ceiling white. But if you want a cozier effect, do the opposite! Go for a dark ceiling with something light on the walls.
To narrow a space, use dark colors on opposite walls and light colors on the ceiling and background (the background being the wall you’re looking at when you enter the room). Doing the opposite creates the reverse effect and makes the room feel wider.
If all this sounds confusing, don’t sweat it! Professional painters know everything about color, space, and their relationships. Just tell us what effect you want a room to have, and we’ll make it happen!
Let There Be Color…And Light! How Color Reflects Light
Light is EVERYTHING when it comes to choosing paint. In fact, any professional painter worth their brush will ask how much natural light your home gets before they even think about what colors they’d recommend. Remember how we talked about how lighting can impact our Color of the Month looks? You were paying attention, right?
There are only two types of light: natural and artificial. Natural comes from the sun. Artificial is everything else. Easy-peasy. However, understanding how both types will ultimately dictate the color scheme of your home is crucial to making the right choices.
Natural Light
Natural light moves throughout the day. That’s why rooms will look different in the morning than they do in the afternoon.
A general rule of thumb is that north-facing rooms let in soft light, giving off a warming effect. Meanwhile, south-facing rooms have more intense natural lighting. This means dark paints will feel darker in your north-facing rooms. Light paints will seem dimmer. Your south-facing rooms will have the opposite effect.
West-facing rooms will get warmer light in the evening, while east-facing rooms will be brighter in the morning. Remember, the sun RISES in the east and SETS in the west.
Artificial Light
Just because it’s “artificial” doesn’t mean it’s bad. Artificial light lets you control color temperature around the clock. For instance, you can use soft white incandescent or LED bulbs to simulate natural lighting. They’ll make brighter colors more intense and cooler colors more dull.
Ever heard of “Edison” bulbs, named after the late great Thomas Edison, aka the godfather of light? These vintage bulbs can add warm, yellow, and orange hues to any room. Many will lean on these vintage options to complement warmer paint colors.
And if all that sounded even more confusing, don’t worry! Professional painters know all the ins and outs of light, too! They’ll take one look at a room and know which colors will work best.
Kindness Without Borders: Worldwide Feel-Good Gems We Had to Share
If peaches have you feeling inspired, check out what one artist from the United Kingdom did with almost 150 pounds of food. Nathan Wyburn recreated four iconic UK images like Stonehenge with fresh, organic produce, soups, yogurts, and even butter. The hope is that the landscapes he created will inspire people to support local organic farming.
Unused ingredients were donated to City Harvest, a local food charity. As a result, 143 meals were delivered to in-need families across the country.
Joke of the Week: Why did the banana go to the doctor? It wasn’t peeling well.
Lighten Up Your World With Our Color of the Month
Our spotlight color this month was an easy choice. Peach is so versatile—it works in any room and with any decor. You can also control how it reads through your lighting choices by considering what direction the room faces.
Okay, that’s it. Science lesson over; go grab a snack. (Anyone else craving fruit?)
It doesn’t matter if you’re feeling peachy, sky-blue, or Barbie pink on your walls. When you’re ready to paint, we’ll be ready too. Give the professionals at Procoat Painting-Athens a call to get started. Just head to our website, scroll to the bottom, and dial those big white numbers!