Paint is everywhere but most of us don’t pay it much attention. Plus, talking about sounds about as much fun as watching it dry. However, there are a lot of interesting things about paint that we are going to go over. So if you are thinking about freshening up your living room or repainting the trim after you read this you won’t think of paint the same way again.
Psychology of Paint
You may have noticed through your school years that typically every school is painted the same color, with a few variations. That is because most schools and prisons paint their walls light beige or taupe because it is known for its soothing effects on the brain. There is even a debate on whether the colors red and blue can make you smarter. The Journal of Experimental Psychology did a study that showed the color red can have a negative effect on the brain causing students to perform slightly worse on a test. Blue, however, was shown to have positive effects on the brain because it inspires creative thought and relaxation whereas red typically makes people anxious.
Painting Furniture Without Removing Hardware
The quickest way to paint furniture is to spray paint it. However, the only problem with this method is you want to avoid painting the hinges and handles. Typically the solution it to just remove it, but this can be quite time-consuming. So a way to cut back on time is to cover each hinge and handle with petroleum jelly. Once you are done painting, you can wide the jelly and the paint off and your hardware has been saved from the paint.
The Power of the Sun
It is important to not underestimate the power of the sun. So when you are deciding on what color to paint a room, consider how much sunlight is going to be hitting your walls. The more sunlight a wall gets the quicker the paint is going to fade. You can try to avoid this by trying to find UV-resistant paint or a more durable oil-based paint.
The Label Lies
No two gallons of paint is exactly the same color, even if they were mixed by the same person at the same time. The best way to diminish any differences is to mix all your paint together in one giant bucket. Once you do this, those subtle difference blend away.
60-30-10 Rule
In order to achieve a balanced color scheme in a room, interior designers follow the 60-30-10 rule. This means the about 60% of the room should be the dominant color, which is usually the color of the walls. Then 30% should be the secondary color, so this could be accented walls, built-ins, and furniture. Then finally the last 10% goes towards art and accessories.