Maybe you read blogs by color experts looking for answers or just rely on what the paint store says about what colors go together. Maybe you post questions on Houzz or other forums to ask “What is the best color for my house or room” and get a list of different, but well meaning answers which are meaningless because your house, finishes and lighting are unique and what worked for others may not work for you. Maybe you think you have a great color sense and don’t need help. How has that been working for you?
I had a long journey learning about color, and I finally “get it”. I understand why people struggle with picking paint colors and why it is inevitable that most people will “mess up” and make expensive mistakes that will need to be re-painted. I’ve been there!
Finally, I found the answers I had been looking for….the science of color. I learned how color works, how color is ordered, what colors can work together and how to solve those tricky color problems. I learned that the elusive “undertone” is an incorrect term that those that do not understand color science use to describe their well meaning but subjective opinion of color by what they see. But guess what, we all physically see color differently.
I took a course, The Four Pillars of Color, with Lori Sawaya through Camp Chroma, and learned the Munsell Color System which has been around for over 100 years. It is the basis for how color is ordered, how paint colors are determined, how color looks and is made consistent in our products. Every color has a “DNA” so to speak with 4 distinct aspects that makes each color unique. Yes, it is a little complex but at the same time orderly and makes perfect sense.
This course changed my understanding and how I approach everything I do related to design! If you love color and truly want to understand it better for your own enjoyment or your business, you can’t go wrong with this course!
So many good things here, Mary Ann! Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, hope the info helps you:)
It’s great of you to share these courses with us! Sounds like each one helped you develop your professional skills
Thanks Lisa, yes, although I have taken many courses over the years, these definitely made a difference in my life:)
I was not familiar with these courses before- thanks so much for sharing about them!!
You’re welcome. Hope they inspire you to try one of them or to at least check out Jim’s podcast.
I also took The Staging Diva’s course. Many years ago now. It was great! I don’t do much staging but there’s lots of practical training for the business side of staging.
Oh, that is so interesting, you are a fellow Staging Diva graduate! As with any business, if you don’t know how to run that part of it you will never succeed, so it was a great class:)