A tool that homeowners sometimes unfortunately overlook in evaluating paint for their home, is color cards and color decks.
Trying to evaluate colors online through a computer monitor is a very, very difficult thing to do. Differences in monitors, resolution settings, color settings, even graphics cards can affect how any original image will appear on the screen. As a web designer uploads the image, the color could be a perfect match and on another computer in the very same building- be inaccurate. The technical issues aside, colors can look different home to home, season to season, as well as by light bulbs used, sunlight levels, colors they’re placed next to, etc. There is a very long list of factors that effect how a color will appear in person vs on a screen. This is why we maintain that the best road map, is to first obtain color cards or a color deck, and then get samples. Being able to truly see what a color will look like in your environment is the best way to ensure the results for your project. Remember: as with regular paint, a sample needs two coats to properly evaluate the color! One coat will not reliably represent the color accurately in even the best of paints.
One of the things that differentiates our physical store from others is the diversity in the lines we carry. Carrying one or two generic “Burger King” brands works for some, but not us. We of course mean no disrespect to Burger King or other franchises when we say that! It’s just that we believe in having a big toolbox with high quality tools to choose from. Having something for everyone, every budget, and every job’s individual challenge is what the foundation our business is built on. This value proposition carries over to our web operations. On our online store site, we currently stock color cards from Fine Paints of Europe, Stark Paint, the Novogratz for Stark Paint Line, The Michelle Winick Color Collection, Ralph Lauren, Pratt and Lambert, California Paints, Benjamin Moore, and last but most certainly not least- the Donald Kaufman Color collection.
“Being more specific, which color cards/fan decks do you have?”
Our most recent addition was Fine Paints of Europe’s all new Guggenheim Color decks. The colors were either inspired by or featured in art in the Guggenheim. We have both the classical and gallery decks available. Initial impression: The colors are excellent, and so is Fine Paints of Europe’s quality. You can’t go wrong with this ensemble! We also have the Designer Collections, the Standard British Collection, the Classic Collection, the Inspiration Collection, the NCS Collection, the One Thousand Collection, and the Select Collections from Fine Paints.
The Donald Kaufman Color Collection color cards is one of the hottest selling items on our site, and for good reason. Keeping it as succinct as I can: describing this collection as “pretty good”, is by all metrics an understatement . We also stock Color Palettes by Susanne Butterfield. I highly recommend this for people looking to build their knowledge base on color, and it’s a valuable asset for interior designers.
We currently have Stark Paint and Novogratz for Stark Paint color charts. Stark Paint’s colors are by David Oliver, a man often described as the “the rockstar of color”. The Novogratz line’s colors are by the very same Novogratz you’ve seen on television. Keep in mind that both of these lines are environmentally conscious. If you’re a proponent of the green movement or simply looking for the most eco-friendly custom paints you can buy, these lines are your ticket.
The Farrow and Ball Colour Book is also in stock on our website. Their colors are classic and timeless, the company’s commitment to excellence is unwavering. Check out our article on them here!
The Michelle Winick Color Collection is one that started here under our roof, and we tell clients to take a look at the colors the first chance they get; her collection is available on the site. Her system is brilliant, and designed to be as simple as possible. She believes that with her system, one can use her paint chips and forego the use of samples. For shoppers on a tough budget looking for solid paint colors to choose from, we wholeheartedly recommend this line.
If you’re interested in the Ralph Lauren paint line, we have their Lifestyle colors and Specialty Finishes decks. In terms of larger paint lines we carry: we have the the Pratt and Lambert Williamsburg deck, California Paints perfect palette, and Benjamin Moore’s Classic Colors, Color Preview, and Affinity color’s decks.
We invite you to check out our extensive color card collection at your convenience, here
