Light sources alter colors’ true values

DEAR GAIL: We are having so much trouble deciding on a paint color for our living room. We've brought a dozen gallons home and when we try them, they're just not right. We're getting ready to just leave the walls white, but know that there has to be a way you can help us. -- Roger.

DEAR ROGER: First, don't give up as I can help. When you are selecting paint or any color for your home, it is so important that you view that color in your home in the exact room where it will be placed.

I have been asked many times to do paint consultations from across the country and it really can't be done. I can be sent a fabric sample and can select paint colors that work with the fabric, but when I send the package back to New York, there is a good chance the colors will look different. The reason is something called metamerism.

Metamerism is a phenomenon that happens when you have two color samples next to each other that match in one location but are different when brought into another location. The change in color is caused by the different light sources.

Whether you are deciding upon paint, carpet, fabric or wood tones, the only way to help prevent color surprises is to view everything under the lighting conditions that will be present in the room. Here are all of the things that will affect what the color will look like in your home.

* The time of day. Even though we are in a bright environment, we do have different light streams four times a day (morning, noon, afternoon and night).

* The direction of the natural light you are getting in each room (north, south, east or west).

* The weather condition and season you are viewing the color in that day (cloudy, rainy, sunny, winter, summer, spring and fall).

* The type of artificial light you have (incandescent, fluorescent and/or halogen).

* And any large surfaces which will be reflecting light and that color onto the color you're introducing (walls, ceilings and floors).

Another thing to be aware of is light reflectance value. This is a measurement of how much light is absorbed or reflected from a solid surface.

Light reflectance value is shown as a percentage between 0 and 100. Black has a light reflectance value, or LRV, of 0, which means it reflects 0 percent of the light and absorbs it all. A pure white would have a LRV of 100 as it would reflect 100 percent of the light.

How the color looks in your home will be affected depending upon how much light you have. So normally, a darker color will appear closer to the sample than a lighter color since lighter colors reflect more light. You can usually find the LRV on the back of a paint chip.

Remember, when painting the exterior of your home, the darker the color the more light and heat it will absorb. It's something to think about in our desert environment.

Now, I know you are probably thinking to forget everything and that white is good. But, once you know what affects color, you at least know what to do to select that perfect color for you.

Color is chameleon-like because of all of the light sources we have in our homes. The most fool-proof way to select any color is to bring a large sample home and view it under each of the above conditions, as best you can. Of course you are not going to wait for a rainy day, because here that can be a while. But, do take the time to wait for the carpet store to send you a large carpet sample. Take the time to purchase a quart of paint and paint some poster boards so that you can move the sample around in your home. Remember, the color may look great in your kitchen, but terrible in your bedroom as they each have different light sources.

Gail Mayhugh, owner of GMJ Interiors, is a professional interior designer and author of a book on the subject. Questions may be sent by e-mail to: gail@gmjinteriors.com. Or, mail to: 7380 S. Eastern Ave., No. 124-272, Las Vegas, NV 89123. Her Web address is: www.GMJinteriors.com.