paint colors

How to mix and match Benjamin Moore’s 2020 color palette

Friends and color aficionados worldwide:

Greetings and Happy New Year 2020 again to you all. Thank you as always for your readership. This is the first year of my life that I focus on regular blog posting, so let’s just say that it really is a “New Year, New Me” type of start to the year. I’m going to enjoy the challenge most certainly.

DISCLAIMER: This is a promotional post and I am being compensated to write about SRH Paint Co and Benjamin Moore products. The opinions, however, expressed here in this blog are my own. I’m not a fan of pushy sales copy type of blogging. My job as I see it is to explain WHY I back these products, HOW I use them and then to equip you with some color knowledge!

Though the focus of the weekly blog concerns Benjamin Moore products and the paint world, I’ll always put my spin on it with interesting color combinations, pictures of projects I’m completing, and/or color anecdotes.

Let’s jump right in with a chat about the Benjamin Moore 2020 Color Palette, anchored by their color of the year, FIRST LIGHT 2102-70. Described by the good folks at Benjamin Moore as “the backdrop for a bright new decade,” First Light is a “rosy hue blooming with potential.”

Blog 01 08 2020 BM Color Trends.jpg

Again, per Benjamin Moore, “the ten harmonious hues of the Color Trends 2020 palette, including First Light, deliver modern paint color pairings that combine optimism with understatement, a timeless way to lighten up.”

Today I want to show you how the colors are being used individually, as well as how I personally would combine them. I’m a huge proponent of creating interesting color combinations, and this year almost every color within the palette combines quite well with the others.

First Light 2102-70 (Part of Benjamin Moore’s COLOR PREVIEW collection)

First Light 2102-70 (Part of Benjamin Moore’s COLOR PREVIEW collection)

L to R: First Light 2102-70 | White Heron OC-57 | Thunder AF-685 | Oxford Gray 2128-40

L to R: First Light 2102-70 | White Heron OC-57 | Thunder AF-685 | Oxford Gray 2128-40

The above color combination features First Light 2102-70 set against White Heron OC-57 from the Off Whites collection of Benjamin Moore color. I added another greenish gray in Thunder AF-685 and a blue gray named Oxford Gray 2128-40.

Wall color in Thunder AF-685 from the Affinity collection by Benjamin Moore

Wall color in Thunder AF-685 from the Affinity collection by Benjamin Moore

L to R: Golden Straw 2152-50 | Crystalline AF-485 | Cushing Green HC-125

L to R: Golden Straw 2152-50 | Crystalline AF-485 | Cushing Green HC-125

The above combination works because the colors are all about equal in saturation, chroma or intensity. That is to say that none of the colors are too vibrant or muted for the other(s).

COLOR TIP: Keep intensity of colors consistent when mixing and matching. Bright or clean colors harmonize with other bright/clean colors, and muted or muddy colors pair with other equally muted/muddy colors. PRO TIP: All of the colors in Benjamin Moore’s Affinity collection are quite toned down and can be mixed and matched in almost any combination.

Kitchen wall in Golden Straw 2152-50, part of Benjamin Moore’s newest Color Preview collection

Kitchen wall in Golden Straw 2152-50, part of Benjamin Moore’s newest Color Preview collection

L to R: Windmill Wings 2067-60 | Buxton Blue HC-149 | Blue Danube 2062-30

L to R: Windmill Wings 2067-60 | Buxton Blue HC-149 | Blue Danube 2062-30

This year’s color palette features three distinct blues shown above. My favorite, favorite, favorite shade is the light blue-yet-teetering-on-the-edge-of-periwinkle tone of Windmill Wings 2067-60. Earlier I said that all 10 of the 2020 colors mix and match pretty well, and of those Windmill Wings 2067-60 is my personal VIP color. Read on to see how I pair it with other colors in the palette.

Buxton Blue HC-149, from Benjamin Moore’s Historical Collection palette, is a warmer blue with hints of green. Blue Danube 2062-30 at first glance some say it appears to be a type of navy. Look again! It is a deep teal blue by my eye, as there’s a lot of green in it. I’m loving this alternative to the very requested Hale Navy from 2018 and 2019!

To illustrate my point about these two “navys.” the color above on the left is our good old Pinterest standby Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore. It is a lively navy, but a navy nonetheless. PHOTO CREDIT: Home Bunch

Blue Danube is featured in the image on the right. Can you see how much warmer the blue is, moving it into teal territory? I love it. PHOTO CREDIT: Coco Kelley

Now, how do I combine the colors in the 2020 Benjamin Moore palette? See below for some of my happiest trios of color:

L to R: First Light 2102-70 | Blue Danube 2062-30 | Cushing Green HC-125

L to R: First Light 2102-70 | Blue Danube 2062-30 | Cushing Green HC-125

L to R: First Light 2102-70 | Cushing Green HC-125 | Thunder AF-685

L to R: First Light 2102-70 | Cushing Green HC-125 | Thunder AF-685

L to R: First Light 2102-70 | Crystalline AF-485 | Thunder AF-685

L to R: First Light 2102-70 | Crystalline AF-485 | Thunder AF-685

L to R: Thunder AF-685 | Windmill Wings 2067-60 | Cushing Green HC-125

L to R: Thunder AF-685 | Windmill Wings 2067-60 | Cushing Green HC-125

L to R: White Heron OC-57 | Windmill Wings 2067-60 | Blue Danube 2062-30

L to R: White Heron OC-57 | Windmill Wings 2067-60 | Blue Danube 2062-30

L to R: White Heron OC-57 | Windmill Wings 2067-60 | Thunder AF-685

L to R: White Heron OC-57 | Windmill Wings 2067-60 | Thunder AF-685

L to R: Cushing Green HC-125 | Crystalline AF-485 | Thunder AF-685

L to R: Cushing Green HC-125 | Crystalline AF-485 | Thunder AF-685

L to R: White Heron OC-57 | Blue Danube 2062-30 | Golden Straw 2152-50

L to R: White Heron OC-57 | Blue Danube 2062-30 | Golden Straw 2152-50

An important tip to remember when considering paint colors for your space is that this color palette is designed to inspire you, but ultimately your paint is what you pick last.

Why? Well, we have over 3,500 Benjamin Moore color choices plus options to customize any color, while you have a very finite number of colors available in the decor world. Maybe you find a throw pillow, rug or piece of art that is inspired by Windmill Wings 2067-60 for example, but it is more periwinkle. Well, we can select the paint color once all other decor and surfaces are procured to capture just the right hue.

I found this interesting use of Windmill Wings 2067-60 on an exterior porch for a dose of color (above left) PHOTO CREDIT: My BM 2020 Inspired Pinterest Board

This image above right from Subway Tile Outlet features the very on-trend idea of a baby blue with hints of purple, giving it a periwinkle cast.

Friends, I’m signing off for now but welcome you to comment below and/or reach out to me via email or phone with any color related questions or quandaries you might be having.

Coloring my way across the globe,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Lauren

www.springbenjaminmoore.com

Color Q & A with LFB Color: Can I mix grays and tans?

Friends and color aficionados worldwide:

Hello and thank you as always for your readership. Today I’m talking mixing grays and tans (or any warm neutral) in decor, fashion, cosmetics and accessories.

Especially in home decor, this can be tricky, as lots of folks are transitioning from a very earthy color scheme to a gray/greige palette. They aren’t able to make that full transition all at once, so the question is how can cool grays and warm beiges and tans coexist.

Benjamin Moore grays and beiges from their AURA Color Stories collecton of paints

Benjamin Moore grays and beiges from their AURA Color Stories collecton of paints

So, how do we mix gray and tan? Can they be mixed? Why, yes, they can! The key is to keep the vibrancy, or chroma, of the colors uniform.

Bright colors pair with brights, and muted (toned down) colors pair with other muted colors. We can all agree that gray and tan are relatively muted, but some are slightly more vibrant than others. Note in the gallery below that the color pairing in the home exterior (featured upper left) features neutrals that have more saturation, or vibrancy, to them. The other color combinations in the photo gallery are considerably more muted.

How about mixing and matching gray and tan in wardrobe, accessories and makeup? Yes, it CAN be done.

It is an incredibly freeing experience for ladies (and gentlemen) who have always been told they are either “cool” or “warm” of coloration to be able to wear almost any hue, fine tuned to their coloration.

In personal color analysis, which I offer as a certified ebues color consultant, I develop customized color palettes for people based on their skin undertone. Instead of being placed into one color “season” or category, we now develop a palette that is unique to you, your coloring, lifestyle, and personal preferences.

That being said, some folks do both prefer and look better in gray than they do in tan. In that case, I recommend that you wear gray as your primary “neutral,” then add in your best tone of tan as an accent such as a scarf or handbag.

With the ebues full spectrum system, I look at each color group to find YOUR ideal neutrals such as gray, brown, tan, beige, and white, along with your best colors in each of the hues around the rainbow.

Another way to experiment with grays and tans is through nail color and cosmetics. This is an inexpensive and fun way to learn about which grays and tans do work for your skin tone. I must put in a little plug here for the color theory cosmetics by Elea Blake (part of ebhues), which I select for clients following a personal color analysis, as well. Makeup is the most cost effective way to update, rejuvenate and freshen your whole look.

Have fun experimenting with this neutral color combination, and remember to keep the vibrancy of the chosen colors the same. The most washed out, muted or toned down grays pair best with equally washed out, toned down tans.

Needing help finding your best decor colors or interested in knowing what colors work best on you? Please do reach out to me via EMAIL LFB COLOR or PHONE CHAT WITH LAUREN. I would love to work with you!

Call me a color tamer, not a color expert AND 3 things I do with color

Greetings, friends and fellow color lovers!

Thank you for your readership and for following me on this long and winding color journey. If you have noticed, I am actually posting weekly on the blog. This is intentional and no small task for a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of girl like me. 

This week I explain all about what I do in the field of color, because now I operate three areas of business. Check out this 10-minute Facebook Live video that was recorded today with my brand photographer friend Victoria Garcia of www.victoriagarciastudios.com

In the video, I discuss the three types of color consulting I do: personal color analysis, business color consulting, and paint or surface specification for homes and commercial property.

See link here: https://www.facebook.com/victoriagarciastudios/videos/2004070159623640/?t=1

Last week I completed an in-home color consultation for my client who is selling her 4500-square foot home. She needed my help selecting new carpet, countertop, backsplash, wood flooring AND paint colors. She wanted a refreshed look to make the home easier to sell. Basically, I was in color heaven getting to choose all of these surface colors!!!

My client was specific to tell me that she wanted to avoid the use of creamy, earthy, beige, or yellowed colors on the wall. She wanted to select colors using variations of white or even greige. We spent the next two hours walking from room to room with my large color board samples, recently purchased from www.mariakillam.com

After each color consultation, I provide my clients with a full report listing colors chosen for each room of the house. See example below. We include paint color name, code and recommended finish or sheen. 

This is the color report I completed for my client looking to use whites and off-whites in her home. 

This is the color report I completed for my client looking to use whites and off-whites in her home. 

Now, at first glance these whites I specified look similarly, do they not? On small paint chips that is true. There is not a HUGE difference, but paint those colors up on expansive walls and you WILL see differences in them based on their undertone, lightness or darkness AND temperature (how cool or warm they appear). 

This brings me to my final point. Even after receiving over 5 color related certifications in multiple areas of the industry, I still do not refer to myself as a color expert. I am very qualified to work in color, and my approach is both methodical and comprehensive. I am skilled and experienced......for the record.

The reason I do not claim to be a color expert, friends, is because color refuses to be dominated or boxed in. It is difficult to pin down, and there are often multiple color solutions to any given problem or scenario.

Not to personify color or anything, but color has a mind of its own. The same color changes appearance depending on the surface on which it is painted, the paint finish, time of day, what other colors surround it, and a myriad of other variables. Color is tricky and squirrely that way, no? 

Instead of calling myself a color expert, I call myself a color tamer. I tame color to make it work for you on your person, in your home or for your business.

How do I tame color, ladies and gentlemen? Well, I factor in all of the surrounding colors in any given room or in a person's natural coloring, THEN I select colors that will harmonize with them.

I also like to rebel with color. Once you know the color rules, then you can bend and even break them. Color breaks its own rules all the time anyway. Why not roll with it?

Speaking of color rules, please do comment below with any questions you'd like to see answered in my blog posts. Color questions for beauty, fashion, image, business branding, what's on trend in any industry, and home/commercial paint or surface selection are all welcomed. 

Please ask away. I am here to answer your questions...…..

Until next time,

your color tamer Lauren