What is your company’s and hence your work’s main focus?

We sell sustainable natural nursery paints that we mix in our store in Dresden, Germany. To help parents design a healthy children’s room, we have collections in child-friendly fantasy worlds with self-written stories for each color shade. These collections help parents and children to plan harmonious color shades for the children’s room.

How long have you used Datacolor’s ColorReader?

We have been using ColorReader to create our nursery collections since 2020.

What are the advantages of using ColorReader in your daily work?

Thanks to ColorReader, we can quickly and easily scan our colors to determine the appropriate digital color codes in order to display them correctly in our online store, so that customers have a realistic representation of the product colors.

Has the investment in ColorReader already paid off for you?

Yes, we use it for each new collection and want to start offering the product to customers in our store.

Can you describe a project or your daily work routine in which you use ColorReader?

When creating a new color collection, we start with a creative brainstorming, and then we use the app to put together colors that would be a fit based on the theme of the collection. Based on these specifications, we mix them with our clay colors to see how they look in real life. If we like the resulting shades, we scan them again to determine the final tone based on the ingredients used to get the corresponding color codes for display in the online store or for print materials. Only then are we able display and offer our colors in the online store.

How do you plan to use ColorReader with your customers?

In addition to our Caleo collections, we plan to offer the color scan as a service for our customers. For example, if they want to match the wall color to the child’s favorite color, existing curtains or carpet, we can provide them the exact tone using the ColorReader and mix the color directly on site.

Which features of ColorReader do you usually use?

We use it to determine the color itself and we use the app to find coherent color combinations.

Which function of the ColorReader are you particularly fond of?

• We are thrilled that we can add individual names to the selected shades and collections directly in the app. This is the best way for us to distinguish between them and assign them to a certain color collection. Then there is no confusion in the work process, even with similar color tones.
• It is great that the scanned color takes up the entire left part of the screen for color matching. This helps finding the best possible matches.
• When viewing the color in the history or saved values, HEX, RGB and CMYK are displayed without scrolling. This saves us time.
• For consumers, architects or painters, it is certainly helpful that, in addition to RAL other color codes by several manufacturers are also represented.

Can you tell us another area of use application outside of your work that comes to mind?

The device is useful for all matters related to decorating rooms. It can be used to match not only wall colors, but also murals, carpets, floors or textiles. For example, a colleague used it to find harmonious color combinations for her vacation home.

What improvements would you like to see for the product?

• The app could be a bit more user friendly. I would expect to find my devices with name, type, user manual and troubleshooting help if I tap on “Device”. It is not clear to me why I have to register the device and where the access code can be found. A picture or more information would be useful.
• Access to the location services is requested, but it is not clear to me what for, since I have already set Europe as the location when registering. What influence do the location services have on scanning?
• The scanned colors don’t always seem very appropriate to me. They are often much darker than in the original. With the suggested matches, a similarity is hardly recognizable. Especially for reddish colors it works less good. It would be nice if more than 3 similar colors were displayed when selecting all color swatches to find the perfect one.
• When I recall the scans from the history again, the closest color matches should also be displayed again.
• It would be nice to have the possibility to attach a strap (for wrist or neck) to prevent it from falling. It would also be good if the side with the charging port also had a lid so that it does not get dirty.

Caleo Color Dresden

Rehefelder Str. 19 01127 Dresden

Our living room had been due for renovation for a while, not only because I had gotten tired of the wallpaper’s colors (yellow and terracotta), but also over a period of 10 years, the fireplace and candles had left their traces on the wallpaper, which was now faded and at the same time covered with a veil of gray. When the suspension of the sliding doors broke due to the aging of the plastic rollers (conveniently hidden behind the wall covering and inaccessible without damaging the wallpaper), it was really time to tackle the renovation.

The living room before the renovation

Color selection for the redesign

For the redesign, we wanted to choose more timeless, neutral colors in a palette that would evoke a day by the sea, since that’s where we like to spend our vacations. We decided on a sandy tones for wall colors, for versatility, since the room had some elements that would remain after the renovation, and we wanted to have it all coordinate. The elements we kept included: The white wooden ceiling (it was completely cleaned as part of the renovation),

• the beech furniture,
• the couch with its cream-colored covers and terracotta pillows (although I was still unsure of the pillows, I knew they could be changed later on, as they are a standard pillow size),
• the radiator trim underneath the windows, which was painted a cream color at the top and front to match the couch
• the oak parquet floor that we sanded and resealed during the renovation

Since my husband is a big fan of wallpaper, we started our project by looking at several wallpaper pattern books. We wanted to use two slightly different shades to separate the living room and dining areas. We were looking for wallpapers without large patterns, since we knew we wanted to decorate our walls with pictures and didn’t want patterns to visually clash or compete with them.

Our wallpaper options were somewhat limited, either because we didn’t care for the pattern or the color was too dark. In the end, we decided on these two very plain wallpapers:

Datacolor’s ColorReader helped us decide on our wallpaper selection. Earlier, we had scanned the main colors of the living room with the ColorReader and created a color palette with them. We added the colors of the wallpaper to the palette to see which ones harmonized best with the existing hues.

The darker wallpaper we chose was considered for the dining area first, and the lighter tone was planned for the wall behind the sofa. However, when comparing the sofa and wallpaper color in the app, it quickly became clear that there would not be enough contrast between the sofa and wallpaper. The two colors were very similar, so we changed our minds and chose the darker wallpaper for the couch corner.

The living room renovation

As soon as the wallpaper was ordered, we started our work.

Furniture was put into the garage or moved to the middle of the room, and the old wallpaper was removed. In the picture on the left you can see well how yellowed and dirty the old wallpaper was…

After the complete removal of the wallpaper, the boxes for the roller shutter were given new insulation and later a new wooden cover.

Additionally, we also :

• removed the wall coverings for the sliding doors and replaced the hanging system with new, heavy-duty metal rollers
• filled the holes in the walls and sanded them smooth
• gave the walls a new coat of primer
• sanded and resealed the hardwood floor, which was a major operation, since we had to move furniture from left to right to allow the sealer to dry between coats

After that, it was time for the new wallpaper to shine! We started with the wall where the couch would be. From the window (away from the light) we worked our way to the sliding door:

To see if the app was right and the colors really did work well together, we pushed the sofa into the corner for a quick peek. Interesting how different the wallpaper looks, depending on the light and shadows of the room.

Since the wall and the wall paneling of the sliding door meet in the corner and the wall paneling always moves a little bit, we decided not to wrap the wallpaper around the corner to avoid dents and warps. We used a small white wooden bar to cover this corner, providing a perfect finish that complemented the wooden ceiling.

The other wall by the dining table and the left side of the sliding door of the living room entrance were papered with the lighter wallpaper.

With the furniture rearranged, the room was coming together nicely, and the terracotta-colored sofa cushions still fit into the overall picture:

We used the ColorReader again when it was time to find new curtains. I did not want to cover the windows again completely, but I wanted to frame the windows preferably in matching cream tones. Equipped with the living room colors in the color palette of the app on my phone and the ColorReader, I started my search for some ready-made curtains.

At first I had a natural-colored cotton or linen look in mind, but then found a slightly shiny fabric with block stripes, set off with a fine gold edge that I liked.

Once I scanned the colors with ColorReader, I also knew it would work well with our living room. So I purchased 4 panels for the windows.

I tried out the curtains in the living room and they looked great, so we shortened them to the correct length and created 4 new sofa cushion covers from the fabric remnants

The bare walls now got new picture prints. Of course, ColorReader helped me once again with the color editing of the selected images. We had selected two images from our vacation on the island of Baltrum (Germany) to have printed on aluminum.

In order to match the colors of the images to the living room colors, I used the measured color values of the wallpaper and furniture again. In the ColorReader app, the scanned colors also include Lab color data values:

I used these values for editing images in Photoshop and made sure the color of the sand in the two selected images matched to the wallpaper – not everywhere, of course, but the shade does appear in it. I explain how this is done in this blog post: https://www.datacolor.com/colorreader/blog/exact-color-matching-with-photoshop-and-the-datacolor-colorreader-ez/

I ordered my prints from an online print service. We like the way they match the overall color of the room.

In summer, it was time to work on the coffee table. The table top had suffered – it was scratched and had water marks. For quite some time I had been looking for a replacement, because we wanted to have a coffee table with a closed storage compartment for our board games. I couldn’t find anything (at least nothing I liked and that would match in color), so I used my ColorReader on the radiator cover and had a matching color mixed at my local paint store. I removed the table tops, sanded and repainted them. I like it much better that way!

Little by little I found more matching accessories, pulling the look of the room together with each new addition. And maybe I will change the sofa cushion covers, but for now, I still like the splash of color

Color Overview – Warm & Nostalgic

The trend towards warmer colors continues, balanced by cool blues and green-based hues. While the soothing, go-with-everything feel of neutral hues remains strong, there is a nostalgic shift towards saturated, muted hues that can work as more colorful neutral options. According to color forecasting experts, this trend towards nostalgic hues from decades past, reflects a desire to return to a sense of comfort in a pre-covid era.

Violet, an intrinsically balanced color (a combination of red and blue/warm and cool), is establishing itself more and more as a neutral hue, particularly with paler tints that can color shift, depending on lighting, from lavender to blue to grey.

Color palettes that reflect and complement nature remain strong. Not only are these hues comforting to live with, they’ll continue to work well with interior design trends, as the focus on sustainability has advanced from theory to practical application. According to Montaha Hidefi, Vice President, Color Forecasting at Color Marketing Group, “The shift in how designers are examining and selecting the source of colorants, and how companies are handling the manufacturing processes will have a major impact on materials, driving many to display colors that resemble those obtained by fibers blended during the recycling process or outsourced by plant-based strands.”

2023 Colors of the Year

Valspar

Valspar has created a palette of 12 color “moods” – exploring the idea that color is not only something that you see, but that you also feel.

Behr

Blank Canvas – a luscious, neutral cream that is the perfect “blank canvas” for any décor style. Warm, adaptable and timeless.

Benjamin Moore

Raspberry Blush – Enliven your surroundings while awakening your senses with charismatic color.  Raspberry Blush is a vivacious color that is unapologetic in its boldness as it encourages a confident color statement.

Glidden/PPG

Vining Ivy – This jewel-toned teal aligns with the trend of jewel-toned furniture popping up everywhere and affords a balanced, tranquil feeling to a space.

Sherwin Williams

Redend Point – This warm, earthy, mid-toned clay hue functions as a beautiful neutral that is both welcoming and soothing.

In research recently conducted by Behr, 92% of U.S. homeowners stated they want their home to be a space where they can completely relax and 90% believe it’s important that their home feels like an escape from everyday stress. Home as a haven – as a place of renewal and restoration – is a guiding factor in 2023’s warm and welcoming paint color offerings.

Pro Tip: Use your ColorReader EZ to explore these new colors and find coordinating colors and entire room palettes with just the touch of your finger!

Autumn is when paint companies come out with their respective Color of the Year for the next year, based on a number of different factors. In this Q & A, Andrea Magno, Director of Color Marketing & Development at Benjamin Moore, shares insights about the company’s choice for Color of the Year, and how to incorporate it into home décor.

Tell us about the Color of the Year – what it is and how do you define this color?

The Color of the Year 2023 is Raspberry Blush 2008-30, a saturated red-orange that enlivens our surroundings while awakening our senses with charismatic color.  This vivacious color is unapologetic in its boldness as it encourages a confident color statement.

How do you decide on a Color of the Year?

The Color team at Benjamin Moore spends months researching, recording observations, and sharing a wide array of ideas that are ultimately synthesized to guide the curation of the Color Trends palette and select the Color of the Year. Through this work, our aim is to analyze where the societal mood or inclination is headed for the coming year, and how we can use these cues to determine where the general color direction is headed. From there, we look at overarching color trends and how we can relate this to the many ways in which color is brought into the home.

If you had to pick a single overarching influence for this color being chosen as Color of the Year, what would it be?

We observed the impact that bold color has whether through energetic color used in art, the vivid colors of nature, and drenching spaces in color for an engaging, sensorial result. This brought us to a reoccurring theme around the willingness to be creative and expressive through color, even if it meant breaking away from the tried and true.

Why this color now? What do you feel this color brings to home décor?

While we love neutrals and our collection of off-whites with their subtleties that have been very popular over the past several years, we identified a need for an upbeat energy in rooms – a quality that color can surely deliver. This desire to bravely dive into color brings excitement and a new-found vitality that comes to life with Raspberry Blush and the rest of the Color Trends 2023 palette. For 2023, the time is right to take a confident step forward in our color selections to truly embrace the transformative power of color and paint. For some, bringing a saturated color into the home may be done in a small gesture of color, while for others the time has come to make a fearless color statement.

What other paint colors work well with (color of the year)? What other design elements?

To guide our customers through the color journey and make using bold colors more approachable, we feature four neutrals in our Color Trends 2023 brochure that will pair well with this dynamic palette. The colors included are White Heron OC-57, Etiquette AF-50, Gray Owl OC-52, and Onyx 2133-10. For example, a room with great millwork or moldings painted in one of the neutrals paired with Raspberry Blush would instantly energize a space, while creating a nice balance between bold color and reliable neutrals.

How do you best work with this color in various décor styles? (modern, farmhouse, cottage, Japandi, etc.)

Raspberry Blush certainly lends itself to the popular maximalist styles we are seeing in many inspiring and fun images, and it can also work its way into traditional or modern styles. For popular décor trends that have an overall softness or reliance on a neutral palette, Raspberry Blush may be used as a smaller accent to punctuate a space, inserting and energetic dash of personality. The character of a boho look also lends itself to Raspberry Blush, as this color can complement an eclectic play of pattern and color.

What’s your favorite way to use this color? If you could create a perfect décor setting for this hue, what would it be?

As we developed the Color Trends palette and selected Raspberry Blush as our Color of the Year, we thought back to the traditional red dining room of the past. We see Raspberry Blush as an opportunity to bring a renewed, fresh take on this idea to create a lively dining room that is sure to inspire a lively gathering. We also love this color as an entry color because this hue will set the stage with personality while welcoming guests in a confident and energetic manner.

How would you encourage people to try this color in their own home?

Taking the plunge into deep, saturated or chromatic colors can be daunting, especially when we’ve become so comfortable with all-neutral spaces. Moving back into color may require a leap of faith, but the results will be impactful and will showcase great color confidence. A way to move into using color may be through a small accent, or even painting a room such as a study, powder room, or another space where a standalone color will work well. Using samples is also a great way to test drive a color – sometimes adjusting to using a stronger color can be an important step to become comfortable with bringing a transformative color into a room.

Warmth, nostalgia, nature and sustainability are prevalent trends in paint colors for 2023 – do you feel (color of the year) follows one or more of these trends? If so which ones and how? If not, do you see it fitting into another trend?

We’ve been tracking the move to the warmer side of the color wheel after many years where cooler colors dominated, and we felt that 2023 is the right time to really make a statement with a warm color. Over the past two years we’ve included colors that fall into the red-orange family, but they had a slightly muted quality. For 2023 we wanted to a red-orange that captured the warmth and saturation that makes for a charismatic color statement.

When developing the palette, we noted many retro or nostalgic influences with designs that brought us back to different decades, whether the 70’s, 80’s or 90’s, resulting in an eclectic mix. Nature came into the story as well, but rather than focus on the softer or more organic colors in nature we looked at the bold or even fiery colors – think of a sunset or the captivating depth of color of the Mediterranean.

Another trend we are also leaning into the desire for self-expression and making a statement. We started this story in 2022, and we are taking it to the next level by bumping up the saturation for 2023.

How does this color work as part of overall color palette trends for interior décor for 2023 and beyond?

Raspberry Blush leads the way for the palette of saturated, uplifting hues included in the Color Trends 2023 palette. Each color has a distinct personality and can stand on its own for fantastic results. The confidence and charisma of Raspberry Blush is contagious, inviting us to push outside of our comfort zones and into an amazing color experience.

Need some helpful advice about painting? Check out these helpful tips from the experts at Porch – our guest blogger. Porch connects homeowners with home professionals to get their home projects done, offering tools and resources, including advice, reviews and project pages, to help homeowners manage each home project from start to finish. Read the blog post here.

I finally finished the makeover of our new guest room on the ground floor. I completely redesigned it – a thorough makeover – which turned our house into a construction site for about a month. Here, you can have a look at the room before the renovation.

My challenge was not to change the entire decor of the room, but to refresh its look through color, in order to give it a warmer look and feel.

I was bothered by two things in particular: the white walls and black wax curtains. I was also missing decorative elements – such as bedside tables – that were needed in order to make the room’s color concept more coherent.

The finished guest room after the makeover.

The Color Palette

This room is on the ground floor and receives no direct daylight. Only a tiny bit of natural light finds its way through a window, with brick-red painted struts, that borders the hallway towards the front door.

For the color scheme, I took my inspiration from the Le Monde Sauvage wallpaper (model, “Make Up,” made of rice paper), which was to be the focal point of this room. The wallpaper frames the headboard of the bed, which rests on the opposite side of the room, looking from the window. The idea was to give a slightly dramatic feel to this room that lacked character or any real design assets. When it comes to interior design, one should never be discouraged, because there is always a solution to every design challenge!

Why work with a color palette?

BECAUSE COLOR CHANGES EVERYTHING. I could have simply repainted the entire room in a bold color, but that wasn’t what I wanted. However, I did include some dramatic color in the form of curtains in a bold, theatrical red!

I scan my wallpaper’s color, using ColorReader EZ.

The scanned color is displayed on my ColorReader app.

Using the “Coordinate Colors” feature, I’m provided with different color schemes that coordinate perfectly with the color I just scanned. This is where you can see the bold red of my curtains.

ColorReader EZ as a helpful color tool

Using the ColorReader EZ which can scan and match colors from any flat surface, I was able to determine the exact color of this wallpaper and find coordinating colors. I simply placed the ColorReader EZ flat against the wallpaper, tapped a button and let the ColorReader app on my smartphone do the rest. You’ll get the top 3 paint color matches from your favorite paint brands, then tap one of those to find coordinating color palettes choices (Complementary, Monochromatic, Analogous and Triad).

MY MISSION: ENHANCE THE VISUAL IMPACT OF THIS ROOM WITH COLOR, BUT WITHOUT GIVING IT A DARKER LOOK

Before, my guest room was painted white, but this banal hue made it look kind of sad. The light oak parquet floor was nice, but also looked a bit lost. The ethnic-chic wallpaper in warm shades of brown and gray was all that was holding the room together, color-wise. I reworked the mood of the room with color, opting for a warmer white, as suggested by ColorReader EZ.

Why does it make sense to start with a decorative element to create an entire color palette?

Quite often, my readers ask me which color is best for which room. I could always give several tips on this right away, but the easiest way is to start with a colored object that appeals to you. This could be a color in a pattern on a pillow, a poster, or a wallpaper. When you select a color you love, you’ve created the starting point for a color palette. You can imagine how ColorReader EZ can help you with this task by simply scanning your favorite hue to find its perfect paint color match.

Cool white in the hallway vs. warm white in the guest room.

The photo above depicts the striking difference in the room’s look after using the warmer white. The pure white in the hallway – the guestroom’s original color – has a cool, bluish-gray tone. The blush-tinted white, now on the bedroom walls and ceiling, looks much warmer and more welcoming. This is exactly the look I wanted to achieve.

Paint the radiator or leave it as is?

Paint the radiator or leave it as is?

I debated whether I should paint the radiator in a color similar to the wallpaper or red to pick up the color of the hallway window. I opted for simplicity and kept it the white color of the walls so as not to draw attention to it.

How do I coherently tie in my furniture to keep a chic, ethnic style room?

This room already had a number of items that I wanted to use again in my makeover; the white leather chair, an old, rather dark, family chest of drawers, and the Lafuma collection with its distinct ethnic patterns in black and white, that Jean-Paul Gaultier had designed for Lelièvre Paris.

I added two small, light oak nightstands that matched the parquet floor, and thought long and hard about what fabric the curtains should be. Finally, I decided on a linen and cotton fabric from Thevenon, whose patterns and colors were quite bold. I stand by this decision – I love strong color accents. The room is rounded off by neutral walls, “nature” posters and dried, Bohemian-style plants.

A change of color, not style.

I hope you enjoyed the makeover of my guest room. There is still so much to do at our home – no room is perfect and here is no end in sight to my renovation and makeover projects. Still, I’m happy we are on the right track and at least this one room is done for now!

For more interior design and decorating ideas, check out my blog at https://www.turbulences-deco.fr. Stop by and take a look!

About the Author – Clémence Perceval-Motte

Clémence Perceval-Motte has been running the French-language blog Turbulences Déco for more than 10 years. In her blog, Clémence shares her love of interior design, crafts, travel, sustainability, and fine craftsmanship, along with some helpful tips for DIY design projects.

She discovered her passion for interior design while working in a home decor store. Clémence loves contemporary art, and attended art school herself for six years, but is now more interested in the creations of other designers and artisans.

She loves to collect objects in need of repair, scraps of fabric, balls of wool, and whatever else she can get her hands on. With her talent for craftsmanship and eye for detail, she frequently ends up creating beautiful decorative pieces from these items.

When it comes to marketing your business – whether you have a brick-and-mortar store and/or online presence – color plays an important role in your efforts. Consumers see hundreds of advertisements a day, so breaking through the barrier to improve conversion rates can often take a little more than just the right words — that’s where colors come in.

Color evokes emotion without the use of words, so choosing the right colors for your coating company’s marketing and advertising strategies depends on what your marketing goals are and what message you want to convey.

What Does This Mean for the Painting Industry and Coatings Industry?

It’s important to consider color in context of applications in the painting and coatings industry. If your brand specializes in goods and products — rather than services — you should consider ways to incorporate colors into your physical design. Color’s psychological impact amplifies when consumers regularly interact with your products in a face-to-face setting, rather than just digitally.

Use colors that evoke emotions that align with your brand’s goals. For example, a bold hue like red can catch the eye of a consumer in a crowded hardware store where products compete for attention. If your goal is to convey a sense of trustworthiness regarding your product or services, shades of blue are a sound choice

Choose Marketing Colors to Boost Your Brand

If you’re in the process of deciding which colors are right for your business/brand, start by taking the time to determine what story you’d like to tell. Think about the core pillars of your business – things like service, trustworthiness, innovation, reliability – and choose colors to create a palette that can paint a picture of your brand.

How Color Tools Like ColorReader Can Help

Datacolor understands both the power of color and the importance of accurate and consistent color matching, simplifying this process through an array of color tools such as their line of ColorReaders. ColorReader Pro, ColorReader and ColorReader EZ not only help paint pros and DIYers find precision paint color matches, saving both time and money, but also lets you scan colors to get important color data for digital design work. This way, you can use your ColorReader to scan your business’s logo for precise color data you or your designer can then use to create a color-coordinated marketing campaign that reinforces your brand recognition and ability to stand out in a visually busy online world.

How Color Psychology Factors Into Marketing

Using colors strategically and scientifically to better reach audiences and improve conversion can be accomplished by applying color psychology. Studies show that specific colors affect consumers’ emotions differently, so it’s important to take your time and determine which feelings you’d like to convey throughout all the touchpoints of your business – from your products, and advertising materials, to your physical structure – perhaps even the clothing your staff wears.

How Colors Affect Emotions and Impact Buyers’ Decisions

Bright primary colors like red, blue, and yellow are making a comeback as 2022’s trending marketing colors – so what do these colors say in terms of marketing?

Red Attracts Attention and Prompts Action

Red is a classic color used to boost sales and conversions. If your brand’s goal is to catch a consumer’s attention in a high-traffic areas, red is good choice. It also works well when used to invoke a call to action. Whether you want to increase your channel’s subscription rate or attract shoppers into your storefront, consider red as a call to action.

Blue Conveys Trust and Strength

Studies have shown that when consumers see a brand that uses blue as part of its marketing/branding, they view that business as one that is trustworthy, responsible and strong. Which shade of blue also comes into play. Consumers tend to view light blue as inviting and friendly. Deeper blues are seen as more serious and conservative.

Yellow Sparks Joy and Positivity

Yellow may not be used as often as the other two primary colors of blue and red, yet it’s a color to consider when the goal is to evoke feelings of joy, optimism and other “sunny” emotions. Hue variations matter here, as golden yellows are seen as warm and homey, buttery yellows as cheery and bright, and acid yellows can be seen as fun, modern and definitely eye-catching.

Pairing primary colors is a great way to grab attention while conveying your particular brand story. For example, blue and yellow used together can communicate that your business/products are both trustworthy and innovative. Feel that yellow may be too bright? Consider using it as a secondary or accent color in your brand logo.

Green Connects Consumers with Nature and Growth

While we’ve focused on primary colors, a secondary color (a color that is created when 2 primary colors are combined – in the case of green, that would be blue and yellow) green is a powerful hue in marketing communication, evoking a sense of serenity, nature, and growth. It’s a great option for items that are environmentally friendlier, such as no/low-VOC coatings, as well as to convey a sense of environmental awareness and/or a focus on sustainability regarding your products and services.

About the Author – Austin Houser

As founder of Base Coat Marketing, Austin is a data scientist and digital marketing expert with over a decade of lead generation experience within the professional painting industry. If you’re interested in learning more about how colors can impact your coatings business, give the team over at Base Coat Marketing a call. They are a full-service digital marketing agency exclusive to the professional painting and coatings industries.

In this blog post I would like to show the exact color correction in Photoshop using Lab values. Lab values are color space-independent and therefore suitable as a reference value for recoloring product colors in Photoshop. But these Lab values I want to use have to be measured somehow. With Datacolor’s ColorReader EZ, Lab values can easily be measured directly from even surfaces and these values can then be used in Photoshop.

The ColorReader is controlled by an app that has to be connected to the device and then the measurement can start already.

For this tutorial, I have measured the colors of a silkscreen image (painting/silkscreen: Sabine Landgraf, panama-berlin.de) and will match a photo of this image using the Lab values. Then I will insert the picture into an interior design photo and adjust the furniture and wall colors using Lab corrections as well, so that the painting fits in well with the surroundings.

I started by measuring the two dominant colors of the image. The ColorReader app provides me with RGB, hexadecimal and also Lab values which I can use later for image processing – in addition to the “real” colors in RAL specifications or from palettes of color manufacturers.

In addition, I measure a wall color used in my home in order to be able to check later whether these colors would work well with each other.

For the image editing part I need a photo of the image, in this case taken with my iPhone and this is of course not the accurate color. And I will use a stock photo of a new interior (Stockfoto: Fotolia_83964629).

Beide öffne ich in Photoshop und ändere sogleich den Farbmodus über das Menü Bild > Modus auf > Lab-Farbe.

I open both in Photoshop and immediately change the color mode by accessing the menu Image > Mode to > Lab color.

The actual correction then takes place using the gradation curves, which I open using the Corrections palette. Here you see the individual channels appear directly from the pop menu:

• The L channel for the brightness (luminance)
• The a-channel for the magenta-green balance
• The b-channel for the yellow-blue balance

With the integrated “hand tool”, first I select the L channel and in the image I click on the light beige color tone that I have measured and change the output value to the one I measured before.

I’m repeating this for the a and b channel as well.

We perform the same procedure again for the red color tone that I have measured before.

The curve and the image already change significantly.

I combine the result of the Lab corrections in a Smart Object and place the corrected image into the interior shot. Now it’s time to adjust the color of the environment.

I select the wall in the picture with the quick selection tool and do another correction of the gradation curve and adjust a recoloring according to the Lab values I measured. In order to do so I use the Lab value of the wall measured with the ColorReader app.

Now the picture and the wall color already go well together. As for the other elements in the picture – the sofa and the carpet – I want to try out new colors, but of course they should also be in harmony with the existing ones.

Again this is where the ColorReader app is a big help. Using it, I can check out the Lab value I measured by using the measurement history and then clicking on “receive data” to check the closest color matches. Three suggestions are made and if I select on I can choose a function called “coordinating colors”. This will select matching colors according to different color harmonies. Each of these new colors can then be displayed again as a LAB value and can be the basis for a further Photoshop correction.

As a result, we have a great suggestion for furnishing the room that is adapted to the colors of the original print and makes a great match.

Maike Jarsetz from Hamburg/Germany is a trained photographer and works as a trainer, author and consultant for photography and image editing, print and publishing.

Maike is an Adobe Certified Expert and is considered a proven expert for Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, as well as the entire Creative Cloud design portfolio. She gives presentations and talks at many photography and image editing related events. In her lectures, books and articles, she combines current software know-how with her professional roots.

Vignettes play an interesting part in interior design. A vignette is simply a small collection of items arranged in a visually appealing way that tells a story. What constitutes a vignette can also help define its function in a space and determine what story it tells.

Types of Vignettes

A vignette can be a grouping of objects you collect, such as candlesticks, salt & pepper shakers or decorative eggs. In this instance, the story behind the vignette is one of self-expression, displaying something in your home design that brings you joy.

A vignette could also be about objects that reflect your design style, such as a grouping of mid-century modern objects atop a dresser from the same time period.

Vignettes can function as both a visual resting place for the eye and a focal point in your space. A collection of mercury glass placed on a mirror can function as jewelry does for an outfit – “accessorizing” a space for a more finished look.

Color can play a strong role in creating a vignette – from tying together seemingly disparate objects to adding a pop of color to a space, highlighting a room’s accent color, or even further defining its design style (organic farmhouse, modern beach cottage, etc.), enhancing the room’s overall style ambiance.

Curated Color with ColorReader EZ

The ColorReader EZ can be a particularly handy tool to have when creating a color vignette with existing objects in your home. Simply scan the flat surface of objects you’d like to display to help you create a color theme/palette for your vignette that will look beautiful.

Tips for Creating a Stunning Vignette

Choose the Right Location – Pick a spot with adequate illumination (from natural or artificial light) in a prominent place in the space for easy viewing. Vignettes are all about presentation, so you don’t want to have yours hidden in some corner.

Decide on a Theme – Create a visual story – do you want to go with color, a favorite collection or a seasonal feel? The great thing about vignettes is that they are easy to change according to your design objectives or personal mood.

Consider Spacing – A thoughtful approach to selecting and grouping objects in a vignette is key – think curated, not cluttered. Each object should be able to be viewed and appreciated both as a single item and as part of a larger group or story. Crowd too many things together or space too few items apart and you’ll lose that sense.

Adding Interest – Include objects of varying heights, visual weights and perhaps, textures to keep your vignette dynamic. And don’t be afraid to try out an item that may be an outlier but has an interesting story that ties it into your vignette. Along with visual appeal, a great vignette can also be a jumpstart to some stimulating conversations.

Guest post by DIY / Interior Design blogger Rebecca Wallenta / sinnenrausch.at

It feels so good to finally be able to move part of everyday life outside again. On warm days, there’s nothing I enjoy more than putting my feet up on our balcony, which is right off our living room, and letting my mind wander. But where can I put my coffee cup in the morning, an exciting novel in the afternoon and a candle in the evening? A small side table would be handy – luckily, it’s also a quick DIY project, using old or discarded flowerpots, bowls and plates.

The finished DIY side table for our patio!
Perfectly color-coordinated with my favorite outdoor decorative accessories.

Personalized color design thanks to ColorReader EZ

My color inspiration for the side tables came from the outdoor table décor and accessories I have for our patio. Using my ColorReader EZ, I simply scanned my desired colors from these items to find their perfect paint color matches.

A while ago, ColorReader EZ helped me redecorate our bedroom and ever since, it has been my favorite tool when it comes to scanning and matching colors, as well as finding color-coordinating hues.

With just one click, the handy device gives you your top 3 paint color matches, along with color data for your desired color. Ever been out and come across a particularly beautiful hue you’d like to incorporate into your home decor? Simply scan the object of your color inspiration with your ColorReader EZ, then save it on your smartphone via the feature rich ColorReader app. You’ll have all the color information you need at your fingertips when you go to the store to get your paint. The app lets you save scanned colors, organize them according to project, color palette, or however you want, and you can easily share colors and palettes with friends, families, colleagues, contractors – anyone! Save colors and create palettes to use now or for future projects.

The scarf’s delicate, petal hue is scanned with ColorReader EZ, so a perfectly matching paint color
can be mixed at the paint or hardware store.

As color inspiration for my project, I chose a blue lantern and a print in different shades of blue. As a second, coordinating color, I wanted the pale pink of the linen cloth, which looked great with the blue I had decided on. A color combo that was both light and fresh – just perfect for summer!

ColorReader EZ gives you the top 3, precise paint color matches to your scanned color.

Building and painting the side tables

The tables are built from different sized flowerpots and bowls, glued together with exterior construction adhesive. These tables can be customized according to your wishes and ideas, based on the items used. These handy tables are great to use indoors, too. If my instructions here don’t go far enough, you are more than welcome to check out a more extended version on my (German!) blog.

Materials required

I used my ColorReader EZ to scan the colors from my decorative accessories then had the paint mixed at the hardware store. I chose an exterior, resin-based paint that could withstand the outdoor elements. I used 2 coats of paint on my tables, making sure to let the first coat dry completely before applying the second coat. With synthetic resin, this can take up to 24 hours.

The first table is painted in a shade of soft blue

The table’s wooden top can be removed and converted into a handy serving tray. The bowl underneath can be used as a planter or for extra storage space.

Perfect color harmony; the table colors perfectly match
my decorative outdoor accessories – just in time for summer!

Have fun creating your own DIY side table and enjoy the warm summer months to come!

Rebecca Wallenta

Rebecca Wallenta is an Austrian DIY blogger, living in beautiful Tyrol, with her husband, daughter and French bulldog, Emma. Rebecca has always had an affinity for nature, and enjoys beautiful living spaces, timeless design and hand-crafted decorations made with love.

In June 2010, she started her DIY blog www.sinnenrausch.at, where she shares her DIY projects and easy tips for creative renovations and décor, plus extraordinary crafting ideas.