How To Choose A Furniture Paint Color
The number of emails I get from people wanting to know what color I used on a piece of furniture exceeds the number of emails I get from potential clients. The truth is I don’t really use color chips. If I’m designing my own pieces I draw inspiration from wallpaper, hardware, a chandelier I picked up or even magazines. If I have a bold wallpaper, I want to use I usually make all of my material selections based off of that. The last thing I usually decide on is the paint color. More often than not the paint is a color match of a color in the wallpaper.
It’s not my intention to be rude when I get inquiries. I just don’t have a color name to give out. I want my pieces to be unique, even what looks like white in pictures, isn’t white. I’ve only used white once, all of the other light pieces in my gallery are grays, creams and cashew colors. It’s hilarious the responses I get when I try to explain that the piece in question isn’t white. I have had people get combative, not once or just one person, a collection of people on more than one occasion. It’s insane! Sorry I couldn’t be of more assistance to you, or I was unwilling to guess what it was you wanted me to tell you.
For me I think it’s harder to work on custom orders than design my own pieces. I shouldn’t say it’s hard, it’s like going on stage to perform in front of an audience full of people. I have all the confidence in the world I could pull off my routine, but what if the crowd isn’t feeling it. Crickets!! It’s kind of scary, for me anyway!
I’ve had several clients request a piece that ties into something sentimental like a piece of art. I have to design a piece of furniture that fits the style of their home and incorporates this object or that will display their objects. I can honestly say I have had every single client turn down my first choice for a paint color. Everything else is great, back panel, wallpaper, hardware, lighting, but the color choice has been reselected on every single custom order I’ve ever worked on.
Initial Design
Finished Product
There is only one piece of furniture I have worked on that is the true color selected by the client. She chose an award-winning paint color that was brand specific, and I could only get the paint mixed in that brand. Chalk paint tends to be slightly lighter than the paint chip or swatch. If you were to purchase a color from the wall at your local hardware store it’s not going to be the same paint color.
When I first started out, I had to agree to a final sale on my color choice for that reason. What seriously blows my mind is how often I see cans of chalk paint on the oops rack for sale because someone returned it. I’ve never been dissatisfied with my design choices, so it doesn’t bother me that they act like a supersized Karen but be consistent.
It sounds cheesy, but I let the furniture speak to me. I don’t buy anything to make a replica of a Pinterest pin or viral post. I hate making replicas of my own previous work. If I wanted a repetitious life, I’d get a job working on an assembly line building someone else’s crap. I like designing and creating my own art whether its furniture or decor. So, my best advice would be to choose a color that appeals to you not that’s plastered all over social media.
