New Colours?

Are there actually any new colours?

No. Colours, strictly speaking, are places on the unbroken continuum of light that we see in a rainbow. There aren't any new ones. Scientists have found that people can distinguish at least a million different colours, though we can name only the ones we have names for.

That is, we could have identified Tangerine Tango as "orange" or maybe "red orange," but until Pantone named it their Colour of the Year for 2012, most of us couldn't have distinguished this particular shade of orange as Tangerine Tango.

Pantone has more than 1,100 different names for colours -- many more than most of us would ever use, but still many fewer than our eyes are able to distinguish.

So what does it mean when we have "new" colours each season?

The last time Pantone chose orange for the colour of the year was in 2004, when Tigerlily was the queen of colours.

Chances are good that most of us, asked to pick between Tangerine Tango and Tiger Lily, would have a hard time. Even if we had a clear preference for one over the other, if we then went out looking for a lamp to match one shade or the other, we'd have a hard time picking the "right" shade with confidence.

So why do we even have new colours each season? It's actually something about the human brain. We get used to seeing one set of colours -- say, the warm pinks and greens of 2011 -- and when we see the deep blues and red-oranges of 2012 we find them much more exciting.

This is because our brains naturally quit responding to information we've seen before.They have to. We can't go around getting excited about the colour of the sky every moment that we see it, and equally excited about all the other sensations in the world. We wouldn't be able to concentrate at all if we did that. Our brains protect us by responding differently to new information than to old information.

New colours have been out of style for a while, or they're a bit different from the almost-identical version of the colour that was popular last year, so they look new to us. We may not like them at first, or we may be excited to see a colour we love but which hasn't been around recently. Either way, they get our full attention.

Warm Colours and Cool Colours

What's the difference between a warm colour and a cool colour? The simplest answer is that all the colours between red and yellow are warm, while those from green to purple are cool.

Looking at warm colours like red, orange, and yellow causes your blood pressure to rise slightly. Additional glucose heads to your brain. It's physically exciting, at least according to some researchers.

Looking a blue or green makes you calm. Your blood pressure lowers. If you were feeling a little angry or upset, those feelings will dissipate. Your blood pressure goes down a bit.

Restaurants are often decorated in warm colours like red, orange, or burgundy. The idea is that you'll feel more excited and hungrier -- but also that you'll finish your meal more quickly and leave so the staff can get a new party in at your table and earn more for the night.

A bright, sunny room can make people feel happier and more awake. Creative work may go better in such a stimulating environment. However, yellow can also make people feel a bit irritable, so you don't want that colour in your conference rooms.

That's fine as far as it goes, but we sometimes talk about warm or cool shade of white or grey. We talk about warmer and cooler variants of red or blue. How does that work?

Think of yellow as the ultimate warm colour and blue as the ultimate cool colour. Any shade of white that has yellow undertones is warm, while a white with more blue tones is cool.

The blues are both cool colours, certainly, and the reds are both warm. But see how the shades on the left contain more blue and the ones on the right contain more yellow. That makes the shades on the right warmer. So teal and russet are warmer than aqua and berry.

Some seasons, even the neutral colours tend to be warmer and some seasons, they're cooler. That difference can affect how calming or exciting a room is. It can also make your room look newer, more up to date, and more sophisticated. When a shade is just a bit different from what our eyes have gotten used to, it can feel more stimulating.

Self-healing Paint

There are few things as satisfying as surveying your newly painted home or office, whether it's the inside or the outside that's been painted. It's smooth, beautiful, pristine, and perfect.

That lasts until someone tosses a surfboard against the wall on the way in, or smacks a bike into it, or smashes against the corner while carrying in a new appliance.

Glossy finishes don't show smudges and scratches as much as matte ones do, but sooner or later, there'll be some damage. You can touch it up (or have professional painters do it for best results) or just live with it till time to change the colour.

All that may change some day. Since 2005, Japanese carmaker Nissan has used scratch-healing paint on its cars. Now they've figured out how to extend the technology to other items: specifically, to a cell phone case.

Can house paint be far behind?

Actually, there's no plan to make this technology into house paint... but it would be nice, wouldn't it?

When Is a Neutral Not a Neutral?

This year,neutrals are big. We always like neutrals; the elegance and versatility make them perfect for many painting jobs.

But some neutrals aren't truly neutrals. One of the favorite shades this season is lilac. Not the stunning colour of the flowers above, but the shy colour from the very interior of the palest blossoms. The example below is "Peplum" from Dulux, but all of the paint companies are offering a version.

The great thing about working with a not-really-neutral colour like this year's lilac is that it's as elegant and versatile like an ordinary grey -- but a little bit more exciting. Without calling attention to itself, it gives your room a greater sophistication and drama.

 

Another example is "Amethyst" from Wattyl. It's in the purple family, just as "Peplum" is, but it comes off like black. Less stark, a little more luscious, but nothing about it shouts "purple."

We're seeing a lot of this type of colour this year, in shades from green and blue families as well. If you like neutrals, but you're ready for something just a little more dramatic, this is the way to go.

Competitive Paint Watching

As Olympic Fever grips the UK, LocalTraders have organised a completely new competition: watching paint dry. It may not require a lot of physical skill, but it takes plenty of mental stamina to watch paint dry.

Watching paint dry has often been cited as the most boring activity in existence, so it will take lots of intense focus and zenlike concentration to keep it up longer than anyone else. As you train for the event, watching paint dry at your home or office, have someone get a snap of you showing your best form.

Click on the link above and upload your beaut photo. LocalTraders will pick the best paintwatchers and invite them to the finals in England, where they can strut their stuff in front of the media in a brutal competition for the World Champion at watching paint dry.

LocalTraders make the point that watching paint dry is a mental  feat by including a couple of questions on the official entry form for the event. Entrants must tell the length of time they spent watching paint dry in order to get the snap, and must also describe their favourite paint colour -- and why it is their favourite.

The greatest challenge, though, may be getting some wet paint to watch. Let Courtney & Wise assist you with this if you're in Sydney or the Northern Beaches. We'll paint your home or office and give you a beautiful paint job to watch.

Solar Paint Update

We've written before about solar paint: solar power cells in such tiny nanoparticles that they can be suspended in paint and brushed right onto your home. Right now, they're not very efficient and they're very expensive, but we're looking forward to the day when your housepaint can supply all the energy you need to run your lights.

This video gives you an update on where this exciting technology is right now.

Painting for Life Changes

There are so many reasons to paint your home, ranging from wanting to sell it to simply needing to repaint because it has been many years since the last paint job. Surprisingly often, painting has to do with life changes.

The new nursery you're painting to welcome a new baby. The new, grownup bedroom for the newly grownup son or daughter. The home office that marks an exciting new chapter in your work life. The new color to make a positive statement about a divorce.

There's nothing wrong with recognising life's milestones with a new coat of paint -- indeed, it's one of the nicest ways to do it, and an economical way, too. The benefits outlast the most slap-up party you could ever have, and you'll enjoy them every day.

But let us share some tips for this kind of painting:

• Think twice before doing something very different from what you usually choose. Something completely different can be a wonderful thing, but do you want to be stuck with a colour you chose just because it was your ex's least favourite colour? If turning 50 makes you want to paint your bedroom black -- or bright pink -- might that not be a temporary feeling? Let your paint choice be the second or third thought, not the first emotional reaction.
• Consider all aspects of the job. Painting the nursery is a wonderful celebration of the new family member who's on the way, but make sure you go with no-VOC paints. Repainting the outside of your new home is a great way to make it yours, so be sure you've seen that new home in different seasons and different lighting to be sure you know exactly how you want it to look.
• Enjoy it! Sure, you might find that the brilliant lemon-yellow you choose for Gran's room when she moves in with you actually gets on her nerves, but paint isn't permanent. You can change your mind. Don't be too cautious to get some pleasure from making that change.

Wattyl Colour Forecast 2012: Modern Sophisticate

Wattyl's "Modern Sophisticate" palette is not quite a neutral palette, but it's neutral enough to use in the most conservative setting.

It's also colourful enough to make a statement. The soft blue of Gracieux paired with Dark Amethyst is offbeat enough to catch the eye, and to refresh it. The greyed biscuit tones will come off as neutral in an office, but they'll still add a fresh, contemporary feel.

We like these colours all together in a single home or office building, drawing the eye on from one room to the next. They also look well together in a single room, picking out the architectural details in a way that could seem aggressive with bolder, less harmonious colours.

Wattyl 2012 Colour Forecast: Coastal Calm

Here at Courtney & Wise,we know all about Coastal Calm. We've been keeping homes beautiful on Sydney's Northern Beaches for two two generations. So we're naturally drawn to Wattyl's new "Coastal Calm" palette of sandy neutrals and marine blues. The range of blue shades includes several shades that are lovely apart and even more exciting together.

These colours may be perfect for beachfront homes, but they can also bring the peace and beauty of the ocean to city places.

One of the special things about a palette like this is that it can create completely different looks if used in different proportions. A room with its main walls done in Soothing Seas and Sateen Snow trim will be eye catching and dramatic, while Sateen Snow with Soothing Seas trim will have a more traditional feeling. Two shades of blue or two shades of sand give entirely different effects as well.

Instead of painting small boards in each shade you're thinking of using, paint one board with the proportions of the two you have in mind -- and paint another board with the proportions switched. Put them on opposite walls of the room and look at them in different lights during the day and evening to make up your mind.

Wattyl 2012 Colour Forecast: Pizzazz

Wattyl has a fine selection of colours for 2012, beginning with this palette, called "Pizzazz." They've taken the red orange shades which are so popular this year and deepened them to ceate sophisticated, romantic colours that play well with deep greens and cool greys.

Choose the neutrals, or mix all the colours up in different ways throughout your home. We see these colours creating the perfect backdrop for lots of natural materials with plenty of texture. Stone, raffia, linen, bamboo, and chunky knit wool will all show to advantage against these deep, natural, yet complex shades.