Lighting and colors

You have likely noticed that lighting substantially alters the appearance of colors, making them lighter or darker. For example, a wall will look darker at night under incandescent lighting than during the day in bright sunlight. Lighting also affects color saturation a hue will appear more saturated under natural light from the south. Finally, lighting has an effect on hues themselves. You may have lived the experience yourself if you have bought a piece of clothing under the fluorescent lighting of a shop only to find it looks green when you take it home. This phenomenon is called metamerism.

Whether you are dealing in clothing or in paint, you must take into account the different influences lighting can have on particular colors before making your choices.

Compensating for the effects of different types of lighting

Artificial lighting

Artificial lighting interacts differently with colors. In fact, it is the color of light that influences the colors of decorative objects and walls. You need to consider that interaction if you are to take advantage of it or compensate for it, depending on the situation.

Natural lighting

Two factors affect daylight. The positioning of windows determines the origin (orientation) of light that enters a room, while the position of the sun determines its intensity depending, on the time of day and the season. Thus, a room that faces west will only get indirect light in the morning but will bask in orange beams in the late afternoon in winter, or early evening in summer.

Southern light

Light from the south is the strongest.

Generally, colors that are exposed to the intensity of southern light seem lighter and more saturated.

Warm, light and saturated colors draw extra life out of southern light and create a stimulating effect.

Dark and unsaturated colors absorb more light and can help balance the effect of light in rooms that enjoy a lot of sunlight. Such colors can be used on walls that face windows.

Cold colors, as long as they are not too light, soften the effects of intense lighting.

Very light colors appear to be nearly white in intense lighting. To compensate for this, choose a hue that is a touch darker on the color chart.

Northern light

Northern light is the most diffused.

Warm colors can bestow north-facing rooms a warmer ambience.

Warm, light and saturated colors reflect light and can help compensate for shortages of light, especially when used on the wall that faces the windows.

Dark and unsaturated colors absorb light. If you use them in a north-facing room, you should use them on window walls where they will have less effect on light.

In general, colors that are exposed to indirect northern light seem darker and/or more unsaturated. You can compensate for this by choosing a hue that is a touch lighter or a touch more saturated on the color chart.

Choosing the final hue

Before making your choice, the least you can do is to bring home some color swatches and look at them carefully in the lighting of the room you are planning to paint and this, during a complete day/night cycle.

The best way to ensure your satisfaction is to buy a 2oz. jar of the paint you want and test it over different areas of the room you wish to paint. More so if the lighting in the room comes from different sources. Again, be sure to look at the swatches during a complete day/night cycle. This is a lot of work, but it guarantees your final choice will be the best. Pittsburgh® Paints will soon offer 2oz. jars for sale on the Web in all of the Harmony Collection™ colors.