For some reason, I thought that everyone in the world of Decorating and Design, knew what “Full Spectrum Colors” were. But I learned real quick that it was not true.
And I also thought that everyone that works in a paint store knew exactly what that was. To my surprise, I got the weirdest answer today when I went into a store and just asked if they have any Full Spectrum Colors, although I was fully aware of the fact that this specific store does not sell Full Spectrum Colors. Sometimes you just have to have some fun, right!
What does “Full Spectrum” mean?
Usually, a paint color is made up of about 2-4 colors including black and maybe white.
Full Spectrum Colors consist of 7-12 different colorants and it NEVER EVER has black in it due to the fact that black does not reflect light. It’s truly considered as complex colors.
It plays very well with the surrounding colors and is often referred to as “chameleon” colors. The cool thing about these colors is that they will never look muddy, and even the darkest colors, that may appear to be black, is just a mixture of many of the colors that you see on a color wheel. These colors are so rich and beautiful, once you’ve used them, you will probably never go back to less complex paint color choices.
Being a professional Color Consultant, I admit that it can be a tad nerve-wracking when you don’t really know exactly how a particular color is going to shift, especially when the light changes.
It is not like your standard colors that are fairly predictable and more constant. But it’s also exciting!
Once you choose an actual color that you really like, the changes in the appearance of the color, should not be disturbing. It’s usually the neutral colors that can be more of a visual challenge.
Several different factors can play a role in the way the final result will display. Whatever colors are in the surroundings, will play a role and the type of light bulbs and the number of Kelvins should definitely be taken into consideration.
So what have we learned about Full Spectrum Colors?
- It is complex, it is rich and velvety and it works well with surrounding elements.
- It has NO Black in it, which means it will never look muddy
- Not all companies have them. In my area, only Benjamin Moore has it. Look for the Paint Colors in the Color Stories Collection
- You won’t be able to purchase a small sample, it has to be a quart. And if you do wish to paint a Full Spectrum Color, it will be mixed in the AURA paint, which is a great quality paint and slightly more expensive.
- Full Spectrum Colors are NOT meant for exteriors.
- It can absolutely NOT be Color Matched. Do not even attempt!
Full Spectrum Philosophy – C2 Paint . As in nature, the beauty of our products starts from within. We cultivate and source rare, finely ground pigments and combine them with multiple colorants (with no black) to create colors that are rich, dynamic and harmonious.
