When it comes to decorating, painting is an easier task than choosing a colour. That's the finding of a survey of Canadians' painting habits conducted by CIL paint.
Forty-four per cent of respondents pointed to colour selection as the biggest challenge they associate with painting projects. This compares with 34 per cent who cited preparation as their biggest obstacle.
The study also found 36 per cent of respondents said they rely on in-store assistance to select a colour. What's more, CIL paint retailers report that even those who take a fabric swatch or accessory from the room to be painted into the store still have trouble envisioning their completed projects.
If you've ever painted, you know how challenging it is to find just the right colour for your project. Thank goodness there are online tools that can help you envision your painted room.
In response to consumer demand, CIL paint has launched a new website (www.CIL.ca) that makes selecting paint easier. Based on a model-home concept, the website allows visitors to see dozens of room settings, each featuring a different wall colour.
I've been using this site to help me choose paint colours for my new condo. It really does help you narrow down options. I print the final outcome and carry it with me in my design book to help me when I'm shopping for accessories etc.
Unlike the traditional method of showcasing paints by colour family, CIL paint presents its colour palette by room -- from bedrooms and bathrooms to kitchens, living areas and dining rooms. Every room category features a wide range of photos, each with a different colour backdrop.
"The idea of the model-home concept is to showcase paint colours in a true-to-life setting," said Alison Goldman, brand manager for CIL paint, a brand of PPG Architectural Coatings. "Just as people walk through a physical model home and get decorating ideas, so too can they navigate through the new CIL paint website and make more confident colour and décor decisions," she added, explaining that test-user feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
"Although people have relied on paint chips to help them make colour selections for decades, it's difficult to envision how the chip they're holding in the palm of their hand will look on the entire length of a wall," Goldman said. "Now we're saying to consumers, 'Here's an online library of colour options that makes it easy for you to narrow your colour choices from the comfort of your home, before you even step into a store to look at paint swatches,'" she explained.
The website has a visualizer tool that allows users to choose their favourite décor setting and try different CIL paint colours and colour combinations in the room. It also lets users upload -- and virtually paint -- photos of their own rooms, or they can pull colours from any uploaded image and bring them into a room setting. A special site feature enables visitors to save their choices in a project folder and share them through social-media channels to get input from family and friends.
The most popular rooms painted by Canadians last year were bedrooms (24 per cent), living and family rooms (23 per cent) and kitchens (22 per cent), the survey showed.
Our feature photograph from CIL boasts a daring pale turquoise wall colour (Sunday Sonata). Being able to see this fabulous colour in an actual room setting before you use it in your own home is invaluable. The website tools help you take more colours risks, which can lead to a unique and truly fabulous décor.
There are lots of other Internet sites that can help you with your colour options. Just seeing photographs of other people's projects can give you great ideas for your own décor. I often do searches of photographs of décor ideas, such as 'blue and white kitchens' for example, just to see what great ideas are out there.
Bringing the world's creative ideas to your home is a great feature of the Internet. It's available 24 hours and doesn't judge your ideas!
connieoliver@shaw.ca
