Paint colors like “Burble Simp,” courtesy of artificial intelligence

Posted on May 24, 2017May 24, 2017 by alanna@freedom-painters.com

Paint companies come up with some pretty great colors -- and they work hard to find alluring names for their colors. Or at least interesting names... In late 2016 we worked with Farrow & Ball's "Dead Salmon," for instance. But recent experiments with artificial intelligence resulted in a bevy of ideas for new colors and non-sequitur names that you probably will NOT be finding in your local paint store anytime soon. Such as: Part 1 of the experiment didn't go so well, but when the n...

Why Lighter Exterior Colors Last Longer

Posted on May 19, 2015February 13, 2017 by alanna@freedom-painters.com

I relish the chance for a nice weekend spin around the Main Line in mid-May, the shrubs and flowers in full bloom, up against those stone houses with their dramatic darkly-painted doors and shutters. But this vivid, stylish look comes with a price. Those dark trim colors require a lot of maintenance and frequent repainting. For exterior trim or walls, lighter colors simply last longer. The science is fairly straightforward: Ultraviolet light causes color pigment to fade. Darker colors abso...

Color Matching Fun. I mean The Color Matching Fun.

Posted on April 15, 2015February 13, 2017 by alanna@freedom-painters.com

We've talked before about why we love using Benjamin Moore paint. Frequently a client asks us to match a color from another paint company. No Problem, we always say. Our favorite paint store (Hello to our buddies at Ricciardi Brothers in Ardmore!) can get us a perfect match of practically any color from any brand, in those Ben Moore paints we are confident will look and last best in the customer's home. Last week, though, a customer asked us to match a Restoration Hardware color that wasn't i...

Choosing Paint Colors for Energy Efficiency

Posted on April 3, 2015February 13, 2017 by alanna@freedom-painters.com

Paint colors can have a huge impact on the energy efficiency of our homes. It's more and more common these days to use white or reflective roof coatings to keep buildings cooler in summer, since a black tar roof will absorb heat rather than reflect it outward. The same basic principle goes for exterior painting: Lighter, more reflective colors will help buildings stay a little cooler during those long sunlit summer days. But even interior color choices can affect energy efficiency. The al...

2015 Color Trends

Posted on January 16, 2015February 13, 2017 by alanna@freedom-painters.com

Benjamin Moore, the paint that we here at Freedom use most often, have released their "Color Trends" for 2015. Even if (like me) you're not exactly planning to follow a paint company's color advice for your own home, this page can be a great place to find some inspiration and get your own color ideas rolling. Similar to last year, the pallet tends toward low saturation and cooler colors, and they've included some striking purples to spice things up. Their "color of the year" is Guilford Green...