Paints And Sustainability

Choosing the right palettes for your home or project is not just a daunting task, it can be frustratingly difficult. One of the recommendations for people in such time of decision making is to be clear what they require from the colors they choose. It is not news that colors have certain psychological effects on humans, hence, while some colors can have calming and soothing mental effects, others can get one aggravated without cause. While some colors are optimal for home aesthetics, others can completely ruin the aesthetic efforts of the building. So, knowing what colors to choose, we must account for what we want to achieve. 

In our need for sustainability as a pressing global matter, one can consider the sustainability value of the colors we choose to add to the overall energy efficiency of our home. 

While there are many ways to make a home energy efficient, the color palette we choose can contribute significantly to this effort. 

While it would make little sense for someone living in the Sahel region of West Africa to choose the color black for a building no matter the aesthetic incentives, it would be a far more logical idea for someone in Canada to go with black, however unconventional.

As we cover subtle aspects of sustainable practices, let us consider home colors and the role they play to overall aesthetics, practicality, and energy efficiency of our home:

White: It is already widely known that the color white is a high efficient heat reflecting color. This means that when used as a coat on a surface, most heat reaching the surface will be reflected back into the atmosphere, relatively keeping the surface or its direct coverage cool. This means that white is an ideal color in areas with warm to hot climate patterns. By coating the exterior of your home white, you improve its efficiency in maintaining a cool interior and rely less on air conditioning systems, inevitably saving energy.

Grey: A blend between dark shade and lighter ones, grey can provide a combination of warming and cooling effect on your project depending on how you use them. Tucked in within the spectrum of greys, there are spots between where you can get what you need from the color. Either as an aesthetically appealing light cool color, or aesthetically meaner and warmer grey bordering on the darker sides of the spectrum.

Green – Yellow: From the beach houses in Miami, to the fish towns of Copenhengan, you will find homes within the Green to Yellow spectrum. Green and yellow are good alternatives for sunny climates where white would rather be too bright and harsh on the eyes. Alternating white with either a lighter hue of green or yellow would be more friendly to the eyes while still significantly having a decent cooling effect on your house.

Black: Most people would raise an eyebrow at the mention of the color black as an option for homes. Though unconventional, the color black is an eye turner when correctly used on a building. Modern architecture and design have demonstrated that black can work effectively great when used in the right way. Buildings with black paint have turned into an aesthetic culture gaining an increasing number of admirers and enthusiasts. Further, for a cold climate, black can be an energy efficient option, as one would expect that cold climates require you to gain as much heat as you can get. Having a black paint can help your building absorb heat better and cut down on the heating bills from energy usage in your home. 

Sea Blue: For someone who wants a house that stands out amongst its peers, a sea blue paint paired with lighter shades like white can do just that. 

Taupe: Many traditional homes come in this color and it is starting to look like it is going out of use lately. I have heard one too many contemporary designers suggest it is a dull color. Every color can be dull, how you use them is what matters. If your house is within a dusty terrain, the taupe might be your most reasonable option. With its dusty look, your house will maintain a sharp neat look when otherwise brighter colors like white would have been ruined by the dust particles that plague dusty environments.