Need Tips for Choosing Paint Color before New Lighting is Installed

4 years ago

I am almost finished with all my decision making on my 2 bathroom remodels. The last big one is the paint color for our small hall bath. I want a pale blue color, and I know blues can be tricky so I want to get it right. The problem is that it is a small bathroom with no natural light and the lighting will be changing from incandescent to an integrated LED bath bar. I don't have that kind of light anywhere in my house right now, the closest would probably be LED bulbs in the dining room light fixture or LED canned lights in various places. But, again, this will be in a small space with no natural light. I need to decided soon and I absolutely can't wait until the light goes in (I'll spare you the reasons why). So my general questions are:

How would the LED light in the bathroom change the color from the current incandescent lights? Would it look less saturated and more washed out?

What can I do to maybe mimic the lighting I should expect in the bathroom or what other process could I use to help me decide?

Normally I really take my time with paint colors, buy samples, and look at them on the wall at all times of the day for a few days. But with this lighting issue I'm not quite sure what to do.

Thanks!

Featured Answer

apple_pie_order

4 years ago

Buy a couple LED bulbs in the same color temperature as the new integrated LED bath bar. Put them in a portable lamp without the shade and put the lamp in the bathroom. Then look at your samples on big foamcore boards.

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Comments (7)

st5330
4 years ago
im wondering if it will truly matter in the end. pick the color u like with things as they are now and just let it go if you have no other options. I think a soft blue will lighten up the space and be beautiful no matter the light you have in there
User
4 years ago
Why not check the specs on the LED unit (lumens and color temperature) and try to match that with an incandecent bulb(s) in your current fixture.
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catbuilder
4 years ago
A lot of paint stores have displays with different light options installed. You could get somewhat of an idea by looking at the sample under those lights. But it won't be exact. LED lights come in all different colors, so you will never know until you have the actual light installed. If you really can't wait, then you just take what you get and live with it.
Claudianne Young
4 years ago
Instead of a color I used a blue tint in a bathroom once. It was very pretty.
Kelly Lemay
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks for the replies. North Texan, that's a good idea, but can two different types of lights with the same number of lumens still make colors look different? Catbuilder, I thought about that but my GC wants me to pick a Sherwin Williams color and my SW store doesn't have those different lights, just the store's fluorescent lights. I wonder how they compare? I guess I could take my color samples over to Home Depot where I know they have those. Thanks
Kelly Lemay
Original Author
4 years ago
apple_pie, good idea! I am checking out the specs. I notice that a "color rendering index" is listed, too. Might that help me?

Need Tips for Choosing Paint Color before New Lighting is Installed

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Comments (7)

st5330

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st5330

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