Color behaves differently in Pittsburgh's light. Many days are overcast, and grey daylight makes paint look cooler and darker than the chip. Outside, the color has to sit well with red, brown or buff brick and with the roof. We help you narrow the choices and test samples on your own walls before the job starts.
Light in Pittsburgh is softer and greyer than paint chips assume. The city has a large share of overcast days, and under a cloudy sky colors read cooler and a shade or two darker than they do in the store. Row houses add to it, with windows only at the front and back and a dim middle room between. A grey that looked calm on the card can turn cold and flat on such a wall. Choosing for the light you really have is the heart of this service.
Indoors, we look at what is staying: the floors, the woodwork, the fireplace tile, the counters. Many older homes here have dark stained oak or chestnut trim, and wall colors need to sit well beside it. We narrow the field to a few candidates and put large samples on the walls. You then look at them in the morning, in the afternoon and under your lamps at night. We also talk about sheen, since a shiny finish shows every wave in old plaster.
Outdoors, the fixed colors come first. Brick in this area runs red, brown and buff, and the roof, stone and sidewalk are not changing either. Trim, door and porch colors are picked to suit them. On a frame house the siding color sets the tone and the trim follows. If the house is in a city historic district, exterior painting needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, so settle the colors before applying. Homeowner associations in the suburbs may have their own color rules too.
Color consulting in Pittsburgh: common questions
Why does my paint color look different at home than in the store?
Store lighting is bright and even. Your rooms get daylight from one or two sides, and in Pittsburgh that daylight is often grey. A sample on your own wall, checked at different times of day, is the only reliable test.
What trim color goes with red brick?
Warm whites, creams, deep greens, charcoal and black are common choices beside red brick. Stark cool white can look harsh against it. The roof and the stone or concrete trim on the house also steer the choice.
Do I have to decide every color before the painters arrive?
It is best to. Paint has to be ordered and the quote lists the colors and sheens. Decide early, and test samples a week or two ahead so you are not choosing in a hurry on the first morning.
How it works
- Free estimate: Call, text or book online. We walk the job and measure.
- Written quote: Prep, paint and price in writing.
- Prep & protect: We cover floors and furniture, repair and prime surfaces.
- Paint & walk-through: Two coats, clean lines, full clean-up and a final walk-through.