Night at the Museum

Sometimes paint colors, the crowning touch in many restorations or remodels, endures a drawn-out coronation. Half-painted walls languish for months, swatches taped in the corners of rooms, sample after sample brushed over stark white primer.

I generally recommend to the color choice challenged (or CCC), manufacturers with historic palettes (Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore, amongst others); or, a little reconnaissance--at the museum! What a testing ground: lots of walls, rooms with mostly hardwood floors, different appointments, and frequently mixed (color temperature) lighting.

According to Louis Marchesano, a curator at the Getty Research Institute, the choice of color is made by either the designer or the curator, and is usually a stock color widely available. "I've even thought we should include a color attribution in our exhibition materials," says Marchesano, "though the designers keep a complete record of all the materials used."

Some of the juxtapositions are so unexpected, they're inspiring. It isn't a canvas I want to paint after visiting the Fragonard show--it's my bedroom.