I have a confession to make. I do a lot of consulting to select paint colors, and there is something I hold back from my clients.

I don’t reveal the name of the color. (At first.)

I try to cover up the name on my paint chip or large sample board. Why? Because names are often very misleading. They tell you how you THINK you should see a color, not how you actually see it.

For example, many readers may be familiar with the Benjamin Moore paint color Edgecomb Gray (HC-173). It looks like this:

Let’s say I suggest Edgecomb Gray and you respond that you hate grey. You’re sick of it. You want something else.

Maria Killam, a well-regarded color consultant in Canada, told the story of a client who did just that. Maria recommended Edgecomb Gray for the walls and her client said she absolutely did not want grey. So Maria pulled out Benjamin Moore’s Baby Fawn (OC-15) and her client was thrilled! What does Baby Fawn look like? Like this:

They look a lot the same, right? That’s because they are the same color. Benjamin Moore sometimes gives the exact same formula different names. It’s true.

Don’t be swayed by a name.

I don’t divulge the name right away because I don’t want my client to be unduly influenced by a silly moniker.

This is Benjamin Moore’s Paper White (1590). It is not the color of paper. It’s not even really white.

Some names are accurate, just ill-advised. Like Benjamin Moore’s Nacho Cheese (2018-40). Classy.

Or Benjamin Moore’s OC-85, called Mayonnaise. (Someone needs to feed the people who come up with these names.) I find mayonnaise disgusting and certainly do not want it on my walls.

So yes, I hold back information during my color consultations. But only at first. And you’ll thank me because you’ll be focusing on the color, not the name!