It Just Is

Okay, we’ll elaborate more than that, if you insist. There are so many things to consider when you’re picking paint for your job. We’ve covered it extensively to the point you’re probably wondering why you’re reading another one of our blog posts about specifying paint. But it’s SO IMPORTANT we just can’t emphasize it enough.

Get our Specifying Paint Guide here.

Let’s make this fun. When you’re choosing carpeting for your job, you make sure you pick the grade that’s going to hold up to the traffic that the area experiences. You put a lot of effort into picking just the right commercial flooring and it’s often unnoticed. But if you didn’t put that effort into that decision, and you just chose any cheap flooring… your client, your boss, everyone who sees that space is going to notice. That’s not the attention you want and deserve.

So why wouldn’t you put the same effort into your walls? It’s the same thing. Woah. Crazy, isn’t it? If you chose any paint for those walls, chances are it’s not going to hold up and it’s going to look really crummy, really fast. Again, unwanted attention for that disaster. Avoid this at all costs! You can see more about how to pick the right paint for your space here.

Differences In Paint

Paints come in all different shapes and sizes. Well, not really. They pretty much all come in 1 gallon or 5 gallon paint buckets. Maybe that was a bad analogy. Paints come in a variety of formulations, and an infinite amount of colors.

Water based vs. Oil based

Chances are you already know the disadvantages to oil based paints, and at this point with the environment in mind you’re more than likely not using them. We’ll lay out the differences nevertheless. Oil based paints often cover more thoroughly in one coat, shrink less, and take longer to dry allowing you more working time. That being said, oil based paints are more likely to crack, fade and yellow, the fumes are overwhelming and harmful, and the remains must be deposited in hazardous waste collection centers and never poured down a drain.

Water based paint on the other hand doesn’t yellow over time, is much better for the environment, dries faster, is easy to clean up and definitely doesn’t require a special trip to a hazardous waste collection center. We’re team Water Based for sure, how about you?

Specifying Paint

When it comes time to specify the paint for your space (we know, more often than not paint is the last thought) make sure you actually specify which paint is right for the space. This way there’s no option for your paint selection to be flipped for a paint of lesser quality when it comes time to do the job. Keep the environment and your product’s impact on it in mind when looking to make you final decision on specifying paint.

Schools, dorms, arenas, hotels, retail outlets, and other busy spaces might be repainting as often as once yearly (or more!). Initially, going with cheaper paints will save money. But if that paints fades, peels, or cannot withstand people traffic, it will need to be regularly repainted (at great expense). Specifying the right paint, however, usually costs only a little more and will not only keep the space looking better longer, it will save time and money in the end. Factor in the reduction in VOCs from eliminating regular repaints and the value of specifying the right paint for the right job becomes clear.

For your P1 areas you’ll want to choose the paint with the best scrub rating and best ingredients, these paints will go the distance required for a P1 and protect those areas for years, saving you, your clients, etc on repainting costs. Not to mention, what a reputation saver! Whew.

Get our guide below to specifying paint.

Goodbye, pastel tones! Every year we love pulling our favorite interior color trends and (even better) seeing how you use them in your projects! From timeless neutrals and eye-catching light-reflective pearls (our favorite), to saturated bold tones… scroll through to see our favorite 2018 interior color trends.

Go Bold

Pastel tones had their time in the spotlight the last few years, and to nobody’s surprise here at Scuffmaster, 2018 is the year for bold colors. Bold saturated tones don’t always have to mean a statement making accent wall; try combining bold tones as your neutrals in your upcoming design projects.

Choose a cheerful, warm and bright lipstick red to drape your walls in one of 2018’s hottest interior color trends. Take it one step further and try this saturated hue in a metallic specialty finish or an interesting texture to finish your design.

Blue is EVERYWHERE right now and will continue to be deep into 2018! You may have noticed that everything at NeoCon was blue, blue and (you guessed it) blue! From teal and navy to deep shades of Ocean Blue your options are limitless with this trend.

Pink is a hard sell. BUT pink tones (in nearly every market) are hitting it big with millennials. Millennial pink, anyone? Dusty blush and rose have been the most popular colors to take over the market for the last couple of years, so this bright poppy pink has laid some great ground work.

We’ve seen styles from the 70’s creeping their way back into popularity for the last several years; from the runway and fast fashion, to beauty and, of course, interior design. Say hello to this lovely saturated tangerine tone. Splash this color on the walls of your designs in 2018.

Hello, pop tones. While bright pink threatens the popularity of the dusty blush tones of the last several years and tangerine orange makes a comeback, it’s not often that we see a bright sunshine yellow. We love to see this hue popping up on the color trends for 2018. Let’s make 2018 cheerful with this sunshine yellow!

Timeless Neutrals

I mean, who doesn’t love the classics? You really can’t go wrong with timeless neutrals on projects you just don’t want to push the boundaries on.

The ever trust-worthy and timeless navy, how we do love you! There’s something so chic and (dare we say it?) sexy about a good navy. Splash your lobby, corridors, guest rooms, EVERY WALL YOU CAN FIND in a beautiful and timeless navy. You won’t be disappointed.

Trend-setting Pearls

By far our favorite 2018 interior color trend is pearl tones. Eye-catching light-reflective pearlescent tones can completely change a room and create beautiful effects when paired with lighting.

Keep it classic with pearly whites or switch it up a little bit with neutrals in a pearl finish that sparkle. Get your hands on some pearl samples to really see the difference these finishes can make in your projects (you just can’t see the light reflective qualities in photos!).

Chic Black

In fashion, black never goes out of style. We love black for interiors right now. Chic black is one of the biggest 2018 interior color trends and we’re definitely sticking around for it. Try a rich black or charcoal in your space with comfortable textures to make this trend come to life.

Muted Tones

Muted tones have been big for the last couple of years, especially when it comes to pink tones. Millennial Pink still hasn’t stopped trending (seriously, we see it everywhere), but this year we’re really digging into these mauve tones that have been popping up over the last year. We really see mauve sticking around in 2018, too. Is 2018 going to be the battle of the pink tones?

Muted gloomy blues and greens always bring a nice calming effect to a space, a trend that we see becoming prominent in 2018. We could all use a space to feel calm, right?

Deep pomegranate and burgundy tones have been popping up on the runway and are going to carry over into interiors. These warm tones can make a space feel very cozy, and with Hygge still taking the world by storm we definitely see a lean towards cozy interiors throughout 2018.

Neutral Metals

Metallic specialty finishes have always been a favorite here at Scuffmaster, so it’s probably easy to see why neutral metals made it on our list of top 2018 interior color trends. With a range of metallic finishes that have been popular with designers for years, we can totally see how neutral metals are going to have their time in the spotlight (no pun intended, but they mix very well with specialty lighting) in 2018.

Get your own palette of 2018 interior color trends (with real samples!) for free right here.

Millennial Pink, blush, camel, navy… What are the hot 2017 interior color trends for fall? Luckily for you, you don’t have to twist our arms too much to get us to dish on all the trending colors and styles for the upcoming season.

1. Crisp White

This isn’t a surprise to any of us. If you’re a designer you know you can always count on white to complete your interior projects. From white as a calm and soothing neutral to white as a bold accent, we don’t think this trend is going away.

2. Lipstick Red

Bold and beautiful, red is BIG for this coming fall. Unlike the reds of falls past, this year we’re going to see more pure reds instead of the more subdued burgundy toned reds common in fall interior designs.

3. Millennial Pink and Blush

No surprise here, either! Millennial pink has taken the world by storm and it’s not ending anytime soon. Try incorporating some Millennial pink or blush as neutrals in your interior designs. Can we even call this a fall 2017 color trend if it’s been the #1 trend for awhile?

4. Prints

Bold prints are still big for fall. Tropical prints and bold florals (remember your grandmas couch?) are going strong. Try pairing them with a coordinating bold paint to really make your designs pop.

5. Hygge

Have you heard of Hygge yet? Chances are, you have. Hygge is the Danish inspired decor of “cozy living”. Incorporate comfortable rich textures and fabrics, with warm cozy colors into your designs to bring Hygge into your spaces.

6. Black Is The New Black

Go BOLD with a rich black as an accent in your designs. Want to go really bold? Try putting it on the ceiling (you know, that space that everybody neglects). Take it up an extra notch with a semi-gloss black to really make a statement, try ScrubTough Max for a durable semi-gloss black.

7. Velvet

Velvet, velvet, velvet. You’ve seen it from the runway to Target to chaise lounges… Velvet is still going strong. Perfect for the Hygge trend, velvet furniture is big for fall 2017. Mix velvet furniture with deep on trend jewel toned paint to finish your space.

8. Glitter

Yes, glitter. We’re not high, promise. We’re not sure if this started with the Unicorn obsession or high fashion, but we’re not complaining. Try splashing some glitter on your walls with a specialty paint (our Smooth Pearl finish does this in a chic way). I have to imagine this is Paris Hilton’s favorite of the 2017 interior color trends.

9. Green

Pantone called it again. Green is going strong into fall 2017 as one of the hottest interior trends. From deep greens to cheerful tropicals, this trend is one not to miss. Try a metallic green for an extra pop.

10. Chocolate

We don’t mean the sweet and tempting snack… though we’re pretty sure that’s always trending. Chocolate brown (remember that lipstick from the 90’s?) is back for fall 2017 from fashion to interior spaces. We can see chocolate really taking off in your designs this year.

What’s Your Favorite 2017 Interior Color Trend?

What are your favorite trends for fall 2017? Millennial Pink and Hygge are definitely top contenders on my list for favorite 2017 interior color trends. Download our palette below to take these trends with you on the go for all of your interior design projects!

By now we’ve all seen and heard about Pantone’s pick for 2017 Color Of The Year. We love the pick of Greenery for new beginnings in 2017. As an environmentally friendly paint brand (powered by solar panels, in fact!) we also value the environmental aspect in the choosing of their color Greenery for 2017. We hope Greenery has inspired you as much as it has inspired us.

Get your 2017 Color Of The Year collection matched in all of Scuffmaster’s finishes for free right here!

Did you know that there are more shades of green visible to the human eye than any other color? “Flourishing foliage and lushness of the outdoors” is one of the many inspiring factors that lead Pantone to choose Greenery as 2017 Color Of The Year. Our favorite thing about the pick of greenery is the intersection it creates between indoors and outdoors. We love to see the outdoors brought into your interior designs. Lush living walls? Yes please! Indoor office gardens? Sign us up. Shelving filled with potted plants? How charming.

A positively revitalizing shade with health benefits (reduces anxiety, paint your office green!), Greenery lifts us up even when the world is in its darkest moments. Green is a color of hope and passion; when nature’s greens revive, so do we. There’s nothing quite like the hope and optimism restored to the mid-westerner come springtime when the grass starts to grow and the trees and flowers start to bloom after a long and dreary winter season. Greenery captures that optimism.

We think you should definitely paint some spaces green in 2017. After all, green has been shown to reduce anxiety and be the best color for your workspace! Get your 2017 Color Of The Year collection matched in all of Scuffmaster’s finishes for free right here!

The Colors of the Olympic Rings

The Olympics are one of the most recognized (and protected) brands in history. The signs, songs, and symbols of the Modern Olympic games stir the emotions of people on every continent. And while competition is at the heart of the Games, the design of the Olympic symbols was driven by a spirit of unity.

Check out our colors of the olympic rings.

Considered the father of the Olympic Games, Pierre de Fredy, Baron de Coubertin was a French educator, historian and founder of the International Olympic Committee. A bit of a polymath, the modern Olympic Games are the international spectacle that they are because of Pierre de Coubertin and his dedication to uniting people through sport.

What do the rings mean?

The 5 rings might be the most well known symbol in the world. But what do they actually stand for? And how were the colors chosen? Created in 1912 by Pierre de Coubertin the five interlocking rings originally represented the 5 world continents: Africa, Asia, America, Europe and Oceania. Laurel or olive wreaths were popular decorative elements in the 19th century and were said to be handed over by goddesses of victory. It is expected that these wreaths and the goddesses of victory were inspiration for the ring motif. This symbol of interlocking rings was meant to symbolize the union of the five continents of the world coming together to watch as their best athletes compete at the Olympic Games.

The 6 colors of the olympic symbol

Coubertin says in an April 1927 issue of Messager d’Athenes:

“The great Olympic flag is hoisted up the same pole that it is to remain on for the duration of the Games. It was criticized when I designed it. Today everyone likes it. It is white, as you know with five interlinked rings, blue, yellow, black, green, red, representing the five parts of the world united in Olympism.”

Officially debuted at the Games of the VII Olympiad in Antwerp in 1920, the rings also represented all 6 color combinations of every country’s flags without exception (in regard to the year 1913).

Although no ring is meant to symbolize a continent or country exactly, the combination of them covers all countries. On it’s debut, Coubertin stated in August 1912’s edition of Olympique:

“…the six colors (including the flag’s white background) combined in this way reproduce the colors of every country without exception. The blue and yellow of Sweden, the blue and white of Greece, the tri-colors of France and Serbia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, America, Germany, Belgium, Italy and Hungary, and the yellow and red of Spain, are placed together with the innovations of Brazil or Australia, with old Japan, and with new China. Here is a truly an international symbol.”

The rings today

It is to be noted that the colors are not intended to refer to a continent specifically, more so represent each possible combination of participating countries’ flags. If you ignore the varying shades of blue, red, green and yellow seen across modern flags, the colors in the rings still don’t quite cover all countries’ colors today. The orange tone that is seen in flags of countries such as Bhutan, Armenia and Sri Lanka is not one of the 5 colors of the Olympic Rings. Considering the symbol’s creation in 1913 was over 100 years ago, it is incredible the relevance the symbol still carries, and the power of the 6 combined colors.

Find even more information on the Olympic Rings here