The key to the perfectly designed space often rests in the color that coats the walls. Paint can transform a room or be the touch that subtly pulls together a cohesive style. The problem many homeowners face, however, is figuring out which hue is right. Upwards of 75% of customers decide to forgo a paint project because they cannot decide on a color. Options for paint are nearly limitless, but once on your wall, it can look quite different than expected due to lighting, shadows or other décor in the room.
So, how can you be sure you’re choosing the right color? The Home Depot set out to make the whole process easier with our new Project Color app and online Color Center, connecting our in-store, online and mobile paint tools and options.
The Problem at Hand
The number one thing customers want to see in a digital application for paint is how the color looks in their room, their house or their project. Apps where you take a picture of a room and choose a color already existed, but users complain they look unrealistic and are often only associated with one brand of paint, resulting in limited options.
The Home Depot sought to develop better technology than what was currently available and bring a tool to painters that would allow them to see an accurate depiction of a paint color on their wall, deck, siding—wherever— before buying it.
Bringing Real Colors to Life Virtually
Project Color brings these realistic visuals to customers through exclusive patent technology for how paint renders in the app. It holds the integrity of the room’s dimension as you try different paint colors in your space, painting around objects and acknowledging shadows and lighting conditions in the room. This means you get the most real life visual of how the paint will look.
“The process is based off of color first and brand last, so you know you’ll be getting the exact shade that’s right for you,” assures Samara Tuchband, senior director of Online Merchandising at The Home Depot. “Only after you narrow down the color, sheen and everything else that’s important for you do we refine the results and share the brands that can give you what you need.”
The app also offers a “match it” option where users can find paint shades that match a favorite hue in the room – say a throw pillow or a painting. To make sure your color is exactly what you want, it also helps you share colors you are considering on social media to get feedback from friends and family before starting a project.
Project Color’s features are also helpful for home buying. One realtor loves that the app can show potential buyers rooms in their preferred shade, letting hesitant buyers see past the current colors they may dislike in a home.
Connecting the Mobile, Online and In-store Experience
Once you’ve picked your perfect shade on the app, Project Color links you to The Color Center online for purchase or to find a store near you. The Color Center builds on information in the app by providing painting tips and tricks, color families and all the items you need to complete the project.
Now, in the store, knowing the exact color you want before you head to the counter doesn’t have to be so difficult. “Our number one objective is helping a customer have more knowledge and certainty before they hit the store,” says Samara. With the right hue picked out at home, customers have a new sense of confidence when they come into a store to purchase paint.
Ready to refresh a hue in your home? Get started by downloading the Project Color app, available on both iOS and Android, or visitpaintcolor.homedepot.com.
