Interview With Sherwin-Williams Color Expert and A GIVEAWAY!!

By Mandi • 04/18/2012

I love blogging. You get to meet the seriously coolest people in the world.

Recently I had the chance to interview Becky Ralich which is practically like interviewing Mr. Sherwin himself. Becky has been the color expert at Sherwin-Williams for more than 13 years, and let me tell you, she is ADORABLE and had some really fun tips for me to pass along.

This week is National Painting Week (my favorite week of the year!) and Sherwin has a lot of really fun things going on.

1. Don’t  Think  Of  A  Room  By  Itself.

Lets face it. When we decorate we may begin with just one space but it never just stays in one space it always dominos into other areas as Becky put it. Keep this in mind when you are painting. Everything doesn’t have to match but it should go.

2. You  don’t  need  an  entire  color  palette  to  begin with.

Start with something  that you LOVE and that means something to you. A rug, or a pillow, or a piece of art that you would marry. Whatever it is make sure that you love it.

3. Feature  Walls  are  taking  a  back  seat  to  allover  color.

A few years ago everyone had to have a red wall. Am I right? Becky said that people have developed a comfort level with color now. It doesn’t just have to be one wall that shows your decorating guts,  its evolved into the entire room.

4. Rooms  are  like  wardrobes.

Do you walk in to a store and say I will take everything in the collection and wear just that…all the time…without adding anything else? HECK NO! You get a shirt here, jeans there, and collect things as you go. That is exactly the mentality that you should have for your house. You guys know my loathing for all things furniture groupings.

5. Color  tools  help  build  confidence.

Remember in step 2 Becky said to start with something you love and work off of that? Sherwin Williams has a seriously awesome color tool called Chip-It!. Basically you upload an image and it gives you a 10 color palette to work with.

image

image

Arent those colors great?!

I just want to Chip It! everything!

Did you know that Sherwin Williams currently has more than 1600 colors? That is INSANE to me. I mean how can you NOT find something that you love?

The last question that I asked Becky is one that I get asked ALL.THE.TIME. What is the perfect gray? Not too purple, blue or brown, but still warm?

Readers meet  March Wind:

Perfect Gray Paint

Because its National Painting Week Sherwin-Williams has some really fun celebrations going on like 40% off coupons,  room designs by some of our favorite bloggers and TONS of inspiration. Check out all of the fun stuff here.

And because Sherwin-Williams loves you guys as much as I do they are giving 2 lucky readers a $50 giftcard to spend in any Sherwin-Williams store!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

So to enter just leave a comment below! Make sure that you have an email linked to your blogger account (or leave it in the comment)  Giveaway will end Tuesday April 24 at midnight MST

Happy Painting Week!

Love  Your  Guts,  Mandi

402 thoughts on “Interview With Sherwin-Williams Color Expert and A GIVEAWAY!!”

  12. I always buy my paint at Sherwin Williams! I am wanting to paint my kitchen/living room/dining room, and would love the gift card!!

    Reply

  15. thanks for offering a giveaway. we just painted the hall stairs & guess what now the hallway needs paint, how does that happen?

    Reply

  17. That Chip it! tool looks like it might run my life much like pinterest! Thanks for sharing and thanks for the giveaway! That gray rocks–but I’d definitely hit up some color! 🙂
    Nat
    doodlecraft.blogspot

    Reply

  28. I’ve got a ton of projects that I want/need to get done right now that I need paint for, so this would be awesome to win! Thanks for some great tips and a great giveaway!

    Reply

  31. I’ve been painting our front room so that means there is a domino effect going on in our house. A gift card to Sherwin Williams would be fantastical! Also, if I’m so lucky to snag one, it would be a birthday gift to me as it’s my birthday April 24th! Weeee!!

    Reply

  33. Ok Mandy, are you reading my mind or what? This is truly crazy!! I just mentioned to a friend that I am seriously considering repainting our living room, dining room, and family room. I know my husband will freak but something is just NOT right with the tan… it just looks too fleshy. It kinda creeps me out but my husband really liked it. It must be a guy thing! So now I am off to try out Clip it! because ya know I LOVE my new kitchen (and ALL our rooms are open to each other!) and the colors in the other rooms but not the walls in those rooms. (and the thought of changing my tomato red walls in the kitchen… well that AIN’T gonna happen!! I LOVE them!!)

    Thank you for hosting this giveaway! and a big THANK YOU goes out for all the time and effort you put into your blog!

    Have a great day!

    Reply

  50. Great giveaway! P.S. LOVE their March Wind grey. If I win, I’m buying that color stat and re-painting my bedroom..Which should be gray, but really looks like a pale lavender.

    Reply

  52. We were doing great painting our house and then quit (about a year ago) halfway through this process. Winning this might just motivate me to finish the rest of the house!

    Reply

  54. What a fabulous giveaway and post! I am so happy to know about Chip It!

    We are in the process of picking out SW colors for our home’s exterior. 🙂

    Reply

  55. I need to paint my kitchen and family room this would be great! shelbymaui(at)hotmail(dot)com

    Reply

  57. Chip-it looks like fun! I’m in the process of painting right now and doing all the easy neutrals since I can’t decide on colors (I’m so fickle!). A gift card might help me make up my mind though. 🙂

    Reply

  58. Pick meeeeee!!! Just kidding, I know it is random. I am finally ready to paint my kitchen. I have been on the lookout for the perfect gray. Thank you so much for the color tip. I am doing gray cabinets and white walls. PS I totally Chip everything LOL
    Jamie Rowe
    [email protected]

    Reply

  62. I’m in the process of choosing a grey for my living room…your choices above have now made things harder. 🙂 A sherwin-willliams gift card would be the icing on the cake for my living room re-do!

    Reply

  64. These are perfect tips, especially for someone like me who gets completely overwhelmed when decorating. I always see what I want, but have a hard time translating it in my own home. I especially love the first tip…the creative thinking has begun…and Yay for Sherwin Williams!

    Reply

  65. This is fabulous timing…I need to buy some gray paint for our master bedroom makeover and this might just be the one I’ve been looking for. Gray is so difficult, but so rewarding when you get it right! I would love to win the giveaway. Also, that Chip-It tool is genius!

    [email protected]

    Reply

  69. Oh. my. gosh. If there was a giveaway I would LOVE to win above all others this would be it! My husband and I are in the last stages of closing on our VERY FIRST HOME and we’re planning on doing a complete re-paint of the whole house! I’ve already got big plans for the living room and kitchen (some inspired by you!) and we’re going to need a lot of paint. Thank you so much for the fantastic tips and the giveaway!

    Kari
    Newlyweds on a Budget

    P.S. Can’t wait to give you a great big hug at SNAP tomorrow!

    Reply

  71. I would love to win this giveaway! I’m getting geared up for warm weather to start painting a few projects and would love a gift card 🙂 such a fun giveaway! Thanks!!!

    Reply

  73. i would LOVE to win!!!! I have so many ideas and not enough paint!:)

    jeana

    jeanaraestromer(at) gmail (dot)com

    Reply

  77. eeee! I’m buying my first place this summer and I’m checking your blog like, hourly, for ideas and possibilities. Painting the walls will be my first exciting I own it!

    Reply

  89. Chip It! looks awesome, and I’d love to try some Sherwin Williams paint. We are in desperate need of some bedroom makeovers!

    Reply

  93. Well I just finished having my whole house painted using Sherwin Williams paint but I still need to redo my kitchen chairs. So sign me up.

    Reply

  97. I’m redoing my second living room in a way that will consume gallons and gallons of paint. From trimmings, to wood sidings, to chevron patterned walls, every thing would be painted in the near future.

    Reply

  98. Oooh! OHH! PICK ME! I love color and Sherwin Williams paint is such great quality and with so many colors to choose from…heaven….Whoever wins is one lucky son-of-a-gun…paint gun that is!

    Reply

  99. I love grey walls, I painted my last bedroom grey just a few months before I had to unexpectedly move. 🙁 That grey looks phenomenal.

    Reply

  103. I painted my kitchen last week what was supposed to be grey – unfortunately, it turned out more of a purple. 🙁 MUST REPAINT!!

    Reply

  114. After buying our house over 4 years ago (and finally getting over the blahs from Breast cancer and RA) I am in full on decorating mode and it feels so good! Having a great time getting ideas from great blogs like this one and others. Now to choose some paint!

    Reply

  118. I could so use a paint gift card. The beige in our house is starting to make me feel sad. Kinda like that dude in the Fiber One commercial who says fiber makes him sad. Actually, this beige looks like a Fiber One bar. Oh. my. gosh. I am living in a Fiber One bar. Please let me win paint!

    Reply

  121. Oh my, I LOVE ChipIt!! That is so cool. We are about to redecorate my son’s room, so this will come in handy. It would be so great to win the giveaway and get some paint for the room!

    Reply

  138. his is a perfect giveaway. We are in the process of remodeling our master bed and bath and haven’t decided on what our wall color will be.

    Reply

  142. Love your style and choice of colors! Thanks for the chance to win! I have just about every wall in my house that needs paint and I am ready to do some color!

    Reply

  147. I’ve been wanting to paint our house for years now but the spirit is willing and the wallet is weak! Would L-O-V-E to win!!

    Reply

  152. I’m DYING to paint. Sadly my budget, is too small (you know it is small when you can’t buy paint!) So this would be perfect!!

    Reply

  153. first of all, there’s that freaking fabulous sectional that i can’t stop thinking about..
    secondly, national painting week? there’s my excuse. now my husband really can’t argue with me.

    Reply

  155. I’ve been needing to paint my master bedroom forever…it’s holding up any other changes. I would love a little help in the budget!

    Reply

  156. I’ve been needing to paint my master bedroom forever…it’s holding up any other changes. I would love a little help in the budget!

    Reply

  164. EeeeeeeeeeK!!! That would make me beyond happy. My local Sherwin Williams knows me by name and call me to remind me of sales, even though I get their email, that’s how in love I am with their paint and of course how often they see me. Thanks for the giveaway. Here’s to hoping.

    Reply

  168. I never enter giveaways but I love shermin williams paint– my entire house is painted with it. Love the gray! ccbcoupon(at)gmail.com

    Reply

  170. I love, love sherwin williams. It’s the only paint we use. About 4 years ago I was able to really branch out with my color thanks to them and their color tools on line.

    I hope I win!!!
    tracemclee at yahoo dot com

    Reply

  171. I have already had them come out to my house and help me pick colors. Now it’s time to buy the paint. Oh, please pick me.

    Reply

  175. Pick me, pick me! I’ve been wanting to repaint my master bedroom ever since we bought our house (4 years ago!) so this would help me finally make it happen! As a side note, I was visiting cousins in St. George last weekend and hoped to accidentally run into you. Didn’t happen, but just know you were being thought of 🙂

    Reply

  176. Love SW’s paints! I make up reasons to go into the store & I think the guys there know it lol! I have tons of painting to get done & cant wait until I find the perfect house to match everything I’ve already painted & what’s left to be painted lol

    Reply

  177. I’m about to move and need to paint a whole house! Winning this would be perfect timing – fingers crossed!! (my email is on my blog insideways.com)

    Reply

  181. I’ve decided to break down and paint this summer – I’ll have to go get a sample of March Wind – thanks for the tips!

    Reply

  182. Yes please! Of all the rooms in my house after 8 years- our master bedroom has never been touched by a hint of style or inspiration. I’m DYING to “DO” our room asap. Thanks for the giveaway 🙂

    Reply

  184. Oh my I have been spending lots of time in Sherwin Williams as we are redoing the outside of our house. Having some free money for the next trip would be awesome!

    Reply

  197. I bought a house recently that was partially painted (walls AND ceilings). The owners started in the main room and stopped. I love the color but now can’t probably match it. Need some paint!!! Would love $ to buy paint!!

    Reply

  198. I have a SERIOUS hankering to paint the AWFUL green accent wall that the former homeowners “blessed” us with! SERIOUS hankering! (teehee! I said “hankering” twice.)

    Reply

  200. Oh man, I could use some fresh paint up in here. Almost every room is exactly the same color (all nicely painted before we bought the house, but BORING) and it just hasn’t been in the budget to buy paint. I’d love to at least do my bedroom and the bathroom in a different color!

    Reply

  201. I’ve been a loyal SW client for all projects over 12 years. I LOVE LOVE LOVE to paint. Thanks for sharing all of your blessings with us! You have inspired me to start my own blog, and it’s a work in progress… 🙂

    Reply

  202. Shirley said:
    My house is in great need of paint. I could almost pick any room. We had our house up for sale and it didn’t sell and we had painted the rooms all beige (boring). Now I am ready for some color. Pick me!

    Reply

  207. Paint colors are so hard – thank goodness for those little sample pots they sell. (hanging my head in shame because I’d probably spend the whole $50 on more sample pots, LOL!)

    Reply

  209. Sherwin Williams paint is the best…I wish Chip It would have been available three years ago when I bought my house. I’m now in the process of repainting…almost every thing.

    Reply

  210. I just moved into a new house and every room is a different color of the rainbow! I could really use one of the gift cards to jump start the marathon of painting I have to do in my new mid-century home!

    Reply

  212. I have two rooms I need to paint and only use Sherwin Williams because it’s the best! Just waiting for the next sale…or perhaps to win one of these gift cards? ;o)

    Reply

  214. I just moved into a new place and could definitely use that Sherwin Williams card. Thanks for all the tips!

    cpurnell47 at gmail dot com

    Reply

  218. Would love for painting our nursery. I wanted to go with gray and that would be perfect! Delaney underscore Carroll at yahoo dot com

    Reply

  222. we just painted our home office in SW Indigo Batik on Sunday -then on Monday i started seeing things form them about National Painting Week. How funny!

    Reply

  223. This makes me want to go home and paint! Great information, too! Thanks, Mandi!
    Jan
    jrrader at kent dot edu

    Reply

  225. Winning the gift card would the be the perfect kick in the keister for me to finally paint the living room. thanks for the opp to win! dana dot breeden at gmail

    Reply

  227. I love that ChipIt program! And I would love to win a gift card to Sherwin Williams. I’d use it to repaint my dining room. My husband painted it when we moved in…and he thought it would be totally cool to have a dark chocolate brown accent wall, while the other walls are a blah tan color. Yawn…We need some color in there!

    Reply

  229. What a great giveaway! My husband and I are going to start a kitchen makeover as soon as our weather warms up…painting walls & cabinets, getting a new sink and countertop, etc. We have set a budget that we want to spend, so a gift card would SO help out!! Thanks so much for the chance to win!

    Reply

  230. I’d love to repaint my kitchen and add some stenciling. A gift card would help convince my husband that I “need” to do this project. 😛

    Reply

  233. This would be a fabulous giveaway to win! Right this very moment, I have a Sherwin Williams paint chip taped to my bathroom wall! Please pick me! 🙂

    Reply

  236. I love the tips and Sherwin Williams is my favorite brand (the home depot stuff just isn’t as good to me, though it’s weird to think I’m a paint snob!) Thanks for the giveaway!

    Reply

  237. Absolutely a perfect gray…would love to use it in my own dining room…getting ready for a spring paint job-enjoy it and am a die-hard DIYer. Hope to win, but if not, just happy to find a new gray

    Reply

  238. I just found these amazing orange chairs for my living room that I am deep madly in love with and must adjust everything to fit them. I am a bit stumped for wall color…the chip thing will be so helpful and the $50 bucks will be awesome!
    dollybenson @ gmail dot com

    Reply

  241. I just was thinking I need to update the colors in our family room…and I love that gray color. And…yes, I have one red wall in my kitchen. Then after that, I pained my dining room a nice squash color / and brown combo. Love it – so warm. Most of all…we need our hallways painted. 3 kids up and down stairs make for a lot of marks on the wall!

    Reply

  242. GREYGREYGREY!!! I am having a baby in September and want to paint the babies room a nice grey. I actually have a new apartment that I need to paint- we move in at the end of this month!! So a gift card would be very helpful! Thanks for this post it couldn’t of came at a better time for me.
    I am already on SherwinWilliams.com and using Chip it!

    Heather B.
    [email protected]

    Reply

  244. Please pick me!! My current bathroom is BRIGHT lime green and I need to wear sunglasses just to use the restroom! I could really use the gift card to buy some new Sherwin-Williams paint 🙂 Best, Lindsey ([email protected])

    Reply

  247. I have a GREEN accent wall in my kitchen. For real. It was like that when we moved in. Not like a pretty green, but like a weird yucky green! That $50 could go a long way to helping it disappear! 😉

    Reply

  254. YEAH, YeAh, yEAh!! I need to pain my AWFULLY boring house SOO bad, but i dont have the guts to do it, this would certainly help take the edge off!! Love you long time!!

    Reply

  268. AW SNAP!!!!!! I LOVES ME SOME SHERWIN WILLIAMS PAINT!
    seriously! pro classic for cabinets! swoon! and i recently discovered how freakin awesome thesuper paint is WHAT THA WHA???? where in the world have i been. man that stuff when on and covered like no bodies biz baby! so yea, i wanna win some! thanks
    scrapping julie at gmail dot com

    Reply

  273. Love all kinds of paint! Love your blog! I am getting ready to paint my husbands so called “man cave” so winning would be awesome!

    Renee
    gohogwild dot renee @ gmail dot com

    Reply

  279. Hi,
    Just moved into a new apartment. Though they graciously repainted the whole the place is kind of a dead colour – not grey, not white – just plain yuck! I preferred the old “builder’s beige” it was at least alive. So this $50 would go a long way to liven up my new place.
    Thanks for the giveaway,
    Cathy

    Reply

  285. I love Sherwin-Williams paint. The people who work there are always very helpful and there are so many colors to choose from. 🙂

    Reply

  287. With a new baby and a new house all I need now is new money. Would love to do some painting and start to get settled. Thanks for the opportunity. Love your site!

    Reply

  288. I’m heading to Sherwin Williams on my lunch hour today for Alkyd cabinet paint. Hello 40% off…There is also a $10 off $50 coupon on their site. thanks for posting this.
    Katy

    Reply

  290. I have 4 rooms that need painting (as in they are still builder’s white) so this would come in very handy…thanks for the chance!

    Reply

  291. I am currently painting our new house! Full of color, just love it! I always use Sherwin Williams, I even brought a paint chip from somewhere else and they made me some right up. They are great!

    Reply

  292. Fantastic! I’m trying to decide on “the perfect gray” for my living room/kitchen/breakfast nook which are all one long room with no official room breaks on the walls. This is also the space that leads from my dining room which is two tones of grey (light above, darker below) and I want the space to flow but not be all the same color. Plus it needs to be dark enough to set off the white wood door and window trim and my white cabinets. Its a renovated 112 year old victorian and all the main living spaces are open to the others. I love it but choosing paint colors has been a bit of a struggle. I believe I’ll be using the Chip-it program to find wall colors to coordinate with my brand new avocado green(!)couch.

    Reply

  294. Perfect timing. I’m about to buy my first home and need to establish a look. Now I feel like I have some great painting knowledge under my belt

    happypulitzer at hotmail dot com

    Reply

  304. I’m getting ready to start painting my kitchen so I’d love to win! I really love Chip It! and it’s been great to help me make a color decision.

    Reply

  305. I would love to have a great start to my painting for the next year. We are moving back home into an old family home. It is going to need ALOT of paint. Thanks for the oportunity

    Reply

  308. I just repainted my office, living room, entry, kitchen and dining room – all with paint from Sherwin Williams and LOVE their paint. However – my daughters have convinced me that I was a little too bold with my color choices and want me to tone it down a bit. So, I’d be most appreciative to receive the gift card to cover up my less than ideal color choices. Thanks for the giveaway.

    Reply

  312. Would love to win a gift card to March Wind my bedroom, which is currently Builder’s Beige with various swatches of taupe across one wall, none of which is inspiring me. (Meanwhile, am contemplating turning great-grandmother’s pink and gray tea service into a lamp, which would look lovely against a March Wind backdrop.) [email protected]

    Reply

  316. We REALLY need some new paint up in here. We still have a feature wall from back when it was cool. *sigh* If I win I shall use my $50 to paint the other three walls!!

    bborgognoni[at]gmail[dot]com

    Reply

  319. I so need to win this. We have such a tight budget and a big ole house to paint–top to bottom. I love Sherwin Williams paint and their staff. They are always so great. Plus fabulous colors

    Reply

  320. I have been REALLY wanting to repaint our bedroom in their beautiful blue hue, “Riverway”! Unfortunately I’m short on funds right now but know that as soon as I have the mulah, THAT color is going to be ON MY WALLS! 🙂 Love it.

    Reply

  326. I just heard about you today.. and it was meant to be. I’ve been searching for the perfect gray for our new place. I would love to go purchase March Wind with my $50 gift card. Thanks!

    Reply

  331. Me and my husband are just buying our first house and putting the last penny into it…this gust card will be lifesaver and soooo welcome…

    Reply

  334. I seriously want to kiss that gray! It really is perfect. I am about to take on the giant task of painting pretty much every square inch of my house. This would be a big fat help in that project!

    Reply

  335. I’m so excited! We are in a full house remodel and I want some pretty amazing colors in the master bedroom. I’m not afraid to splash colors around and I am very excited to bring a new color into my bedroom!!!

    Reply

  339. Paint is one of those thigs that can change your walls, your home — but best of all — your attitude! Love Sherwin William paint! Easy to use and beautiful colors! Doing my bathroom in “beach” colors. Light aqua. sea glass green, sand.

    Reply

  340. How about THIS colossal painting mistake??– Painting your house and thinking that it’s “you,” only to discover that it’s not “you” at all; you were only going by what you THOUGHT was the “right” choice……and then having to RE-PAINT everything because you want your whole house to be TURQUOISE instead of BEIGE!! 🙂

    (Um, yeah, true story. LOL)

    Serena
    Thrift Diving
    ThriftDiving . com

    Reply

  345. Love the Chip It!..can’t wait to give it a try! Hope to win this! We are trying to fix up a century old farmhouse that has been vacant for several years and I am constantly buying paint!! TONS of paint! Sure would come in handy to win this!

    Reply

  348. I have been looking for the perfect blue/green for my front door. Cooled Blue is close. PS I don’t have an account for any of the options give nor do i have a URL.

    Reply

  349. I would love to win this! I am planning all kinds of renovations for this Spring and Summer and this would be the perfect beginning to it all!

    Reply

  351. Oh we just moved into our first house and there are so many rooms to be painted but paint is so expensive we are having to do it a room at a time. I’d LOVE this gift card!! I really want to make my house feel like home!

    Reply

  353. We just had new windows put in and need to paint our kitchen because of it… I wanted to do gray… and that IS the perfect gray!! Woot woot! And I’m totally off to play withh the Chip It! program.

    Reply

  354. I definitely could use some fun paint colors. I’m getting ready to move into a new apartment and have some furniture that needs painting!

    Reply

  359. Today is the last day of their big 40% off sale, I’m about to go down and pick some up for our kitchen cabinets! They have amazing paint and their staff is so helpful!

    Reply

  361. Sherwin Williams is fabulous and their Chip It feature answers my biggest painting dillema – the issue of the right shade. Love Sherwin Williams and Vintage Revivals for making my life easily inspired!
    [email protected]

    Reply

  364. I am desperate to paint my master bedroom when we moved into our house 10 years ago we tried to do a faux finish with a silver glaze, it didnt turn out so good and we have yet to correct that mistake!!!

    Reply

  365. Love both of those Chip It! cards! I am a huge fan of color, but I’ve found myself wanting to paint my whole house gray and white so I can use color EVERYWHERE ELSE! Art, furniture, pillows, lighting…I want it all colorful. So I need a great neutral base. And every room in my house needs painting. So I’d love to win this gift card. So much. So, so much.

    Reply

  369. Me! Me! Me! I have a bizillion paint projects for my home and this would keep my husband from killing me! So it really would be in my best interest if I were to win a gift card. Thanks in advance!!! [email protected]

    Reply

  374. SO after much time and debate, I have fallen in love with the HGTV Sherwin Williams color collection Traditional Twist. I have all these great items my in-laws gave us from Indonesia and traditional furniture that I purchased on my own because of the stellar prices. (Yep, I’m freaking cheap & like making cheap work.) So I figured, these colors look awesome, this takes away the guessing and multiple purchases of those tiny, tantalizing sample jars making it all the much easier on me and the mister. Now I only have to focus on 20 colors- WOOO PROGRESS!

    Reply

  392. I need to refresh my walls and not a better way to do it than Sherwin Williams. I love their paint. Thanks for the giveaway.

    Reply

  398. MEMEME! I’d love to win some Sherwin WIlliams paint. I desperately need to paint the boring white walls in my bedroom. Im loving gray! TY bunches.

    Reply

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