Read What Eric Cohler Has to Say:
The principal of Eric Cohler Design shares his process for selecting paint colors for a range of projects; his favorite, most versatile white paint; and his love for bold, saturated hues, all from his design studio in New York City.
“I start with nature,” says Cohler about selecting color. “It depends where the house, apartment or whatever we're designing is located…what would the client like to see in their home as a palette?”
Based on the blend of regional influences and personality, Cohler then comes up with his recommendation for a design solution.
Cohler reiterates how important it is to test color using a paint color sample. “I often paint boards, not just small sample color cards but boards. We'll see how they look at different times of day.
While many think that viewing paint color at just one point of the day is sufficient, that is not the case. “You need to visit that same space at 9:00 at night and at 7:00 a.m., when you usually get out of bed, because the room's going to look so different, completely transformed by time of day and location.”
The Best White Paint Color, According to Cohler
“I do like shades of white. I don't like a wall that looks like it's wearing pancake makeup,” says Cohler. “I like a wall that has some depth to it. Even the whites that I use, it might be a snowier white or it might be a warmer white.”
“My favorite go-to white at the moment is called Distant Gray. It's not really gray and it's not really white, but I tend to find that it works all over. No matter if I use it in Oslo, Norway, California or New York City, it tends to work. It's the perfect background for almost anything I do. I'll mix that in the same room with a black, because they play off each other in a really nice way.”
Designer Favorite Paint Colors
“I like deeper, richer tones with more gravitas, tones that really have resonance and depth,” says Cohler. “If I have a pale color tone, I might actually add a saturated hue on the walls–I want a room to pop. I want a room to feel that it's exciting, that it's dynamic, that it's dimensional.”
“I'm not a person that shies away from color,” explains Cohler. “I want to use colors that speak volumes to not only me, but ultimately to the client. At the end of the day, I go home, and they don't–I want them to be comfortable in their space, but I also want to make sure that the space holds together at all times of the year at different times of light at all times of day.”