Have you heard about the Chip It! tool from Sherwin-Williams? It helps identify the color palette of any online photo. Like this:
The paint colors Chip It! suggested aren’t the actual names of the paint colors in the photo- they’re colors that are the closest match based on the color information it drew from the photo as it appears online. For instance, even though the ceiling in the room is actually white, the planks read as gray in that photo- hence, the “Unique Gray” suggestion. And if you click on the little “more colors” arrow, it’ll draw out even more color information from the photo. Like this:
I’ve played around with Chip It! quite a bit, and although it worked great on the interior photo above, it seems to work best on photos like this…
I think that’s because it’s mainly set up to suggest a paint palette based on a color palette you’re drawn to, vs. figuring out what colors were actually used in a room.
Anywho, all you have to do to install and use Chip It! is drag and drop the Chip It! bookmarklet below up into your toolbar:
After that, it’s super easy to use. Just click on the Chip It! button up in your tool bar to activate it. When it’s ready to go, a big blue badge will appear in the upper left hand corner of your computer screen:
Next, hover over the photo you want to “chip”, and then click on the smaller Chip It! button (on top of your inspiration photo) to see the paint palette Sherwin-Williams suggests. Need visual instructions? Just click the play button below to watch a video that shows step-by-step instructions on how to use/install it:
Happy chipping, and happy 4th of July!
This is so cool!! I love technology and Sherwin Williams for making this available and of course to you for bringing it to our attention!
Sweet, thank you!
: )
Julie M.
OH MY GOSH! That is the coolest thing ever. LOVE IT! I’m playing around with it & various pictures on my blog. fun, fun, fun!!! Thanks for sharing, Layla! ~Sally
This looks awesome! Thanks for sharing.
Now, I’d like to move in to that attic studio in the top pics.
This is such a cool tool. Thanks for the link Layla!
Very Cool!
That’s pretty darn cool! I have the Pantone app on my phone and it basically does the same thing but gives me CMYK, RGB, and LAB formulations! So handy for us graphic designers! Let me know if you find any super cool wallpaper… I want to wallpaper a room in my living room for a pop’o’color!
This is a very cool tool!
How neat! This would be great to use for color palettes for decor in a room, too, if painting is not an option (renting!!). 😉 Thanks for sharing!
Almost as fantastical as a color reader! Muchas Gracias for a new-fangled resource.
Cool trick to know! Sometimes you want just the right color that you have fallen in love with, and now you can somewhat match it!
That is such a great idea, I love it!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this, so often find a great photo of a color you love and have only that to go by, now SW has simplified the process to help us find the right colors were looking for! AMAZING….
Very cool tool! Could be very useful for someone trying to match a color to a piece of art they have or want to have for their room.
Love this tool! On a separate note… I read your blog thru google reader – using the “next” button so I can look at the actual sites I’m reading from – I get so excited when I see your template loading! Such fun ideas and beautiful photos! Keep up your great work!
I found this through another blog several months ago. I have spent an incredible amount of time being virtually creative… without actually painting anything. 🙂
That is TOO COOL!!!! Love playing around with that tool. Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Oh my word!! I need Chip It! now. What a great idea. I’m wondering if you can have your own photos “chipped” like how Pinterest allows you to have a “pin it” button on the bottom of photos or posts. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much for this overview! I’ve seen this tool before, but I was in a hurry and didn’t explore it much. Looks like a great resource. I’m already getting some ideas!
bn using chip it all day!!!
It is A MAZ ING what is available with technology! Now if they can invent a way to have little fairies paint for us while we sleep…now, THAT’S something I’d sign up for.
This little tool is going up in my tool bar pronto. Thanks Layla!
What a great tool! Thanks for sharing this!
This is the coolest tool. Thanks for sharing.
This is so neat! I can’t wait to get started using this. Not only is it a good way to choose paints, but a nice way to compare them with fabric swatches for furniture and rugs, too.
Very cool!! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve heard of this before too! Love it! Thx for the video too!
I literally just tried this for the first time yesterday. I am trying to come up with a budget friendly living room redo, without painting the walls … I’m hoping their neutral enough to work. I’m attempting to go from dark wood and red couches to coastal charm without it screaming over-the-top beach. Know what I mean?! It was fun to take some pictures I have of the beach and water and Chip it! to get ideas for colors I should try to bring into the room.
Hope you guys are having a great weekend!!
I loved that I could use Chip It on some of my old vacation photographs. I knew I wanted somewhat of an outdoors inspiration based on our time traveling in the Sierra Nevada range and along the Pacific NW coast, but until I started chipping my photos I was really having a hard time figuring out exactly what colors I wanted to use.
Wow thats awsome Layla thanks for sharing 🙂
What a great, creative tool and good to know to stay clear of interior colors. I’m thinking that pink flower might be the perfect color for the little one’s room once she realizes it can be painted again.
this is such a fantastic tool! Thanks for sharing this with us 🙂
This is awesome! My kitchen is the funkiest yellow (it’s like we took a time machine back to the 1950’s every time we walk in) and I’ve been looking for a resource to help me revamp it! Between my job at Dish and keeping up with the rest of the household, I don’t have a lot of time to pick and choose a good color scheme. This website does all the work for me, so thank you for the huge timesaver! If you have any other resources, I would love it if you posted those as well. My only source of information for this type of stuff is HGTV or the DIY network. I have a terrible habit of recording everything on those channels to my Hopper DVR because I just want to copy everything they do, so I can never make up my mind on what would actually work in my home. Who knew having so much recording space could actually work against me? LOL! Anyways, I can’t wait to experiment with Chip It, and I look forward to seeing more helpful tips from you!
OMGOSH I love Chip it! I’m glad other people think it’s amazing like I do because when I first found it a while back and shared it, nobody else felt my joy. LOL It’s brilliant in my opinion. Just discovered your blog and LOVE IT!
What was your source for the second floor/ attic stairwell? I’d love to see more of it! Thanks for the info on the great tool.