About Sherwin-Williams Color Expert™
I saw this app mentioned on a home decorating show my wife watches, so I downloaded it to my iPhone 15 Pro out of curiosity. I’m not a tech person, but I know what I like. We have a sunroom that gets beautiful light in the mornings, and I wanted a nice, soft blue for it. The idea of bringing home a dozen little paint chips and trying to imagine them on the wall was giving me a headache. This app seemed like it could help cut through that confusion. After using it for about two weeks, I can say it did help, though it took some getting used to. It’s definitely for people who are planning to paint and want to avoid some of the stress of choosing. That’s me, so I guess I’m the target audience.
Features & Highlights
The main thing you do is take a picture of your room and then tap on the walls to change the color. It’s like magic, but a little fussy magic. I took a photo of my sunroom last Tuesday morning to get the light right. You pick a color from their huge list and it slaps it right onto your wall in the picture. The “Color Snap” feature is clever too. I held my phone up to a ceramic bird my wife has on the shelf, and the app found a paint color that was a close match. That was a fun trick. They also have these pre-made groups of colors that go well together, which was helpful when I couldn’t decide if the blue should have more gray or more green in it.
User Experience
Let’s be honest, the first time I opened it, I was a bit lost. There are a lot of buttons and menus. I just wanted to see a blue on my wall, but I had to figure out how to take the photo “within the tool” and not just use my regular camera. Once my son showed me, it was easy. The best moment was when I finally settled on a color called “Sleepy Blue.” Seeing it on my phone screen, in my actual room with my own furniture, gave me the confidence to buy a gallon. I went to the Sherwin-Williams store on Maple Street and just showed the guy behind the counter the color saved in my app. He knew exactly what I needed.
Pricing
You can’t beat the price. It’s free. No pop-ups asking for money, no monthly fee. For a free tool that helps you make a better decision on something as permanent and expensive as paint, it’s a no-brainer. I probably would have bought two sample pots of the wrong blue without it, so it saved me fifteen bucks and a trip back to the store right there.
Updates & Support
The app did update once while I had it. It didn’t break anything, so that’s good. I did have one question about saving projects. I couldn’t find a clear answer in the little help section, so I sent an email to the support address I found online. They got back to me, but it took three or four days. The woman who replied, Sarah, was very polite and solved my problem. I just wish I didn’t have to go hunting on a website to find how to contact them. A button right in the app would be much easier for folks like me.
Security & Privacy
This was a small concern of mine. The app asks to use your camera, which makes sense. It also wants to access your photos if you want to use an old picture. I let it do that just for the one photo of my room. I didn’t see anything weird happening, and it’s not like I’m taking pictures of my bank statements with it. It seems fine for what it is. I’m not storing personal information in there, just pictures of my sunroom and a list of paint colors I like.
How does the Color Snap feature work in the Sherwin-Williams Color Expert app?
Color Snap lets you hold your phone up to any object, like a ceramic bird or a piece of fabric, and the app will find a matching paint color from Sherwin-Williams' library. It's a quick and fun way to pull a color directly from something you already own.
Can I see what a paint color will look like on my actual walls before buying?
Yes, you can take a photo of your room inside the app and then tap on the walls to apply different paint colors. This lets you see how a color like 'Sleepy Blue' looks with your actual furniture and lighting before you commit to a gallon.
Why can't I just use a photo from my regular camera to try paint colors?
The app requires you to take the photo within the tool itself so it can properly map the walls and lighting for accurate color previews. If you use your regular camera roll, the app won't let you paint the walls, but once you get the hang of taking the photo inside the app, it works smoothly.
The app felt confusing at first. How do I get started quickly?
Start by opening the app and selecting the 'Paint a Scene' option, then take a fresh photo of your room directly within that tool. If you get stuck, ask a tech-savvy friend or family member to show you once, and after that it becomes very intuitive.
How does Sherwin-Williams Color Expert compare to the Benjamin Moore Color Portfolio app?
Both apps let you preview paint colors on your walls, but Sherwin-Williams Color Expert offers a more extensive color library and the handy Color Snap feature for matching colors from real objects. Benjamin Moore's app is a bit simpler to navigate right out of the box, but Sherwin-Williams gives you more flexibility once you learn the interface.
