With all of the blog chatter about the new MS paint line for Home Depot and my MS paint choice (Heath) for the apartment, I thought you might want to see what’s been happening here with the paint chips.
I asked Eric Beare to organize them as a color spectrum curtain. This is an incredibly striking way to display them as well as add some drama to our corporate lobby. More importantly, I documented Eric’s process, which is fascinating.
The huge blank wall measures 6.5 feet by 22 feet. Eric determined that he would need to use 1120 paint chips (4 of each chip of our 280 colors plus an extra 24 to fill out the grid). He linked them in groups of four using jump rings and a 1.25 mm hole punch. Then, he attached the groups of four together, reinforced the top row with grommets and gaffers tape, and suspended the entire piece from a steel bar painted white.
Watch as he creates the curtain from most saturated colors to least and transforms a blank white wall.
1 Eric started by laying out all of the chips.
2 Carefully working from dark to light.
3 Tools of the trade, from the hole punch and jump rings to water and tea.
4 He began by punching a 1.25 mm round hole in each side of the chip.
5 He bought a 2-pound bag of jump rings from a local jewelry shop.
6 Here are the jump rings.
7 He VERY carefully attached all the chips together, first in groups of four.
8 A finished section.
9 Close up of the ring.
10 Then laid out the sets of four in the correct order.
11 The work required him to use a thimble.
12 It was meticulous work.
13 Ah, such gorgeous color on a gray day. A view from the space he was working in.
14 Here is the blank 6.5-foot-by-22-foot space.
15 It took quite a few MSLO employees to hoist it up with ropes and hang it from the white metal bar.
16 But in the end, it looks fantastic. Thanks Eric!
Kevin Sharkey 
From: Kenn | 3/9/10 at 12:29 pm
What a great idea! Hmmm.. I stood at Home Depot and collected one of each paint chip. Perhaps I could put them to a secondary use in the home office/craft room.. Thanks, Kevin!
From: Michael | Chicago | 3/9/10 at 6:36 pm
Beautiful. That's my kind of workmanship. The gray day photo is nice because the yellow cabs appear to be hand tinted in a gray-scale image. You should definitely have a line of Martha-approved art and photography.
From: NeatNicole from Illinois | 3/9/10 at 8:52 pm
Oooooo.... much more fun and beautiful than a paint swatch book.
On Saturday, I bought my MS paint for my bathroom remodel. Kerry Blue Terrier and Cumulus Cloud. The blue looks AMAZING with my white subway tiles and gray grout.
From: Niki | 3/9/10 at 10:08 pm
While the wall came out beautiful and he did a great job, how long did it take to complete? I can't imagine having the patience to complete something like this.
From: catherine | 3/10/10 at 2:02 am
fabulous, I hope it is featured on the show
From: Annie Doherty | 3/10/10 at 8:40 am
Wow,
a simple idea that produced such a great result.
I'm sure that everyone appreciates the wonderful color as they move through that area.
Well done Kevin for a great idea and kudos to Eric for so patiently assembling it.
From: John | 3/10/10 at 12:40 pm
Great work and nice transformation! Ceativity at work. Always take time; especially when you are working with colors. Take your time when choosing and you will achieve your goals.
From: Karen | 3/13/10 at 8:39 am
Will you please post an 'after' shot like picture 14 that shows the whole space?
Also, I'm absolutely dying to know what you did with those beautiful gems Alexis gave you for Valentine's Day! You are a true inspiration, Kevin. Thank you for sharing some of your insightful ideas and projects with us! I sure hope Home Depot doesn't give me the evil eye!
From: shaik.habibulla | 5/12/10 at 5:02 am
What a great idea! Hmmm.. I stood at Home Depot and collected one of each paint chip. Perhaps I could put them to a secondary use in the home office/craft room.. Thanks, Kevin