Acetone Colors

Traditional Colors

• When you think of the traditional acetone colors, envision natural colors you might see if you were out in the middle of a sun-kissed desert full of hot temperatures and little moisture. Sand tones like tan, beige and stone are the common colors in this palette. When used on surfaces like flooring, it's one of the lightest colors in the wheel, but the texture in both the acetone color and of the medium used -- like concrete -- gives the area some tone and depth to avoid appearing stark white next to dark cabinets and paneling.

Clay Colors

• The clay tones are the red-boned colors that give off a rustic feel with such colors as red clay, cola, sandburst, redwood and rust. These orange and red colors are bright but still contain a calming tone when paired against darker accessories such as black and dark grey furniture or appliances.

Bold Browns

• On the color chart the brown acetone colors fall right between the traditional sandy colors and the clay palette. Browns pick up some of the rustiness of the clay colors but also the dark grittiness of simple black and dark grey tones as well. These colors are often referred to as "earthy" because of their claylike, "earth" hues. Identify earth brown, coffee and chestnut as finished colors in this section.

Abstract Colors

• There may be a time when you want to add a definitive bold color such as blue or green because it works well against other grains and staining you've used for your project. In other cases, you may be using these colors to create a whole new color by mixing it with another tone, such as adding Caribbean blue to desert sand to make a mossy green color.