Test Those Paint Colors!
Tar Paper Crane
I know that I have pointed this out in various other posts, but I’m going to say it again! I want to make sure that when you find a paint color that you like, make sure that you request a small sample first to take home. It’s important to test how the paint will look in the room (lighting, furniture, etc.), before you invest in an entire can of paint.
I know I have done it myself! We all have taken shortcuts and decided the little paint chip was all the proof we need. But it didn’t always work out, did it? There are times when the difference between the color on the chip has been so much darker than it looks on the wall! And that yellow! Should have tested first.
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I have received horror stories from readers that wished they go just go back in time and brought home a sample so they would not have the ugly color on their wall now. This reader below had better results:Dear Kelly,Happy New Year! I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your advice in all of your blogs! A few week ago, my husband and I were decided that we really needed to paint our bedroom. The room has dark wooden frames and only one window, so we knew that we wanted to find a color that would help to “brighten” up the room. I had read through a few of your blogs about choosing paint colors, so I thought that I was pretty informed about paint when I went to the store. My husband and I found this beautiful yellow color by Olympic Paint, called Limoncello. Right away we were drawn to the beautiful color and how it seemed to “pop” off of the paint chip. My husband went up to the counter to ask the associate to get us a few gallons, when all of a sudden I remembered your post about sampling paint. I quickly ran over to my husband and asked the associate if we could have a sample one first. When we brought the color home and painted a portion of the wall- we were shocked! The paint color didn’t look anything like the sample chip! I was so happy that we tried out a sample before we invested all of our money into gallons of a paint that we weren’t happy with. Determined to find the perfect color, my husband and I went back to Lowe’s and picked out a different color, Belgian Waffle. We bought a sample can first and tried it out on the wall of our room and immediately loved it! Thank you so much for writing such “simple” tips that are so helpful! Paint can be expensive, so I’m glad that I was able to use what I learned in your blogs to save money (and frustration!).Thank you again! Keep writing!-Sarah S.Thanks Sarah! So glad I could help!Although we look at inspirational photos of rooms painted, we know that the color is not going to look the same in your home with your lighting and your furnishings. Take this paint color for instance:
Doesn't the color look very different in the photo? Here is another great example:
Benjamin Moore Stone Brown 2112-30
Both rooms are painted with Benjamin Moore Stone Brown 2112-30. See how different they look? Such a little step to be sure you are getting the right color the first time! Agreed?If you need color advice for your home, contact me today.Other similar topics you might enjoy: