How to Test Paint Samples

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A surefire way to tell if a paint color will work in your home is to test paint samples. This will tell you whether or not a particularly popular color is the best fit for your home. However, before you start the paint sampling process, there are a few tips you should be aware of and, most importantly, mistakes to avoid.

Well, well, well. I bet you saw this one coming.

Yes, an entire post dedicated to testing and sampling paint colors!

Listen, I told you I am 100% pro-paint sampling, and I meant it.

So, today, I will share everything you need to know about testing paint samples and some common mistakes to avoid.

Oh, I’m excited! Let’s just get into it already!

I always recommend sampling the paint colors you are considering using. I say this (always) because it’s true. There is honestly no other way to know how a paint color will look in your home. It’s as simple as that. You must do it.

TIPS TO TESTING PAINT SAMPLES

Now that I have made it abundantly clear that you absolutely must sample your paint colors let’s discuss the best ways to do so.

CHOOSE YOUR FIXED ELEMENTS BEFORE PAINT

The first tip is if you are planning on a renovation or you are doing a new build. It is to pick your fixed elements before you choose a paint color.

What do I mean by fixed elements? Things like:

• flooring
• tile
• countertops
• fireplace stone

Basically, it is an element in a space that cannot be moved.

It’s a good idea to choose these things first because they are more or less permanent fixtures in your home. You can easily swap them out if you grow tired of them. Unlike with a wall paint color, which is far less problematic if you want to change that.

You do not want to choose a paint color that’s in at the moment and decorate around that particular color. 9 times out of ten, you will eventually want to refresh your space with a new paint color.

Now, your choices are limited because you must find a paint color that works with the fixed elements you choose for the old paint color.

My advice? Choose fixed elements for your home that are timeless, and you know you will love them forever.

DON’T TEST MORE THAN 3 PAINT COLORS

My second tip is to not sample more than three paint colors. I know, I know, but you love 40 paint colors. I get it—there are so many beautiful paint colors to choose from—but that doesn’t mean you should sample all of them.

First of all, that’s way too many colors. They are bound to all be very similar, and it will probably take you longer to swatch the paint colors than to paint the actual room.

Stick to sampling no more than three paint colors. It’s much, much easier to choose from 3 rather than 6 or 10. The goal here is to make your life easier, not harder.

SAMPLE SOME OF MY FAVORITE PAINT COLORS:

• Balboa Mist- Benjamin Moore
• My Homes Interior Color
• Pure White Review
• My favorite Benjamin Moore White
• Agreeable Gray – One of the Best Grays
• Chantilly Lace- A Benjamin Moore Favorite
• BM Atrium White

CREATE YOUR OWN PAINT SAMPLE BOARDS OR USE SAMPLIZE

The third tip for sampling paint colors is to create your own paint sample boards or use Samplize peel-and-stick paint samples. I prefer using these two methods because they are easy to move around a room, which is crucial when testing paint colors.

Creating your own paint sample board will require some supplies: foam poster board, a paintbrush, and, of course, paint.

When making your paint sample, paint two coats of paint on the foam board and let it dry completely (at least 24 hours). Paint tends to look darker when it’s wet, so you need to let it dry to see the true color.

If you decide making your own sample boards is not for you, then I highly suggest using a product like Samplize.

Regardless of your chosen method, both work for the next tip.

MOVE THE PAINT SAMPLES AROUND THE ROOM

This tip works in conjunction with the previous tip. One major key to finding the perfect paint color for your home is by moving it around in different areas of the room. For example, in darker corners of a room, near the floors, by a fireplace, etc. Moving the swatch around allows you to see how the paint color will look just about anywhere.

OBSERVE THE PAINT SAMPLES THROUGHOUT THE DAY

This is another important step in sampling paint color the right way. Paint colors look different when they are exposed to different lighting. A gray paint color like SW Passive may look gray in the morning, but in the evening, it can look more like a blue-gray.

Lighting changes as the sun moves, so the light in your home won’t stay the same all day. That’s why being able to move your paint swatches around is extremely helpful.

PAINT SAMPLING MISTAKES TO AVOID

Mistakes can be made with anything. Luckily for you, I’m here to tell you what to avoid when testing paint samples.

DO NOT CHOOSE A PAINT COLOR IN THE STORE.

This is the first and possibly biggest mistake to avoid.

First of all, the lighting in retail stores is horrendous, I should know. I worked at a Hallmark store a while back, and those fluorescent lights didn’t do anyone any favors.

Secondly, those small paint chips are not the true paint color. Paint chips are dyed to look like the paint color; they are not the actual paint. This means they are not a true representation of the paint color. It’s dang near close, but not 100%.

Finally, even if the paint chip was an actual painted sample of the color, how on earth can you get a sense of how the paint color will look from that teeny tiny paint chip?

DO NOT CHOOSE A PAINT COLOR FROM A PICTURE YOU FIND ON SOCIAL MEDIA

As much as I love Pinterest and Instagram, they are not how you should choose a paint color.

I said it before, and I’ll say it again: the paint color you see in the picture of other people’s homes is what the color looks like in their homes. You have no clue if that paint color will look the same unless you test the paint sample color in your home.

Don’t get me wrong. I think seeing the paint color in a picture is helpful. It can certainly give you an idea of how the color could potentially look in your home. It’s another step in choosing a paint color to test out.

SHOULD YOU TEST PAINT SAMPLE COLORS ON WALLS?

There is no correct yes or no answer to this question. Many designers and paint professionals are divided about whether or not you should test paint samples directly on your walls.

Here’s the thing: sometimes, it may just work better for you to slap a sample up on the wall. Creating a sample board is admittedly more time-consuming, but I think it is the better option. And if you are buying a sample can of the paint you might as well go the extra step to create the sample board.

To get a better idea of what I’m talking about, check out the photo. There are the same green colored circles in both boxes although each with a different colored background.

The color of the circle is the same; however, the perception of color changes when placed against a different background.

So, if you were to put a paint swatch on a wall with an existing paint color, it would affect the way you perceive the new paint color swatch.

Another con to testing paint samples on the wall is paint build-up. Let me clarify.

When you test a paint color, it’s best to use 2 to 3 coats of paint. Depending on the color you are testing, you should use a primer over a vibrant color. This means you are potentially adding 4 layers of paint to one spot on the wall. It may be subtle, but this can create a raised area on the wall. Once you are ready to paint the entire wall, you will have a slight “bump” if you do not sand it down prior.

This simply means that it will take a lot of additional work to remove the swatches—sanding, cleaning, priming, and applying additional coats of paint.

There is a plus to testing a paint sample on the wall. You get to see how the paint will look with the texture of your wall.

My take on this is to always test your paint colors. Preferably, I’d recommend using Samplize or creating sample boards, however, if those are not an option sample the paint color on your wall.

HOW TO SAMPLE PAINT ON WALLS

If sampling paint on the walls is the route you choose, then use these tips to get the most out of it.

1. Paint large 12×12 swatches in multiple places on the wall. For example, near baseboards, stonework, tile, darker corners, and so on.
2. Use at least 2 – 3 coats of paint
3. Use a primer if you have a vibrant color currently on the wall.
4. Let the paint sample swatches dry for at least 24 hours.
5. Observe the swatches throughout the day: morning, noon, and night.

FINAL THOUGHTS – TESTING PAINT SAMPLES THE RIGHT WAY

I think it’s pretty clear how I feel about testing paint colors. It is a must. It’s seriously going to allow you to see what a paint color will look like in your space.

There are so many things that can affect how a paint color well looks: lighting, fixed elements, decor color scheme, and even the trees outside your windows. That being said reading about how a paint color looks truly isn’t enough. You must test the paint samples!

Trust me, you will be so thankful you listened to me. I’ve seen it way too often: someone chooses a paint color based on a picture they saw on Instagram, only to find out the hard way the color looks nothing like the picture. Now they have to 1. either live with it or 2. repaint. It’s a no-win situation.

One last note: when it comes to the right way to test paint samples, I don’t think there is a right or a wrong way to do so. I think the biggest takeaway here is that you should be sampling regardless of how you choose to do it. Though, I do prefer sampling with Samplize or making your own boards.

With these two methods, you can easily move the samples around the room, you can use them to compare colors for your home elements, and you can even take them with you while shopping for home accessories.

I hope I have persuaded you to test the paint samples before choosing a color. I hate to see people choose the wrong paint color when it can easily be avoided.

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