How To Properly Test Paint Colors

I LOVE paint! Paint is an incredible transformational tool that is quickly and easily at your disposal. With all the thousands of colors available it's easy to feel like a kid in a crayon store - oh the pretty things you will draw!

Of course that initial rush can quickly fade into decision paralysis. And unlike our childhood drawings that will only live on the fridge for a hot minute, the color you pick for your home is hopefully going to stay up a lot longer.

So what do you do? You test paint swatches of course, a very practical and wise way to make the correct decision. But hold up! I've seen this step done so poorly that it in no way will help you. So yes, you need to test your paint colors, but you need to do it the RIGHT way.

Let's recap.

#1. Don't pick more than 3 or 4 (max) colors to test at a time. Otherwise it starts to look crazy and there's no way you can make a decision!

#2. Don't paint swatches overtop of an existing color. Look at how the yellow wall throw off your eye. It's impossible to get the true hue of the samples.

#3. View your favorite color on various walls at various times of day. Lighting, both natural and artificial, plays a big part in how color shows up. I have an accent wall at home that during certain parts of the day it looks a little lavender, but it is most definitely gray. It's just the natural play of light.

Have fun and enjoy the transformation!