5 things i've learned the hard way:#4

thing i have learned the hard way #4:

always, always

use samples when painting.

i have picked out my fair share of paint colors 

over the years,and while i feel that i

have learned a lot of tips about selecting

paint that make it much easier,

it is still one of those "tricky" things

that sometimes still manages to 

cause me frustration.

here are a few tips to help you choose that

perfect paint color:

1. try to select a color that, on the

paint swatch, looks a little...

dull.

drab.

boring.

generally, paint colors go on the

wall a little bit lighter and brighter

than they look on a sample.

anyone who has ever tried painting a room

green or yellow KNOWS what i am talking about.

in particular, these two colors seem to be

a little more tricky to select than others.

in fact, just last week, i was at my friends house

for book club. she had just completed a 

kitchen remodel, and while the kitchen looks

fabulous, she was really unhappy with the paint 

color she chose.

she was going for "soft sage"

and ended up with "lime sherbet".

i told her the same advice i listed above:

go a little more "drab/dull/boring" than 

the color you are envisioning.

2. narrow your selection down to 2 or 3 colors,

and get samples.

painting a room is an investment...

when thinking about a budget for painting a room,

be sure to add $10-30 for samples.

if possible, take the paint swatches into

several different rooms in your  home,

and make sure to look at them in

different lighting. 

(natural light is always the best, though)

when selecting these samples,

try to get some diversity.

for instance, if you are looking to

paint your room a soft soothing blue,

pick the color that you THINK you are going 

to love, and then pick one that has just

a hint more green in it. 

do the same with any color...

looking for a nice, neutral gray?

pick a grey, and then pick one that

is just a little more "warm" than what 

you think you want. it is surprising

how different paint looks on the wall

than it does on that teeny, tiny sample.

another really useful tool when narrowing down your 

selection is to GOOGLE images of the paint

colors you are considering. chances are, that someone

has painted a room in their home that color

and uploaded them to a flickr stream or a blog.

it's a great way to get a sneak peek at what

the paint looks like when painted on the

walls if an entire room.

3. paint the samples on the wall in at 

least a 20" square, and make sure to get 

at least two coats.

if possible, paint the sample on a

sheet of poster board or a scrap of drywall-

 especially if painting a wall that already has a color on it.

the existing color can really skew your samples and make

them appear more pink or green or bright

than they will appear when the entire room is painted.

also, be sure to paint the samples on at least two walls.

lighting can dramatically effect the color of a

wall, and it is really important to see 

the colors on different surfaces/planes.

4. when selecting your final color,

be sure to give yourself enough time to see the

color at daytime and at night.

 the light in a room changes A LOT 

throughout the course of the day.

that pretty, soft yellow that looks fabulous

at night may look you are standing

inside a glass of country-time lemonade 

during the day. 

and that classy, soothing

blue that looks gorgeous in the morning

may look smurferrifically awful in the middle of the day.

(images: 1, 2,3, 4, 5)

happy painting!