I've been doing quite a bit of interior painting and, like most people (I think), I choose my colors by looking at paint chips/samples available in the store's paint department. Problem is, I've often been disappointed when I finally buy the color and put it on the wall. This is now at the point where I'm second-guessing myself and changing my mind at the last minute.
I suppose I could buy a quart of the color and test it each time, but that could get expensive, not to mention wasteful.
Has anyone come up with any ideas how to decide if you really will like the color before you commit to a gallon of paint?
I don't know which problem it is you're having - is the paint that you're putting on the wall not exactly the same as the chip, or do you just not like the colour overall?
If it's the first problem here are a couple of things you can try: 1) Take the chip home and look at it in the room that you're going to be painting. Different lights (flourescent, incandescent, daylight, etc) bring different elements of the colour to the forefront. 2) When you get home and look at the chip, isolate it. Place white paper around the other chips, if on a strip, or just cut that section out of the strip. Colours change their appearance when paired next to other colours. 3) Paint ALWAYS dries darker then when wet. Wherever you're going to get your paint, make sure they put a good-sized dab on the lid of the can and dry it with a heat gun. 4) Quite often paint won't match the sample/chip. Why? Because the chip is printed with dyes as close as they can do it, and the paint is done with colourants. Also, there can be a HUGE difference in quality of paint, and often overlooked - where you're buying it. Paint tinting machines are NOT all that accurate, especially in the hands of someone who isn't as experienced as they should be (can you TELL I'm in the business ? :) so make SURE you've got the proper colour, or get it fixed before you leave the store (see #3)
If it's the second problem, well, just take a little more time making sure that all the colours involved blend together properly. That's why I always recommend buying paint from specialty stores - IE Colour Your World, Benjamin Moore, etc. The people there are more trained as designers then big-box people. Finally, most people, I think, second-guess themselves after they've started painting - hell, I wasn't sure about my Sage Green living room for 2 weeks after it was done, and my gf was REALLY unsure about the blue kitchen.......till EVERYONE that came over RAVED about the colours......
I just repainted a room I did yesterday because I was not happy with the color. This time I went with a neutral color and it turned out very nice. I think I will be going with neutrals from now on as I too have had problems being disappointed with the end results of color on the wall.
I have bought quarts of paint before to see if I like it on the wall, but it's always different when you do the whole room.
Seems like it's a trial and error procedure. Two rooms I am very happy with my color choices: a hunter green in the bathroom (the dark green contrasts nice with the white on the toilet and vanity) and a sunny yellow in the dining room with white trim (very fresh looking).
But, I think I will be sticking with neutrals for my future painting projects.
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