How to sample paint colors.
A guide on how to get a real sense of the properties of your paint color.
1) When possible, it’s best to not paint samples directly on your walls because “test areas” sometimes remained visible even after the walls were painted, especially when one of the sample colors was darker than the final color choice. We recommend painting the samples on 18'“x24” sample boards.
TIP: I create these by painting directly on foam board . I paint at least 2 coats; at times, very dark colors have require 3-4 coats for adequate coverage. If you are testing a trim color and a few wall colors, make boards for your trim colors as well. I like to do this on a strip of 5” x 24” foam board.
2) After the paint on the boards has cured (after a day or so), I “audition” the color finalists for at least 2 days.
TIP: During the course of the audition period, I move the sample boards around to see how each color looks during various parts of the day/evening
3) Your perception of the new colors are influenced by the current wall color. Color doesn’t exist in a vacuum, it is always relative to the colors around it. If your eye is comparing your new color to the old wall color behind it, you will never understand how the color will look in the room once that old color is completely gone.
TIP: We recommend using a viewfinder, simply cut a 2”x1” rectangle out of the center of a piece of paper and view your color through it, it will block off the old wall colors around it. Put your trim and wall color sample boards together on the wall and view them through the view finder together.
4) Small sample pints/pots that are being sold now are not great representations of your potential colors. The formulas for paint colors are made for Gallons. I have seen these be drastically different!!
5) How to buying the right amount of paint. Typical coverage for a gallon of paint is 400 square feet. Use this as a rough guide for how much to purchase. You can calculate a walls square feet by multiplying the width of the wall by height of the wall and then you add up all the walls for the total square feet needed.
TIP: When in doubt, opt for another gallon, since it’s better to have extra paint at the end of the project than not enough to complete the project. You can always use the extra paint for touch ups in the future.