Yesterday I touched on lighting and how it effects the appearance of your paint; these two topics sort of go hand in hand. The most important step in choosing the right paint color is to test your options. This is also a good time for you to experiment and step out of your comfort zone. If you typically stick with neutral hues try experimenting with a little color!

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Now that you have picked out a few colors you can purchase sample paint. Valspar and Behr both offer paint samples for about $2.94.

There are two really good options on how to display, visualize, and use your samples.

Your first option is to paint big sections on your wall in each of the colors that you are considering. Make sure you find a way to keep track of each color. You will want to have a sample section that is big enough for you to get the “feel” for the actual color. It’s also important to make sure that you get a good even coat. You might have to do two coats if its necessary; you really want good coverage to achieve the true color.

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DON’T:

Paint your sections too close together. The colors will start to blend together and it will make your decision even harder. You want them to have good spacing so they don’t interfere with each other.

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If you aren’t a fan of painting the samples on your wall you can use a piece of MDF or poster board. This is an effective way to sample different varieties of colors. I still prefer to paint them directly on your wall if you can.

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Leave your samples up for a few days. There will be a few that you will automatically rule out and others that you might be unsure of. This is where the lighting portion comes in. Make sure that you look at your samples in all three of the different lights; each hue might appear slightly different depending on the light. After you have examined and studied your samples for a few days you should be ready to make the big decision!

Make sure you check out my other posts on Picking Paint

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