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Ahhh, the weekend! Happy Saturday, kids! Scroll on down for Today's Tip......
CHOOSING A PAINT COLOR Have you ever painted a wall and then were disappointed because the color looked so different from the tiny paper sample you chose so carefully? Or have you ever hung wallcovering, only to have the same disappiontment?
When you are looking at a 2" square paint chip, keep in mind that the color will look much darker or deeper when you see an entire wall of it. Our eyes play tricks on us. If you choose a color which is actually a couple of shades lighter than what you envision your final product to be, you will likely be much happier with your choice.
Same with wallcoverings. When looking at a pattern in a wallpaper book, keep in mind that an entire wall of the pattern may look awfully busy. Be sure that is the look you're going for before you buy!
In my younger days, I was a professional coatings and wallcoverings consultant (a/k/a I worked at a Glidden paint store and attended classes for certification - haha). Anyway, when it comes to home decorating, often, less is more.
As a professional finisher and artist, I would add, when you're choosing paint colors, only pick the color in the light of day and bring your swatches to the front window of the store or even outside. Bring home one of the new sample containers that allow you to paint about a 4' x 4' square on your wall. Then you can observe the color on your walls in the environment it will be covering. Check to see how you like it in the daytime and the nighttime.
Great tip Pammy!
Last edited by CoastalMaine; 12-10-2010 at 11:11 PM..
Reason: It was supposed to say 4 FEET by 4 FEET... not "!!! DOH!!! LOL
As a professional finisher and artist, I would add, when you're choosing paint colors, only pick the color in the light of day and bring your swatches to the front window of the store or even outside. Bring home one of the new sample containers that allow you to paint about a 4" x " square on your wall. Then you can observe the color on your walls in the environment it will be covering. Check to see how you like it in the daytime and the nighttime.
Great tip Pammy!
Thanks, Coastal. Your advice is great as well! Colors and finishes look so different in natural light than inside a store.....
Great tips, Pam, and yes paint sure looks different on a wall than those swatches. One thing though that I liked about Navajo White on the interior walls of my house in CO was that it did have a different tint to it depending on how the light hit it.
If I like the name of the paint (seaside blue, ocean wave, cappuccino, bagel....) I go with that
Great tip Pam
Haha - that's how I decide which horse to bet on if I to to the racetrack. To heck with the stats - I pick the name I like best!
Ha - I remember when I worked at Glidden.... Customers would come in and ask for the color "celery" (very popular in the 70s). But everyone's opinion of what color celery is, was different. We had a color chip that was labeled "celery," and people would actually get mad because it wasn't the shade of green that they had in mind! I'd tell them - forget the name; it means nothing - just choose the color you want. Ah, the joys of retail sales.
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Colors and finishes look so different in natural light than inside a store.....
