5 Tips for Testing Paint Colors

The planning stages of painting your home are simultaneously the most fun and most stressful part of the process. If you’re in the midst of choosing the perfect color for the inside or outside of your home, it’s important to test it out first. To make a sound decision, you’ll need to consider different factors when testing paint colors, like how the light hits them and what type of surface you’re testing them on. Read on to learn five tips to help you test paint colors and find the one the best fits your taste.

Don’t Paint Directly on the Wall

If you’re testing various paint samples, to avoid making extra work for yourself, it’s a good idea to avoid painting them directly on your walls until you’ve come up with a decision on what color you want. Instead, test it out on a piece of cardstock taped to your wall or a large board so you don’t need to sand down the wall after painting directly on it.

Don’t Decide Until the Sample Has Dried

To make sure that you like the color that you’ve chosen to test, it’s important to wait until it completely dries. Allowing enough time for the adhesive to dissolve and the paint to set will give you a chance to see the final shade that your color takes on after it has completely cured.

Check the Sample at Different Times Throughout the Day

If you have a room with moderate to ample natural lighting, you’ll want to be sure to go back to check out your dried paint sample throughout the day. This is because it may look differently when the light hits it, because depending on your geographical location, you may have natural lighting that has hints of pink, gray, or other colors in it, which will change the appearance of the paint.

Consider Your Existing Décor

One factor that many patients forget to consider when choosing their paint color is the color of permanent fixtures of their home, such as baseboards, flooring, and furniture that they’re not planning on replacing. In order to make sure that your home doesn’t look jarring and ensure that it’s cohesively decorated once the walls are painted and your décor is moved back in the room, be sure to take pictures and compare them against the colors you’re considering in the paint store.

Keep the Lighting in Your Home in Mind

Does your home have a lot of artificial lighting? Considering whether your home is filled with white or yellow light is important, because when shined on your paint sample, it could cause different undertones to appear more prevalent, changing its appearance.

If you need help testing a paint color and making sure that you’re making the best decision for your home, don’t hesitate to reach out to your professional painter as well. They have ample experience working in residential settings and have painted thousands of homes, giving them special insight on what would look best.

About Platinum Painting of Fort Worth

At Platinum Painting of Fort Worth, our team of expert residential painters is dedicated to helping homeowners transform their houses into homes. Whether they’re looking to repaint the inside or outside of their homes, remove their popcorn ceilings, or update their kitchen by painting their kitchen cabinets, we do it all. We’re also happy to help homeowners along every step of the way, including choosing paint types and colors. To schedule your free in-home estimate, visit our website or call 817-310-9832.