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erincarlyle

Sample Boards or Walls?

Erin Carlyle
7 years ago

When testing a paint color, do you prefer to paint samples on boards or directly on your walls?

Sample boards
Walls
Featured Answer
  • Judy Mishkin
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    never paint it on a wall if its a sample pot. odds are the finish is different than what you will choose, and then the sample rectangles will 'flash' even after several coats of your permanent color... even if its the same color as the sample.

    besides, its better to move the sample around to see how you like the color in different places.

    Comments (34)

    • Bev
      7 years ago

      I have painted my paint samples on the walls of my house and I have not seen any rectangles standing out. It does help that my entire house was painted white and that means the paint samples will look true to the paint color. I did happen to get my paint samples in the same sheen as the paint!

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    • teamaltese
      7 years ago
      I've done both. There's a new product out that's a self adhesive film, you paint the film, let it dry, and stick it on the wall. Peel it off and move to another wall. Nifty. But I also slap paint on the walls. If I'm going from light to dark, or dark to dark, I use the wall. Dark to light, I use the film. The underlying paint color does effect the color of the new coat.
    • Judy Henry
      7 years ago
      I don't use sample boards because of how different it interacts with paint than my concrete walls. So we made a wall in the back of the house for paint.
    • PRO
      CK Hoffman Design
      7 years ago

      I think the best truest way to test the paint is on the walls, and I DO A LOT of painting. Sample Quarts are ok - it's basically colored Primer Paint. The color is pretty true although not exact. I alway suggest a large swatch at least 2' x 2' - remember to use two coats and to let dry completely. Try to look at it several times throughout the day and night.

    • User
      7 years ago

      I use poster paper. Can move it around easily.

    • User
      7 years ago

      Off white poster board gives you a more true color. You aren't painting over bright white. Unless you do prime first, which most of us honestly don't.

    • PRO
      Gigi Lombrano Interiors
      7 years ago

      Several paint stores have special boards you can purchase, best of both worlds!

    • Kristine
      7 years ago

      I guess I am an exception to conventional wisdom on this subject. I fell in love with Farrow & Ball's 'Pale Hound' years and years ago and when I surprisingly found myself building a home in far Northern Minnesota, I knew I wanted an open floor plan, as many windows as possible to bring the outdoors in, and Pale Hound on the walls. It took local Sherwin-Williams shop manager three tries to match the sample I ordered from F&B. But match it he did - at a great savings to my budget. The effect I hoped for was achieved - during summer the walls reflect the verdant hues outside the windows. In winter the walls look like sunshine against the snow outside the windows. I especially love how the color deepens in the corners of rooms or in the shadows as the light changes during the day, and in the evening when artificial lights are turned on. It was all about the color...

    • PRO
      Jane Soroka colour design
      7 years ago

      If a customer is having that much difficulty or is that particular about paint colours than I suggest they prime out their walls first to have a clean slate to test walls ... I have had people say ..the colour they chose just wasnt right and after so many test pots of paint i said ... did you prime out that bright egg yellow wall that you had before you tested the greys.... ??? I tell them its difficult , very diffucult to envision the proper colour next to already painted walls especially if they are making a drastic change.... prime it out first

    • gymguy128
      7 years ago


      I paint with the sample colors on the walls but be advised these paints are NOT the same as the mixed color. The shade is correct but the sample does not provide a good base for the mixed color and is likely to flake off if painted over. Use a primer first before painting with your mixed color.

    • Susan Malcolm
      7 years ago

      My "go to" sample board is a piece of wall board. So I get the same texture that would be on my walls. Also, I can move the sample board around the room...into the light, in a darker corner, etc.

    • PRO
      Studio NOO Design
      7 years ago

      Sample board is better so you can check it out in different corners or the room where the light is not the same, that is the way to choose a paint color.

    • paulie4neil
      7 years ago

      EVEN IF YOU ARE TESTING ON A WALL---You must 1st ISOLATE the new color from the old with 2 coats of white primer! Colors are perceived by the human brain/eye IN CONTEXT with the colors immediately adjacent to them. SECONDLY--without a solid primer, the old color will CERTAINLY bleed through the first color. This article lacks those factors! Stick with the boards, people.

    • 3551urraca
      7 years ago

      When should you paint the ceiling the same color as the walls or should it be a lighter color, white or cream?

    • User
      7 years ago

      @3551urraca you should start a thread in Design Dilemma . My answer to you would be whatever your tastes are works.

    • vintagebeachgirl
      7 years ago
      I've used the film that teamaltese suggested and found it VERY helpful. Found it at local HD store in the paint department several years ago. I use them, one sheet on each wall of the room, (to see how it looks with different amounts of sunlight), but only after I paint a much larger white rectangle on the wall for a realistic comparison. Paint reads differently when you hold samples up to or paint them on a wall that's not white. Have had great success with this method bc the resulting paint job looks like I expected it to, the same as the sample did.
    • Lynn Schultz
      7 years ago

      I've done color consulting, and there are ways to test paint on walls without seeing where those test patches are. Paint larger areas; feather out the edges of a test area, and do not use tape for a nice square of color. Prime over the paint tests, and always paint 2 coats. Another tip is to test paint on an inside corner, both adjoining walls, to see how dark the color actually becomes. Test paint in stairwells and if it is too dark on the shadow wall, ask your paint dealer to half the recipe, or make it one step lighter on the color sample. The darker wall will appear the same color as the wall getting light. Glossy colors appear a little lighter because they have shine reflecting from light areas, like windows. Last but not least, make sure you have even texture, meaning no patches that are smoother than the rest of the wall, and if you are painting a gloss color, make sure your walls are smooth and without cracks. The flatter the paint, the more it hides imperfections.

    • mjkjrobinson
      6 years ago

      When I choose a colour we just get it and paint the walls, it works so far no problems!!

    • Lynn Schultz
      6 years ago
      Hi, That's wonderful for you! Sometimes in some situations, the paint colors change drastically with the lighting and natural shadows in the room. It can change the look entirely with the wrong shade, but your attitude is gutsy to say the least!
    • PRO
      User
      6 years ago

      We paint a whole wall from corner to corner for our clients.

    • mjkjrobinson
      6 years ago

      That's so cool, it's my hubby and me that paint! But once I get it done this time I'll take pictures and send it in!

    • PRO
      Attaway Homes
      6 years ago

      To get a true match to the color, and at the same time, see what it looks like in a room, you should prime the wall first. It is an extra step, but will be well worth it in the long run.

    • PRO
      Tri-City Paint & Design
      6 years ago
      Sample boards are definitely the way to go. You can move them around, view them along side the elements that are going to remain in the room, like the flooring or the sofa. They can be viewed on the window wall which is usually darker, as well as in the bright light. The existing colour on the walls will effect how you see your new colour. Some paint stores sell the artist boards which won't curl and wrinkle once you paint them. And please, don't kid yourself about paint stores being able to accurately match paint chips from competitors. It may look 'close' on the chip but paint a large area of it and they can be pretty bad. In particular the complex, or full spectrum colours. They contain anywhere from 7-9 different pigments without using any black or grey in them, making them luminous and almost dance with the light. We see it all the time when clients or painters don't use the brand specified we can't guarantee the results.
    • PRO
      User
      6 years ago

      All of our clients receive a 18 X 24 inch sample of their finish. These boards are great to start


      withh and the board chosen can be taken anywhere to check colors in accessories.

    • PRO
      Lunada Consulting & Design, Inc.
      6 years ago

      Always sample boards - no clean up or paints showing through the finish color.

    • micxh
      6 years ago
      last modified: 6 years ago

      I have had better luck with samples as stated in some of the other posts. Samples can be moved around the room, lighting is crucial. I always do a 24 hour test with early morning sun then proceed throughout the day checking the samples to see how they look. Then after dark turn the lights on in the room this is definitely an essential element to determine the color & likeability. The room that you settle into in the evening might be enhanced by the spectrum of light from fixtures more so than natural lighting in the daytime. After this 24 hour test there will always be that one color that you keep coming back to that is just right. Even with the small samples you can get a great indication.

      On a side note the 24 test should be used for every element you bring into the home---> carpet, tile, counter top and or wood flooring.

    • User
      6 years ago

      Barbara Wolfe Interiors

      Yes to all of the above, but I also use 2 "Masks": 1 on black, 1 on white cardboard with at least a 6x6" cut -out to hold against the wall sample and/or to view through at a distance. This eliminates ambient existing colors.

    • PRO
      Amenities Home Design
      6 years ago

      If you paint on the wall, paint right next to the trim so the ambient existing color is blocked from your line of sight.

    • Patricia Carpentieri
      6 years ago
      Great discussion that has a good information about all the different ways to test colors. Considerations I keep in mind are:
      1.How the source of light changes the over time so from morning to night (from sun location & weather conditions). During night the light bulbs type (incandescent, fluorescent, LED etc.).
      2. How the colors in the room effect how skin tones show. I've noticed that some beautiful colors can cause people to look unhealthy.
      3. What are the colors that are not going to change & how they interact with the new color scheme.
    • User
      6 years ago

      Good points. Another note from my experience with clients' choices: women especially know what colors look good on them. This may not translate into ambient room color, but best to keep this mind regarding their biases.


    • Beverly Cook
      6 years ago

      I use sample boards until I get very close to the color I want, and then do a wall swatch. Each layer of test paint 'fills' the texture in the wall a little, so even if you have dealt with the primer and color correctly, you can sometimes still see changed texture on the wall where you put your test colors. This will be more noticeable on walls that you see from the side. A facing wall is more forgiving. Many have mentioned that the test colors are not the same as the paint, but I go ahead and get my final tests in the actual paint, not the sample stuff or tinted primer. It is more expensive that the test stuff, but way cheaper than repainting the whole place! Another point is that the color will read differently depending on the size of the paint job. A small painted area, like trim, may not be large enough to see the color properly, as I found out when I painted my exterior narrow trim the exact same color as the front door, only to have the trim look black instead of blue. If you have a large painted area (walls and ceilings), it takes less 'color' to look colorful, if you get my meaning. And finally, when you find a color that interests you, ask to see the formula. A color may look grey, but have a lot of red or green in it that does not show in certain lights. I bought a house once with a lovely grey interior and a large amount of expensive tile on the floors, only to discover on our first night in the house that it all turned pink. Pink, pink, pink!!! I hate pink! Who goes house shopping at night? Right? Lesson learned. :)

    • PRO
      Sarasota FL Real Estate Photographer Rick Ambrose
      5 years ago
      last modified: 5 years ago

      One thing to consider along with paint color is the lighting you will be using. If you really want see what color your lightbulbs are putting out, take a picture of the room because the camera will emphasize it....you'll be amazed.

      The best light bulbs I've encountered are GE Reveal which come in all sizes, incandescent and hi-efficiency. They take all the yellow and blue out of the lighting allowing the true colors of your walls, fabrics and woods to really come out. They are available everywhere and worth hunting for.

      In general, cheap hi-efficiency squiggly bulbs are too yellow; florescent bulbs give a green cast, and LED tend toward blue. The bulbs may have more to do with the color you see than the paint itself. GE Reveal is the closest you can get to natural sunlight.

    • PRO
      Faux Like a Pro
      2 years ago

      I always use large sample boards - as flat and as white as possible. Holding one color up at a time to avoid confusion for the eye. And always hold up to a corner or molding for reference. Here's a good video in the subject of sampling paint colors

      https://youtu.be/IYkg-MzYhBo

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