My top Tips for Swatching paint

This week I was helping my parent's choose a paint colour for their exterior. It was really important that the colour would bring some warmth and complement the brick well. I thougtht that I would share my process when choosing paint colours. 

Choose lots of options

You can never have too many paint options in my opinion! It's always better to have more options so you can see how each colour will pair with your trim, wood tones, or any other features that your room or exterior has. This will actually make it easier to eliminate since you will be able to quickly identify the options that won't work. 

sample the paint in bright and dark areas

This is especially important if you are sampling paint for your exterior. Almost all colours will look different in the bright light and in shaded areas. This will give you a chance to see how the lighting in your room will affect the look of the paint in your home. The same paint colour can look different depending on how much light you get and what direction the light is coming from. 

sample the paint close to trim or other 

If you are planning on painting an accent wall or adding another colour to a space it's always really important to sample your new colour as close as possible to the existing colours within your room. You may not realize it, but darker and richer colours can bring out certain undertones in lighter shades. This can sometimes be very unflattering if you choose a light colour with the incorrect undertone. When choosing colours that wil go good together make sure that they both have a matching undertone. This can be a warm, cool, or neutral undertone. 

observe your samples throughout the day

It's always good to observe your samples throughout the day so you can see how the natural lights affects it. Take a look at your samples in the morning, midday, and in the evening to see if there is a difference in how the colour looks. It might look different in the morning compared to the evening and you will want to see if the difference still pairs nicely with other colours, and features in your home. 

I hope you found these tips helpful for your next project! Want to work together for your next project? Fill out my contact form here and I'll be in touch with you. Happy painting!