This post is sponsored by Create a sample. All opinions are my own.
Recently, Robert and I visited Newport, Rhode Island for an anniversary trip and visited The Breakers.
Since then, I have been completely hooked on The Gilded Edge. Specifically, a room in the Russell family mansion.
It’s this gorgeous greyish-green room with gilded millwork that has lived rent-free in my mind ever since.
Our guest bedroom is overdue for an update, so naturally I’ve been trying to find the perfect version of that color for our home.
Simple enough, right? Not exactly.
What looks perfect gray-green in someone else’s house suddenly looks very gray. Or too green. Or too blue. Or completely different once it’s on the wall. So my walls are currently decked out Create a sample swatch
It’s about paint colors.
The frustrating part is that you can’t find the paint color you like. It is getting the paint color as you would expect it in your own home. Even if I asked Bertha Russell to name her breakfast room paint color, it wouldn’t look the same in the exact lighting of my guest room.
After years of painting rooms and making many mistakes along the way, I’ve learned that most paint color regrets aren’t just from choosing the wrong color.
They are done by choosing paint colors the wrong way.
If you’ve ever painted a room and immediately wondered why the color looked completely different than you expected, chances are you’ve made one of these common paint color mistakes.
1. Stop trusting that little paint chip
One of the biggest paint color mistakes people make is choosing a color from a small paint chip at the store.
Paint colors almost always look different when they cover an entire wall than on a small sample card. The larger the surface area, the more noticeable the undertones.
That’s why I don’t choose a paint color without testing a large area of it first.
For years, I painted pattern squares directly on my walls. It worked, but it was messy. I would end up with random paint patches all over the room and then be forced to repaint over them later.
These days, I use Sample bark-and-stick paint samples Instead
Because they are made with real paint, they give me a better idea of how the color will actually look in my home. They’re also big enough to see how the color works with flooring, trim, furniture and lighting before committing to gallons of paint.
Some of their templates also come in an extra large 15″x18″ size.
You can easily peel it off and reuse it in other rooms if you want to test it in different areas.
2. If you ignore the undertones, you’ll regret it
One of the most common reasons paint colors look wrong is undertones.
Every paint color has them, even neutrals.
Some gray lean blue. Some lean green. Some lean purple. Whites can appear creamy, yellow, pink, gray, or even slightly blue, depending on the lighting and surrounding finish.
The easiest way to see undertones is to compare paint colors side by side.
Right now, I’m testing several gray-green paint colors for our guest bedroom. To make it easier to compare them, I attached my samples to a large piece of white poster board and placed them around the room.
A white background helps me see undertones more clearly because nearby wall colors, furniture, and decor can influence how our eyes perceive color.
It’s a simple trick, but it helps keep my eyes from playing tricks on me and makes it much easier to spot subtle differences.
Otherwise, what looked gray yesterday suddenly looks blue today, and before long I’m questioning everything.
3. Paint colors look different throughout the day
The quickest way to be disappointed with a paint color is to look at it once and call it good.
Paint colors can look completely different depending on the time of day, the weather outside, and the orientation of your room.
That’s why I love being able to move Create a sample Samples from around my house (another good reason to put on poster board). I can test it on different walls, in different rooms, and at different times of day without having to paint multiple sample squares everywhere. You can stick sample swatches directly to the walls and reuse them, but the poster board trick makes them more resourceful.
Morning light, afternoon light, sunny days, cloudy days… it all makes a difference.
Only photos online can tell you that much. Seeing the paint color in your actual home is always worth the extra step.
4. Flooring gets votes
Very loud voting. Before you choose a paint color, take inventory of everything that’s left.
Flooring, countertops, tile, brick, cabinetry and large pieces of furniture all influence how the paint color looks.
How else can you find undertones? Carry a piece of white card stock around the room and place it next to the elements you are keeping. It will help you see the orange undertones in your walnut hardwood floor or the blue undertones in what you thought was white tile.
If you’ve ever painted a room and thought, “Why does this color look bad?” Although it was technically beautiful, the undertones probably fought with each other.
So flooring should not be completely neglected.
5. Stop choosing paint before everything else
Most people believe that paint should be the first decorating decision because it covers the largest surface area in a room.
But paint is actually one of the easiest things to replace.
Your sofas, rugs, drapes, bedding, countertops, and furniture are usually huge investments. Whenever possible, choose the larger pieces first and then choose a paint color that works with them.
There are thousands of paint colors available.
Finding a paint color to coordinate with the sofa is easier than finding a sofa to coordinate with the paint color.
6. Trendy doesn’t always mean right
While trends can be fun, they shouldn’t be the primary reason you choose a paint color for your home.
The best paint color is not necessarily what everyone is using. It is the one that deals with your home’s lighting, architecture, furnishings and fixed finishes.
Instead of asking what’s trending, ask what works best in your home.
That’s usually where the magic happens.
My favorite way to test colors before painting
After years of painting sample squares on my walls, I’ve found a much easier way.
I use Create a sample Bark-and-stick paint samples because they take a lot of guesswork into choosing paint colors.
I can compare colors side-by-side, move them around the house, and see how they look next to my flooring, trim, furniture, and lighting before making a final decision.
I also like being able to compare multiple paint brands in one order. Whether I’m thinking of Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, or Farrow and Ball, it’s easy to see them side by side without running across town to various hardware stores collecting paint chips.
The sample arrives the next day, which helps me move forward with the project instead of waiting for a decision to be made.
Most importantly, they give me confidence before buying paint and help me avoid costly mistakes later.
Final thoughts
The biggest paint color mistakes aren’t usually about choosing the wrong color.
They are about choosing the wrong paint colors.
Ignoring the undertones, trusting the tiny paint chip. Taking one look at a sample and calling it good, forgetting that your flooring and fixed finishes also get a vote… can all lead to regret.
The good news is that each of these mistakes is completely avoidable.
Take your time. Test your colors. Pay attention to undertones and lighting. A little patience up front can save you a lot of regret later.
And if you’re currently hunting for the perfect paint color, know that you’re in good company.
I’m going to move gray-green paint swatches around our guest bedroom here and try to channel a little The Gilded Age the magic
Need more paint color help?
