How to use paint tester pots correctly

I often visit houses where people have started trying out different paint colours before deciding to call me. Paint swatches have been painted directly on to the walls (your decorator will NOT thank you!) & confusion reigns over which colour to move forward with.

So follow my simple guide on how to use sample pots correctly - it could save you time, money and (fingers-crossed) make the whole decision making process a little easier!

Don't paint the samples directly on to your walls

Instead paint your testers on to pieces of A4 card or paper. You can then easily move the samples around the room so you can see the colour in different areas of the room. Painting on to artboard works really well - it is robust and can be propped against a shelf, mantle-piece, wall, floor or piece of furniture. Be sure to paint two coats on to the card so you achieve the same depth of coverage as you will have when you paint the walls.

Don’t leave a white border around the card

Cover the piece of card completely - don’t leave a white border around the edge of the card – the white border will make the colour feel a lot more intense. Also remember the colour will always feel stronger on the smaller piece of A4 card then it will once it is covering the whole wall!

Peel & stick samples

Some paint companies like Lick & Coat Paints now supply ‘peel & stick’ samples that you can stick directly on your walls and peel off again without leaving any marks. Easy & mess free but be sure to still follow the tips below to make the most of your peel & stick samples.

Move the samples around to check how the colour appears on different walls

The colour you have chosen will look different on different walls. In darker, shadowy corners & alcoves the colour will appear more intense. On a wall opposite a large window the colour may look far lighter and washed out. Move the samples around to check you are happy with how the colour appears in the different parts of the room.

Look at the colours at different times of the day & night

Your chosen colour will also look different at different times of the day as the natural light shifts. Consider when you are most going to be in that particular room. If you are going to be in that room all day long, working from home perhaps, you need to love the colour throughout your working hours. If you are only going to be in the room in the evening (using artificial light), be sure to study how the colour looks, and makes you feel, at that time of day.

Don't line up samples next to each other

Consider each colour by itself. Colour affects colour so don't sit your samples next to each other. You may end up discounting the perfect colour because it is being affected by another sample. Consider one sample at a time. The exception to this, of course, is if you are using an accent colour (e.g. for a feature wall) then be sure to place the colours next to each other and study how they look together throughout the day.

See how the colour works against your floor & furnishings

Prop your artboard against the skirting to see how it works with your flooring or, for example, against the sofa to check it works with the fabric or leather. If you are considering buying new soft furnishings take the artboard (or a smaller sample of it) with you to compare colours in the shop.

I hope this has been helpful, but if you are looking for more advice on the perfect paint colours for your home, check out my colour consultancy service The Colour Edit.