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!

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.

I use poster paper. Can move it around easily.

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.

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

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...

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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!

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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. :)

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.

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