You know the color you need to pick up at the paint store … until you get to the store. Paint manufacturers offer hundreds of color choices that can be overwhelming so here are some tips on how you can pick your color with confidence.

• Bring swatches from home to match at the store, like a curtain, pillows that match your couch or a sheet of tile.
• Get large paint chips to audition colors in your home, like the Benjamin Moore, 5 x 9 inch chips we used in the bathroom photos below.
• Get a small sampler pint and test in the room where you plan to use it.

How Many Times Will You Paint a Wall, a Room?

Colors are funny so leave yourself enough time to test a few colors. When we moved to a new condo, my husband tried to surprise me by painting one wall with a blue accent color. It wasn’t rich enough for me but wow, we weren’t happy with our blue wall until the 4th coat of paint.To save time and money, we asked a decorator for help picking the other colors for our new home.

Another common problem is parents letting their children pick colors for their bedroom. Recognize that you will likely need to repaint the room when it’s time to sell your home, changing to a more neutral color that appeals to buyers. The most practical  way to involve your children in decorating their room is with a bedspread/comforter, curtains and accent pieces. Picking the paint color is a little more expensive and carpet colors are the most challenging.

Auditioning Paint Colors in the Room

At my handyman business we did a large remodeling project for a long-term customer, a business owner who traveled extensively and couldn’t visit his new condo regularly. We used the Internet to audition different tile designs and paint colors and took photos so our client could view the choices and let us know how to proceed with the project.

Once the tile was installed in the master bathroom, it was time to finalize the paint colors. My handyman technician applied the dark “chocolate” color (what we originally picked) to the lower walls and we left the upper walls white. We taped the large paint chips from our decorator to the tile on the bathroom wall and took photos.

With a status email, we included links to the photos below. Our customer was great about making decisions quickly so we could keep the project moving, even though he was out of town. He loved the chocolate brown for the lower walls below the chair rail, and we went with the lighter beige above the chair rail as it made the detail in the tile, along with the white fixtures really pop.

Author: tinagleisner: Tina Gleisner is passionate about helping women home owners LEARN about their homes, CONNECT with home professionals committed to delivering quality home products, and CREATE homes that support their lifestyle. Leveraging her experience as the owner of a handyman business, Tina created the Assn of Women Home Owners at www.HomeTips4Women.com.