Choosing the right paint colors for your home isn’t always easy. Most of us have experienced the wrong pink, green, or blue, thoughtfully selected, but oh so wrong after the room’s painting completion. We’ve been painting walls for clients for over 40 years in Pierce County and Thurston County, and we’ve discovered some ways to help our customers get the best paint colors, ones they’ll love for years to come.  

One of our favorite ways to help our customers see a paint color before it covers an entire room is Color Sampling. Another favorite way to get the right paint color is Paint Matching. Utilizing one or both techniques will help ensure you’re getting the right paint color(s) for your home. 

What is Color Sampling? 

A color sample is a small painted patch of wall, ceiling, or trim that we apply in its new color before we paint the full space. By providing a color sample, the customer can see how the color(s) they chose will look in the context of their space. A color may look different in each room, depending on many factors including natural light, artificial light, and surrounding furniture. 

Steps for Paint Color Sampling 

To begin, we look at all the surfaces that will be painted to locate the best place(s) to apply the samples. As a general guideline, we suggest applying the samples around the edges of the space, as this makes it easier to blend the samples into a full coat later. 

When creating a paint sample for both the wall and the ceiling, keep them both in the same part of the room. This makes it easy to see how the different colors will work together in the space.  

Once the paint color sample spots are located, the next step is to put a drop cloth or other protection down if working indoors.  

Allow the sample to dry so it’s the accurate color before considering if it’s the right color. If our customer is happy and approves of the paint color sample, we continue with our process. 

Why Color Sampling is Important 

Color sampling is important because it allows the painter and homeowner (or business owner) to communicate clearly about the final paint color and paint sheen selection.

Paint Matching 

Do you love the paint colors you currently have on your walls but need a new coat of the same color to freshen up your room’s appearance? Or, have you seen the perfect paint color while visiting a house or business, and wish you knew the name of the color?  

If either is the case, paint matching is an excellent option to get the exact or closest-to-exact color you already love.  

Since there are many variations of each color, trying to tell what shade a wall is by looking at it is next to impossible. Because of this, we color match to make sure we get the exact same shade, or as close as possible. 

Recently, we’ve started using a tool called the Color Muse for paint matching. The tool scans the color on the wall and gives us several options of paints in that shade. This helps narrow down our options. From there we can scan the paint options Color Muse provides to find the perfect match. 

Once we discover the right shade, we do a color sample on the wall to make sure it blends in well. It’s important to note that the fresh coat of paint may look a bit brighter than expected as the paint already on your walls may have faded. 

Our goal with all our projects is to provide ultimate customer satisfaction. It is our priority to make sure you’re happy with your color choices. Color sampling and paint color matching are two of the ways we work with you to get the best paint colors for your home or business.