PRIMP IT
How to avoid paint colour mistakes
March 9, 2010
Jennifer Wilson-Speedy
YOURHOME.CA EDITOR
After a winter spent indoors, you are sure that you couldn't possibly face another month staring at your walls.
For a cheap transformation in a hurry, nothing beats a fresh coat of paint. But choosing the right colour can be tricky.
Interior decorator Laura Stein, principal of Laura M. Stein Interiors (www.lauramstein.com) says when decorating, "Paint should be your last choice."
By coordinating your accessories first, you don't limit your options outright.
Plus, paint companies will custom blend to match that one-of-a-kind textile.
Once you get to choosing swatches, she suggests holding samples up vertically, rather than laying them on a table, for a truer sense of how they'll appear on the wall.
And don't rely on in-store lighting – odds are you don't have fluorescents in your living room.
Once you've narrowed your choices, purchasing a test pot is the best way to prevent mistakes.
Stein normally tests an area about 60 cm square, using a piece of Bristol board or foam core that can be moved around the room to test the colour on all walls and in all lights.
Toronto Star