Take a sample to the paint store. Bring a sample of the flooring or
carpet as well as any fabrics that will be used in the room with you
to the paint store.
Don't pick your paint color standing in the store. After you've identified
colors that work with your samples, take home the paint sample cards
to make sure the color will work with the other furnishings in the room.
Some paint manufacturers even have larger samples or whole books of
paint samples available for you to take home and decide on a color.
Paint a sample wall. Many paint retailers now offer sample sizes of
their colors for you to try out on a patch of wall before you commit
to painting the entire thing.
Look at your sample at different times of day. Natural light can dramatically
change how we perceive a color, so be sure the color works in the bright
morning sun as well as the cool afternoon shade.
Don't be scared of an intense color before you bring your furniture
back in. A bare room in an intense color can be intimidating, but keep
in mind that when you bring your furnishings into the room, the overall
effect will be different. The tones in your furnishings will reflect
on the painted wall and change or soften the effect.
