Why your paint colour doesn’t look like the sample
Have you ever painted your home after looking at a paper sample and realised the colour was completely different? Or worse, you just picked a colour blindly because someone told you it looked good at their house?
There are a few reasons why paint can look different on the wall from the original sample. I've listed the main reasons below,
Project Curlewis- Designs by Chloe
Different lighting
The lighting in your home is not only different to the store, it also changes within the home depending on the time of day. Morning sunlight VS night time artificial light makes a big impact on your colour choice. Even the colour of your light globes will make a difference.
The orientation of the house and existing wall colour can also impact the paint colour. This is why you need to undercoat certain walls before painting over them.
Another consideration is reflection. If you have red kitchen cabinetry for example, when the light hits it, it’s possible the red will reflect and alter the appearance of the paint colour.
Project Linton- Designs by Chloe
Undertones in paint
All colours have either a warm or cool undertone. In some homes, a colour may appear to have a pink undertone, in the house next door, the same sample can look more purple or beige. These undertones also become clearer to see when near the flooring. The paint sample you have may look great, until you paint near the floorboards and realise flooring is very warm (yellow or orange base), whilst the paint has a cool undertone (blue or purple base).
Always purchase a sample pot and paint directly on the wall in a couple of areas of your home. Make sure you do a couple of coats as one brushstroke isn't going to give you the full depth of the colour, nor will it reflect the undertones and intensity accurately. Once it’s dry, you can witness how it looks across the day and night before committing to it fully.
I hope this gives you something to consider before you paint your home in the future.
Until next time!