How to Test Paint Colours Before Painting

Choosing a paint colour from a small chip can be difficult. Colours can look very different once they are on your wall because of lighting, flooring, furniture, trim, and the direction your room faces. Testing your colour first helps you avoid choosing a shade that feels too dark, too bright, too cool, or too warm once the whole room is painted.

At Colour Land Paint, we can help you narrow down your options, prepare Benjamin Moore colour samples, and guide you toward the right product and finish for your project.

Why testing paint colours matters

Paint colours change throughout the day. A colour that looks soft and warm in the morning may look cooler in the afternoon or darker at night. Natural light, LED bulbs, shadows, flooring, cabinets, countertops, and furniture can all affect how a colour appears.

Benjamin Moore also recommends using paint samples to choose colours with more confidence, and notes that liquid colour samples are for testing colour only, not for final paint performance.

The best way to test a paint colour

For the most accurate result, test the colour in the actual room where it will be used.

Apply your sample to a large area, not just a tiny brush mark. A larger sample makes it easier to see the undertone and depth of the colour. You can test directly on the wall or on a large white sample board that can be moved around the room.

Use two coats if needed, and let the sample dry fully before judging the colour.

Check the colour at different times of day

Look at your sample in the morning, afternoon, evening, and under your room’s artificial lighting. This is especially important for whites, off-whites, greiges, greens, blues, and dark colours.

A colour may look perfect in daylight but too yellow, grey, blue, or dark under evening lighting.

Test beside your fixed finishes

Always view the sample beside items that are staying in the room, such as:

• Flooring
• Cabinets
• Countertops
• Tile
• Brick or stone
• Trim colour
• Furniture
• Drapery or fabric

This helps you see whether the paint colour works with the room, not just on its own.

Do not judge colour from a phone screen

Online colour images are useful for ideas, but they are not reliable for final decisions. Screens, brightness settings, photography, and lighting can all change how a paint colour appears.

Use online inspiration to narrow your choices, then test a real sample before buying paint for the full room.

Need help choosing?

Bring your colour ideas, fabric, flooring sample, cabinet door, or inspiration photo to Colour Land Paint. We can help you compare colours, understand undertones, choose the right Benjamin Moore product, and test your colour before painting.

Visit us in-store for Benjamin Moore paint samples and colour advice.

Colour Land Paint
3505 Upper Middle Rd.
Burlington, ON
(905) 332-5033