[This post is part of my How to Paint Moldings series.]
Step 1: Large Paint Swatch
These large paint swatches from Benjamin Moore Paint really helped me narrow down my paint choices. Not that I mind painting lots of test colors on the wall, but when I’m still in that vague, what-in-the-world color do I want?, phase, then these swatches can help.
This black swatch helped me decide that I don’t want the bookshelves in my built-in bed/reading nook to be this black. If I hadn’t found this nice, big swatch then I would have spent quite a bit of money buying test quarts.
I’m sure they are expensive for the paint store to hand out, so they save them for customers who are getting pretty serious about their final color choices.
So don’t forget to ask your paint store for a large swatch or two on your next painting project.
P.S. Thanks Scott at Teknicolors Paints in Birmingham for helping me choose the right paint products with my project.
Step 2: Buy a Sample of the Paint Color
Not too many years ago, if you wanted to test a paint color you had to buy a quart of the actual paint, and that was expensive.
Now, however, most paint stores offer an affordable sample size that, while limited in the number of sheens you can buy, will nonetheless get you closer to your desired paint color for less money than buying a full quart. I paid $6.99 each for each of my quarts, a far cry better than shelling out $12.00 or more for a sample.
That’s why I bought two different Benjamin Moore’s Color Samples Base 2, Color #HC-115, and applied it to the back wall of my nook project.
I’m leaning towards the color on the right. What do you think? Post your answer on my Instagram account, #thejoyofmoldings.
