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The one mistake you make when choosing a paint colour

And how to fix it - by Rebecca Lowrey Boyd
  • 21 Feb 2018

Choosing the perfect colour for your walls is never an easy decision.

Deciding on what kind of look you want is hard enough, without the seemingly endless options for a single colour (Natural white/Antique white/White dune quarter).

To make matters even more confusing, a particular shade can look completely different at various times throughout the day.

“That perfect pale grey during the day can sometimes look very violet or blue at night, which will drive you crazy over time,” designer and blogger Erin Gates told Real Simple.

The best solution is to live with your chosen colour for a few days before making a final decision.

“Paint a swatch that’s at least 12 inches by 12 inches on two or more walls,” she said. “And examine the color at all times of the day and evening, and from different vantage points in the room."

Don’t even think about going off the tiny swatch from the paint store. It’s often tricky trying to visualize how it will look on a larger scale.

“What may appear like a light blue on the chip will most likely look at least two times more saturated when on the wall,” Gates warned. “Test, Test, Test.”

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