Why It's Important to Test Colors Before Painting

The color in the middle of the picture below is Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan, one of my all time favorite go-to colors for a light beige neutral. 

 

I had my client paint the two right samples on the wall to see how he liked them during different times of day.  When I went over the next day to check the samples, right away I knew the color on the right was out (Benjamin Moore Creamy White).  It looked fluorescent in my client 45th floor, full-light condo.  I was surprised to see that Manchester Tan looked almost purple in full sun, darker in the hallway.  Thank goodness I went over there - it could have been a disaster.

What I thought Manchester Tan would look like, based on past experience and google searches.

So, I ran over to Ace Hardware and grabbed a sample of Benjamin Moore Carrington Beige, which looks SO similar to Manchester Tan in the paint deck but completely different on the walls.  I wanted a warmer tone & this color ended up being our choice.

Picking paint color can be stressful, but it doesn't have to be! Take the time to pick up samples of a few different colors & paint them on different walls.  See how you like it in different light, times of day, etc. and then make your decision!