Painting a room used to mean at least 5 or so trips to the paint store. First to pick out tentative paint chip colors, another to get more chips of the "maybe" color (along with a completely different color that your friend wants you to try), another trip for more paint chips a little lighter or darker, a quick trip to try out a quart color (and paint chips of some colors that had cool names, just because). The paint guy was always the first guy who knew our name when we moved to a new neighborhood. But once we invested in a fan deck, it eliminated most of the trips...
Paint companies don't just sell fan decks to contractors or designers. Although they're not displayed at the counter, paint stores are usually more than happy to sell these to you if you ask, and occasionally you can even borrow them. They can encompass either all or some of the colors the paint line carries, for example, Benjamin Moore sells several decks: Aura, Classic Colors, just the off-whites (OC colors), Pottery Barn colors and more. Prices for fan decks run anywhere between $15 - $40 depending on the paint brand and whether the store feels like marking them up (most usually don't, we've found). Several online paint companies let you buy fan decks, then when you order their paint online, you can return the fan deck for a refund.
Its an investment (we know that just grabbing a handful of paint chips is free), but if you paint a lot its worthwhile, and you also don't feel guilty if you take a bunch of color chips, don't use them, and then throw them out.
Here are some links to buying fan decks online, you can also try asking at your neighborhood hardware store or wherever you buy your paint:
Benjamin Moore
Mythic
AFM/Safecoat (this one's refundable when you return it)
C2 (the regular deck also works for their LoVo line of paint)
>>To All AT Boston Posts
I work in an Architecture/Interior Design firm and we've got one of the best stocked libraries I've ever seen. I love going in there and 'shopping'. Many of my co-workers have sourced all of their finishes for their home renos from the office interiors library. It's so handy!!
view revolution9's profile
this could get pricey real quick if you want fan decks for multiple collections... i'm jealous, revolution9!
view closertotheocean's profile
i got 2 benjamin moore fan decks from a textiles and materials class in school, and love having them. they are so handy at home... especially because i'm soooo indecisive with paint in the stores!
there are also a few on ebay btw.
view eribear12's profile
I think you'd really only need one fan deck.....any other brand of paint can color-match, I'm sure.
view ohjodi's profile
I use my Pantone books and then match the swatches at the store. Free is bueno!
view darcidoodle's profile
I LOVE my Benjamin Moore Aura fan deck. You can still get one for free from Janovic by registering for Club Janovic and redeeming the coupon: http://www.janovic.com/Members/Login.htm
view Bklyn Choclatina's profile
I've found that some paint stores will give you the deck for free if you are a designer. :)
view cmarkwell's profile
Fan decks make a Huge difference when choosing a paint color for your space. I usually buy my paint from two places, Home Depot or Lowe's because they are my neighborhood "Big" hardware stores so, I only have fan decks for the paint that they carry, Behr, Valspar, etc. Although most places will color match, I have seen them be slightly off so, going with the manufacturer is always better. It's so nice to be able to go through the whole thing and find colors that sometimes, you might not have even thought about until you saw the combination.
You can find some on ebay for great prices. Also, with the price of gas, a few trips back and forth to find the right color could cost more than buying the deck.
view modernguy's profile
The Janovic freebie expired June 15. But thanks for posting it anyway!
view meganificent's profile
did anyone see David Bromstad's show Color Splash? check out what he did with fan deck/paint strips.
view joann2's profile
Since I usually cut the paint chips off their card, I take one of each... I was supposed to feel bad? I have a box of paint chips. I didn't know I was supposed to feel bad about that.
view K T G's profile
I once covered the entire frame of my dorm room window with paint chip cards--one of each from the display--it looked soooo cooool, although looking back, I'm sure the guy at the local paint store was po'd!
I also have a finishes library at work, and we've got the luxury of the 6"x9" sample books--big enough to pin up against a wall and compare from a distance. Brilliant!
view rockypondgirl's profile
Hi,
I'm the founder of MyPerfectColor.com. Just wanted to let you know we offer the complete Benjamin Moore fan deck selection at a super discounted price.
Regards,
Jason
view myperfectcolor's profile