apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

That's alotta testers - this could also really scare off someone who isn't confident in choosing colors...

...I generally go to the paint store with a good idea of what I want in my mind, obsess over the paintchips for an hour or so, select a that I like and bring it home.

I've always been scared when I start putting it on the walls ("OMG - You've gone too bright this time!!!") , but after letting the paint dry and furnishing the rooms I've always been pleased with the results.

At $4 a pop, you can spend as much on the samples as on a gallon of paint.

I think you should have left the testers on the wall. You're testing turned into interesting art! ok maybe not for the WHOLE wall...but I kind of like the close up.

Is one of your tests "Ashley Gray"? We have painted our whole home with this colour. The reason ... it goes with everything and we can accent each room with different colours. We also have an amazing view from our home and this colour made the view seem even more spectacular. Looking forward to seeing pictures of the finished room.

I recently bought several Benjamin Moore samples, five to be exact. I went with Everlasting, which I think is one of the samples on your wall.

This might just be me and my it's just paint on a wall attitude, but I just bring home paint fans and hold them up one by one in the light and then just make a gut-reaction type decision. There's geneally a reason you are attracted to a certain color or hue or whatever.

I did my guest room in Silver Fox last year, and I still love it! I do have lots of natural light in there, though, so I can understand why you went lighter. I have a black leather chair and black lampshades, and accents of red kilim pillows and black & red modern artwork. I'm thinking of doing the powder room in it, too!

I'm in the same boat right now, trying to choose a nice neutral gray for my living room. do post the results - I'd love to see the finished room!

That is exactly what my wall looks like right now.

Would have loved if you listed which paint colors are from the picture above, as we are in the process of choosing a gray-based neutral paint color.

Could bring back the paint chips for the initial look at the colors in your light then get the small pots of the ones that seem to work. I wanted a gray sofa and did that with the fabric swatches. It's shocking what looks so neutral elsewhere turns out purple and green in your home.

Thanks for all the comments. These are the Benjamin Moore colors I sampled, and my thoughts on them as they appeared in my space:

Silver Fox - too dark
Sidewalk Gray - too blue
Revere Pewter - close, but too yellow
Iced Cube Silver - too white (was also used in Jaime's Fall Color Contest Entry!)
Feather Gray - too blue
Pale Oak - too light, too yellow
Morning Dew - too blue, too light
Athena - close, too light
Abalone - the winner!

First, I love the testers. Wouldn't you love a room that was all test swatches?

For future reference, paint your test swatches on a piece of poster board. Then you can move it around the room, test different lighting, and maybe recycle it into an art piece when finished. ~:o) Save a wall!

I also ended up testing 7 grey paints from Sherwin Williams in my apartment...what looked neutral in the store down the block all dried too blue for my taste on my walls. I ended up having to choose some greys that looked purple in the store in order to finally find my dream color...it looks warm and almost neutral in my apartment. And yes...the testers add up - mine were 5$ a piece. But I suppose paying that is worth having a color that doesnt nag you every day..as in, but what if I had just tried one swatch lighter, or one swatch redder! Color is amazing.

Another note: taping a small swatch up often looks nothing like when you paint a large chunk of the wall. I actually painted a quarter wall on each side of the room to see how *all* the light played on it.

jriewe, which SW grey did you end up choosing? I used Repose grey in my place and love it. Warm, but still very neutral.

I can't wait to see pics - I've been eyeing Abalone as well!