For me, choosing a paint color is crazy hard. I’m picky, indecisive and second guess myself constantly. Over the past 6 months I’ve completed several paint projects all of which have caused anxiety to choose the perfect hue for the job. I’ve painted walls and cabinets in my master bath update HERE. Painted the front door HERE and did a home office refresh HERE. Each paint project brought on the same feeling of angst to try to pick the perfect paint color. More than once, I started painting and knew I made a mistake. Which wastes time, money and creates a mess to clean up and still have to start the process over. This madness had to stop, and it did. That’s when I found the solution for how to choose the right paint color, Samplize.com. A company that sells genuine paint on large peel & stick pieces of paper. No more decisions based on tiny paint strips you get at the store or having to buy a sample size amount of actual paint to test it out – MESSY! This is no longer necessary! Samplize sells 12″ x 12″ paint samples of actual paint (not a color copy of the paint…actual paint!) This has been a game changer in choosing what color paint to buy for my at home DIY projects! Here is my Samplize paint sample review.
My Review
This is by far the easiest solution to choose a paint color, especially if you are indecisive or want to see what the color will look like in a room (lighting, window direction, decor ALL will change what a paint color looks like on your wall). What I like best about these paint samples are their size, that they are made with actual true to color paint and how versatile they are.
Size
Paint swatches from the store are small and the color is “printed” using a dyed lacquer which is not an exact color but a “close” color match. The Samplize paint samples are made on a 12″ x 12″ flexible material with an adhesive backing. The decals have REAL PAINT applied in two coats from the actual manufacturer (Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore).
Undertone
When choosing the right paint it’s all about the undertone color. For me, having a larger area to assess a color’s undertone is necessary. I can’t see undertone in the small store freebie samples (at least these inbetweener eyes can’t). Having a large painted surface helps to compare different colors (for instance there are 500 shades of white! Choosing the right white is all about it’s undertone), see the color at different times of day in different light is also helpful as paint color will change from morning to night!
Color
The Samplize samples are not a “color match” but use the actual paint color from the manufacturer. Even better, the material the paint sample is on is just like a wall surface so the result is identical to a painted wall! Store samples are not exact color matches because it is not actual paint. It is actually the color printed on paper in a close match. The Samplize samples are REAL ACTUAL GENUINE PAINT from the manufacturer.
Versatility
Lastly, the versatility is what puts these over the edge for me for being totally worth the $6 retail cost per sample. The samples have a peel away back to reveal a self adhesive side. You can place them anywhere! On walls, cabinets, trim, the possibilities are endless. It’s real paint yes, two coats of dry actual paint on a great big sticker which means absolutely no mess. Before you ask, NO…the self adhesive decal will not damage the wall surface.
So far, I have not used the self adhesive backing feature. I do not want to peel away the backing to reveal the self adhesive side. I like to see the paint samples in different areas, different times of day so I move them around. A lot. In order to do this I’ve been “saving” the samples by taping them to the area I want to see the sample paint on (be careful what tape you use. I’m using regular scotch tape). This way, I’m not ruining the sample by placing it one or two spots before it curls up and gets worn out. Since I have not peeled the backing off most of my samples I do not know how many times they will stick and re-stick to a surface. By taping them, I have been able to keep all my samples and use them again and again.
More Uses
Recently I took the Samplize paint sample that I chose to paint my kitchen cabinets in with me to the tile store. I had the actual paint color swatch to help me choose the exact color I wanted for a back splash. This was HUGELY helpful in choosing the color back splash that would compliment best the cabinet paint color. I also use the large samples to lay out my entire “thought board” of a space I design to ensure everything I am buying (in this instance it is a kitchen update so I laid out the paint sample, back splash, granite sample and hardware together to see that it all gels together. You can’t do that with a tiny 1 inch sample you get from the store! So there ya go. My review of the Samplize paint samples and why they have been completely worth the investment (they cost about $6 each). I won’t be painting a room, cabinet or another DIY project without testing out the color first with a Samplize paint sample!
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