OK – now THIS is pretty cool!

Apps that let you preview paint colors in your setting – now that could definitely make your color comparison shopping a lot easier and on target.

Check out some mobile & desktop apps in this article at remodelaholic.com.

If, however, you still want to plunge ahead down the analog path on your own – here are a few tips to get you started:

Use small color chips from hardware and paint stores to get you in the ballpark.  Go collect a number of them in varying hues to “bracket” the shade you want, and deliberately try a couple outside your chosen hue as sanity checks.  Hold them up in the room to choose the right family of hue, then…

Get some sample sizes of paint in a few different shades of your chosen hue and make 2’ by 2’ sample chips on cardboard or 1/8th inch MDF or whatever.  Write the color on the back.  Tape these onto the walls where you will paint and see if any of them grab you.  If not, start over and make more of them.  Large “chips” give you a better example than the little ones, and will help you visualize the room in that color.

Like what you see on one of the 2’ square tiles?  Go ahead and slop on the rest of the paint in that sample container.  You’re going to paint the wall anyway, so get a good idea by increasing the area of that color to really test it out!  Make sure to look at the color in different lighting situations – morning & evening, natural & artificial light.

Once you have the paint color you need, you can either do it yourself or hire a painter to help you out.  Any general contractor in your area will know a couple painters they can recommend who are experienced and trustworthy.  Know this: a good painter will do a much better job than you.  You will pay for it, though.

So add a splash of new color to your world!  But first, try some out – maybe without even owning a paint brush!