How to Avoid Painting Disasters!

Yes, even design professionals don't get it right all the time!

First color was pretty, but way to Palm Beachy!

Okay, yes I admit, I don't always get it right! Decorators even struggle sometimes with the right tone of a color. Sometimes you think you are getting one thing and then you put it in the room and YUK! It turns out all wrong! Here's my advice to you, keep the tones shaded with gray and you are more likely to love it in the long term. Sometimes a truer  brighter hue works, but for me a grayer version of the teal was a much more sophisticated way to go. My big mistake was not getting the sample and I wasted $40! So the next tip is alllwayyys get the samples and test it out, then you know how to tone the color down once you get in the room. Maybe you'll get lucky and strike gold the first time!

SW6214 Under Seas, Perfect!

One more bit of advice. I ended up taking my spa blue pillow back to the paint store this time and was able to get a better match. So when in doubt always take a color inspiration with you. I went for a deeper value than the pillow or darker version to give some contrast, but it was still the same tone.

So for color success: 

• Go for grayer or shaded versions of a color, it's more livable in the long term  (mainly in blues and greens).
• Take something with you to the store for color matching or inspiration.
• Always get a sample to test in the room.