🎨How to test Paint Colours – The Essential Guide to Testing Paint Colours

I do a lot of paint colour consultation. For a range of clients in a range of colours. Mostly recently it was beige and grey. Sometimes it’s white also but I’m noticing more clients are moving away from white paint colour. Choosing the perfect paint colour for your apartment interior is one of the most transformative decisions you’ll make in a renovation or redesign. A fresh coat of paint can define the mood, enhance natural light, and tie an entire room together. But the journey from a tiny paint chip to a beautifully finished wall requires a crucial step: testing.

Skipping this part is a common mistake that leads to “paint regret.” This is how I test paint colours. It’s a simple, systematic approach to testing paint colours and ensures the final result perfectly matches your vision.

1. Start with Style: Define Your Interior Goal

Before you even look at a colour swatch, establish your interior design style goal and a clear colour scheme. This acts as your compass, guiding you through the overwhelming options.

Determine Your Style: Are you aiming for the calm, neutral palette of Scandinavian design? The warm, earthy tones of Boho? Or the bold, jewel-toned drama of Luxe? Your chosen style will inherently narrow down the appropriate colour families.
Create a Colour Scheme: Based on your style, select a cohesive colour scheme. This often involves a primary wall colour, a complementary trim/accent colour, and a potential pop of colour. For instance, a Coastal style might use a soft blue-grey primary, a crisp white trim, and a sandy beige accent.

The paint on your walls should be the final layer that complements your furniture, art, and overall aesthetic—not the element you choose first.

2. The Three-Colour Test

With your style and scheme defined, it’s time to choose your contenders. Limit your initial selection to three colours. Why three? This allows for effective comparison without becoming overwhelming.

Your Main Contender: This should be the colour you think you want most.
A Subtle Alternative: Choose a shade that is a half or full-tone lighter or darker than your main contender. Sometimes, the exact colour you love on a swatch can be too intense on a whole wall, and a subtle adjustment is perfect.
A Complementary Contrast: Pick a colour that offers a noticeable contrast or a different undertone. For example, if your main colour is a warm grey, your contrast might be a cool grey or a very muted greige (grey-beige). This contrast will highlight the nuances of your preferred shade.

grey wall colour — Left to right: Tin Cat, Partita, Favoured

3. Testing Under Different Light Conditions

The golden rule of paint selection is: colour changes with light. The lighting in a paint store is vastly different from the light in your home, and even the light in your home changes constantly.

To test effectively:

Use Large Swatches: Don’t paint directly onto your wall! Purchase small sample pots and paint them onto a large white poster paper (see above). This allows you to move the sample around and prevents the existing wall colour from influencing the test.
Test All Walls: Place the sample boards on several different walls in the room. A wall opposite a window will look vastly different from a wall that receives direct sunlight.
Observe at Different Times:
- Morning Light (Natural): Check the colour first thing in the morning. Is it crisp? Does it look too pale or too washed out?
- Mid-day Light (Direct): This is often the brightest, most neutral light. This is where the colour will appear closest to its truest form.
- Evening/Night Light (Artificial): This is the most critical test. Different lightbulbs (warm yellow vs. cool white LED) will dramatically alter the paint’s appearance. Does your colour look dull or overly yellow under your lamps?

Live with your three large swatches for at least 48 hours. Seeing how the colours interact with the light, your flooring, and your existing furniture will give you the confidence to select the single shade that brings your design vision to life.

In a test like this I find that one colour is usually ruled out immediately and I usually recommend the colour that is most consistent across a wide range of light conditions. Next step is furniture and furnishings.