Paint 101

Everything you need to know before you step into a paint store

Written by Carla Jordan

The ultimate dramatic quick-fix, paint is also the most affordable tool in a designer's bag of tricks and the easiest for homeowners to give a-go on their own. However, venturing into any paint or home improvement store and navigating through jam-packed aisles of painterly products can be overwhelming, driving even the most hue-hearty back to an all-neutral safety zone. The thing to do is plan ahead and stay focused. “You have to be prepared when you walk into a paint store. If you aren't, it can turn out to be like when you're hungry and go grocery shopping,” advises Gretchen Schauffler, artist and founder of Devine Color, an Oregon paint manufacturer.

Here's what you need know to find the perfect paint products that'll make it easy to take a fearless dive into the technicolor deep-end.

HOW TO BE A SMART SHOPPER

Finding the Right Paint Store
• Go to a store where color and paint experts are available to channel your vision.
• Make the retailer earn your business. If they aren't being attentive or offering informed suggestions, move on to the next store.

Before You Shop
• Have a color in mind and a plan for where to put it.
• Find pictures, fabrics or ideas that represent the color you're after to bring to the store.

Selecting a Brand
• Explore many different brands that offer your color range. If you're captivated by an unexpected color, entertain it only after you've explored the choices that meet the plan.
• Once you find a color, stay with that color's brand; you might not get the exact same tint or finish elsewhere.
• Ask for samples and make sure the paint chips are made from real paint. You may not get the color you want from samples without actual paint. Take advantage of oversized poster paint chips or the 16- ounce samplers that retailers can provide.

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