The Biggest Paint Color Mistakes People Make (And How to Avoid Them)

This post is sponsored by Samplize. All opinions are my own.

Recently, Robert and I visited Newport, Rhode Island for an anniversary trip and toured The Breakers.

Ever since, I’ve been completely hooked on The Gilded Age. Specifically, one room in the Russell family’s mansion.

It’s this gorgeous grayish-green room with gilded millwork that has been living rent-free in my head ever since.

Our guest bedroom is overdue for an update, so naturally I’ve been trying to find the perfect version of that color for our house.

Simple enough, right? Not exactly.

What looks like the perfect gray-green in someone else’s home suddenly looks too gray. Or too green. Or too blue. Or completely different once it’s on the wall. So my walls are currently decked out in Samplize swatches.

That’s the thing about paint colors.

The frustrating part isn’t finding a paint color you love. It’s getting that paint color to look the way you expect it to in your own home. Even if I asked Bertha Russell herself the name of her breakfast room’s paint color, it still wouldn’t look the same in my guest room’s specific lighting.

After years of painting rooms and making plenty of mistakes along the way, I’ve learned that most paint color regrets aren’t caused by just choosing the wrong color.

They’re caused by choosing paint colors the wrong way.

If you’ve ever painted a room and immediately wondered why the color looked completely different than you expected, chances are you’ve made one of these common paint color mistakes too.

1. Stop Trusting That Tiny Paint Chip

One of the biggest paint color mistakes people make is choosing a color from a tiny paint chip at the store.

Paint colors almost always look different when they’re covering an entire wall than they do on a small sample card. The larger the surface area, the more noticeable the undertones become.

That’s exactly why I never choose a paint color without testing a large area of it first.

For years, I painted sample squares directly on my walls. It worked, but it was messy. I’d end up with random paint patches all over a room and then I was obligated to repaint over them later.

These days, I use Samplize peel-and-stick paint samples instead.

Because they’re made with real paint, they give me a much better idea of what the color will actually look like in my home. They’re also large enough to see how a color works with flooring, trim, furniture, and lighting before committing to gallons of paint.

Some of their samples even come in extra large 15″x18″ sizes.

You can easily peel them up and reuse them in other rooms if you want to test them in different areas.

2. If You Ignore Undertones, You’ll Regret It

One of the most common reasons paint colors look wrong is because of undertones.

Every paint color has them, even the neutrals.

Some grays lean blue. Some lean green. Some lean purple. Whites can look creamy, yellow, pink, gray, or even slightly blue depending on the lighting and surrounding finishes.

The easiest way to spot undertones is to compare paint colors side-by-side.

Right now, I’m testing several gray-green paint colors for our guest bedroom. To make it easier to compare them, I attached my Samplize samples to large pieces of white poster board and placed them around the room.

The white background helps me see the undertones more clearly because nearby wall colors, furniture, and decor can influence how our eyes perceive color.

It’s a simple trick, but it helps prevent my eyes from playing tricks on me and makes those subtle differences much easier to spot.

Otherwise, what looked gray yesterday suddenly looks blue today, and before long I’m questioning everything.

3. Paint Colors Look Different Throughout the Day

One of the quickest ways to end up disappointed with a paint color is to look at it once and call it good.

Paint colors can look completely different depending on the time of day, the weather outside, and the direction your room faces.

That’s why I like being able to move Samplize samples around my home (another good reason to put them on poster board). I can test them on different walls, in different rooms, and at different times of day without painting multiple sample squares everywhere. You can stick the Samplize swatches directly to walls and reuse them, but the poster board trick makes them even more resourceful.

Morning light, afternoon light, sunny days, cloudy days… it all makes a difference.

Online photos can only tell you so much. Seeing a paint color in your actual home is always worth the extra step.

4. Flooring Gets a Vote

A very loud vote. Before you choose a paint color, take inventory of everything that’s staying.

Flooring, countertops, tile, brick, cabinetry, and large furniture pieces all influence how a paint color looks.

Another way you can spot undertones? Carry a piece of white card stock around the room and place it beside those elements you’re keeping. It will help you see the orange undertone in your walnut hardwood floor or the blue undertone in what you thought was white tile.

If you’ve ever painted a room and thought, “Why does this color feel off?” even though it’s technically beautiful, the undertones were probably fighting each other.

So flooring shouldn’t be entirely ignored.

stairs with brass dust corners and gallery wall

5. Stop Choosing Paint Before Everything Else

Most people assume paint should be the first decorating decision because it covers the largest surface area in a room.

But paint is actually one of the easiest things to change.

Your sofa, rug, drapes, bedding, countertops, and furniture are usually much bigger investments. Whenever possible, choose those larger pieces first and then select a paint color that works with them.

There are thousands of paint colors available.

Finding a paint color to coordinate with a sofa is much easier than finding a sofa to coordinate with a paint color.

TikTok viral famous crystal bladeless ceiling fan in bedroom

6. Trendy Doesn’t Always Mean Right

While trends can be fun, they shouldn’t be the primary reason you choose a paint color for your home.

The best paint color isn’t necessarily the one everyone else is using. It’s the one that works with your home’s lighting, architecture, furnishings, and fixed finishes.

Instead of asking what’s trending, ask what works best in your home.

That’s usually where the magic happens.

My Favorite Way to Test Paint Colors Before Painting

After years of painting sample squares directly on my walls, I’ve found a much easier way.

I use Samplize peel-and-stick paint samples because they take so much of the guesswork out of choosing paint colors.

I can compare colors side-by-side, move them throughout the house, and see how they look next to my flooring, trim, furniture, and lighting before making a final decision.

I also love being able to compare multiple paint brands in one order. Whether I’m considering Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, or Farrow & Ball, it’s easy to see them side-by-side without running all over town to different hardware stores collecting paint chips.

The samples arrive next-day, which helps keep my project moving instead of waiting around to make a decision.

Most importantly, they give me confidence before buying paint and help me avoid costly mistakes later.

Final Thoughts

The biggest paint color mistakes aren’t usually about choosing the wrong color.

They’re about choosing paint colors the wrong way.

Trusting a tiny paint chip, ignoring undertones. looking at a sample once and calling it good, forgetting that your flooring and fixed finishes get a vote too… they can all lead to regret.

The good news is that every one of these mistakes is completely avoidable.

Take your time. Test your colors. Pay attention to undertones and lighting. A little patience up front can save you from a lot of regret later.

And if you’re currently hunting for the perfect paint color, know that you’re in good company.

I’ll be over here moving gray-green paint samples around our guest bedroom and trying to channel a little Gilded Age magic.