Paint Sample Love

We're getting ready to do some painting at our house.  Hoooray!  That means it's time for me to haul out my paint samples.  I love paint fan decks!  As a matter of fact, they would make the short list of things I would bring to a deserted island.  I love to compare the colors between the different paint manufacturers and daydream about finding the perfect color for the room I'm about to paint.

My husband gets a little nervous when he comes home from work and sees this:

It usually means he's going to have to answer questions like:  "Is this white too yellow?" or  "do you think the green undertones in this gray will clash with carpets?"

When I read decor magazines, or watch decorating shows (Cityline's Home Day, in particular), I like to see samples of the colors the experts use.  Owning the fan decks saves me endless trips to the paint stores for samples.  I also bring them with me when I visit friends and help them choose paint colors.  I get coffee and they get advice- it works!

My first fan deck came from Benjamin Moore.  I love the Historical Colors!

 

When Benjamin Moore came out with their 'designer classics collection',  I needed to have it!  The sample sizes in this deck are about 2 inches by 5 inches, so you can get a better idea of each color.

I also like that the 'designer classics' come in a faux leather pouch; it makes me feel like a professional!

fancy!

I bought the Sherwin-Williams deck shortly after I started reading blogs.  I have been a loyal Benjamin Moore customer until now, but I'm thinking about trying Sherwin-Williams paint.

Farrow & Ball is a British paint and wallpaper company.  Their paint has a higher pigment content than other paint brands, so the paint has greater depth (that's what is says on the back of the fan deck). I always feel like having a cup of tea when I look over the Farrow&Ball deck!

I love reading the back of their paint samples.  Their color descriptions kill me!  The sample below is called 'Cook's Blue'.  It was "often used in kitchens and larders during the 19th century in the belief that flies never land on it!"  I love it!

This one is called Lancaster Yellow.  It is described as a "pale yellow inspired by the silk on the walls of the Yellow Room at Kelmarsh Hall, Nancy Lancaster's mid-20th century home in Northamptonshire."  Very British!

There are many more descriptions- but we don't have time for that today!

Is it strange for a person to like paint samples this much?  I will say that having hundreds of samples at my fingertips intensifies my color indecision.  Wait until you see what I do once I've narrowed down my color choices!

I'm linking up with Amanda for her weekend bloggy reading...