Sampling colour in the light that counts

A colour that sings in the shop can sulk on your own wall. The aspect reshapes every shade. Trial it where it will actually hang.

North light is flat and steady, so it cools warmth from a colour. South light is generous and enriches almost everything. Read your room's facing first.

Paint a bold test patch and sit with it for a full day. Watch it at breakfast, noon and dusk. A colour confesses its real character only over time.

Electric light pulls colour too, as warm bulbs each flatter a shade differently. A soft bulb can warm a grey into mushroom. Test under the bulbs you keep.

Test swatches on more than one wall, since each receives the light differently. A shade can look crisp by the window and heavy in the corner. Several patches show the fuller story.

Avoid judging a colour from a small chip under shop lighting. The only test is your room, your walls and your day. A little time prevents a costly repaint.