Posted on December 27, 2022 by KylieMawdsley
HOW TO SAMPLE PAINT, SAVE MONEY, & HAVE FUN WHILE YOU DO IT!
Are you tired of sampling paint the old-fashioned way? Do you have a patchwork of paint colours on your walls and a pyramid of 3/4 empty sample pots on your dining table? I get it. While I spend most of my days helping YOU choose the best paint colors for YOUR home, I also spend a lot of time sampling colors for my own home, and it can be EXHAUSTING. I mean, nothing a glass or five two of wine can’t help with, but still.
WHAT EXACTLY IS SAMPLIZE PEEL AND STICK?
Samplize offers PEEL & STICK paint samples that you slap RIGHT ON YOUR WALL – no brush, no roller, no mess, no stress. Okay, I can’t guarantee the stress part (insert deep breathing exercises HERE). However, between my blog posts and these samples…
Your paint-pickin’ life just got a whooooole lot easier, and maybe even a little bit FUN!
WHAT BRANDS DOES SAMPLIZE CARRY?
SAMPLIZE has partnered with today’s top paint brands, including Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, Farrow & Ball & PPG. Oh, yeah, and they save you MONEY while you’re doing it. Is SAMPLIZE legit? Oooooh, yeah. If the above brands and I partnered with them, I’d say they’re pretty badass (I don’t even have a partnership with BM and SW – just SAMPLIZE).
And guess what? YOU DON’T EVEN NEED TO PUT PANTS ON TO GET YOUR SAMPLES! That’s right, FRONT DOOR DELIVERY!
ARE SAMPLIZE PEEL AND STICK ACCURATE?
Yes. 100% accurate and true to color. SAMPLIZE uses real paint from each manufacturer, giving you the EXACT color you’re looking for – two coats of it. In fact, SAMPLIZE samples are more accurate than what you see in the fan deck/paper chip samples in the store.
WHAT FINISH ARE SAMPLIZE PEEL AND STICK?
Samplize colors are painted with an eggshell finish, making them applicable to most projects. As the late great Goldilocks once said, ‘…it’s juuuuuuust right’.
Eggshell is definitely the most popular paint finish. However, if you like to paint your walls in matte, you know that’s just a wee shift down from eggshell. On the other hand, if you like your cabinets or trim to be satin/pearl, you know there will be a touch more sheen!
WHAT ARE THE PROS & CONS OF SAMPLIZE?
Let’s start with the pros…
THE COST
Most of the SAMPLIZE samples cost $5.95. That’s it.
On the other hand, the average sample pot is $9.99 to $13.99. Add in a roller/tray/canvas, and you’re at approx $15 per sample, plus your blood, sweat, and many, many tears.
IT’S MESS-FREE
Sure, you have some paper backing to recycle – big whoop. No more sloppy paint pots, dripping rollers, or walls that look like they’ve been in a paintball war.
IT’S EASY – FRONT-DOOR DELIVERY
You don’t even have to leave your home – SAMPLIZE delivers to your front door, sometimes within ONE BUSINESS day (location dependent*).
*Unless you’re in Canada, like me, in which case it can take a bit more time. But if you aren’t in a hurry, it’s WELL worth it. All the same, I’ve never waited more than five business days.
IT’S MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
You don’t need to be a tree-hugger to know that sampling paint the traditional way isn’t exactly ‘earth-friendly’. I did this for years and still have the pyramid of cans in my garage to prove it (most of them are still 3/4 full of unused paint).
As for the CONS, to be honest, there aren’t many, but I do have two…
FINISH CHOICE
Don’t get me wrong; I love that their samples are in an eggshell finish; it applies to most projects. However, when doing my Color Consulting, I would LOOOVE to order samples in cabinet finish (satin/pearl). However, I realize I am the exception, not the rule.
ABILITY TO RE-USE SAMPLES
You CAN’T put your SAMPLIZE sample on its backing again. Or you can, but it’s painstakingly hard. Once you peel that bad boy off, you’re committed. However, let me tell you what to do (I’m a bossy lil thing)…
1. Start with 6-8 paint samples of colors that are ‘similar’ to each other (COMPARISON is KEY when sampling paint!).
2. Keep all peel & stick samples on their paper backing, and use a little piece of tape to stick them up (seems silly, I know, but humour me).
3. Once you’ve narrowed it down to your fave two or three, THEN take the backing off these samples only. This way, you can pass along/save/use for crafts the samples that still have their backing.
Is SAMPLIZE legit?
You bet your booty it is. When it comes to helping you choose the BEST paint color for your home, SAMPLIZE is as legit as it gets (other than me, I’m a pretty legit colour-picking tool too).
HOW DO YOU USE SAMPLIZE PEEL AND STICK?
The tips below will help you choose the BEST paint color for your walls, cabinets, trim or exterior.
1. TAPE UP WHITE PAPER AROUND YOUR SAMPLE
Your old paint colour will 100% influence your perception of the NEW paint color. A bit of white around the edges helps to create a more neutral base to judge your samples.
2. MOVE IT ONTO DIFFERENT WALLS & VIEW IT IN DIFFERENT LIGHTING
One of the most IMPORTANT tips when sampling paint and picking your room’s BEST color, is to MOVE your sample around – different walls, lighting, day/nite. Another great thing about SAMPLIZE is that you can move it dozens of times. I tested a sample to see HOW MANY TIMES I could move it (with the backing OFF), and I literally could’ve gone on and on (kind of like when I’m talking).
3. PEEL IT OFF WITH TWO HANDS
I’m showing you this first photo as my hair looks GREAT, and to ALSO show you how NOT to take SAMPLIZE off the wall.
If you want to move your sample to different walls with no muss no fuss, the two-handed approach (also helpful when drinking wine) makes for an easier, wrinkle-free transition (I wonder if they would make SAMPLIZE for my face)…
4. POUR A GLASS OF WINE
That’s right. Picking paint colours is WAY easier when you have a bottle and a funnel of wine glass of wine by your side (as mentioned earlier, it’s one of my four favourite topics). Because not only does WINE make sampling paint more fun – SAMPLIZE makes sampling paint more fun!
WHERE SHOULD YOU PUT YOUR PEEL AND STICK PAINT SAMPLES?
- directly beside your trim (either painted or wood)
- on the wall behind the main furniture pieces
- next to finishes like fireplace stone and backsplash tile
HOW NOT TO SAMPLE YOUR COLORS
- paint samples floating in the middle of the wall don’t work; your color needs something to be bumped up with or visually connected to (re: my previous bulleted list)
This next photo shows the RIGHT SAMPLES, but the wrong sampling technique.
- there’s no white paper around the samples to separate them – yup, you even need to separate them from drywall!
- they aren’t being RELATED to anything – trim, countertop – surely, they’ve picked out SOME product they could compare them to!
BTW, if you’re wondering how legit this review is, I want you to think – when was the last time you saw me promote a product? #hardlyever. Sure, I talk incessantly about Benjamin Moore, Ryan Reynolds, Sherwin Williams, and wine, but Lord knows they don’t pay me anything to do that – I pay myself in wine, Doritos and personal high-fives (true).
If I’m here to put MY NAME behind a product, it means I really believe in it – for you AND for me.
So while I benefit financially from this partnership with SAMPLIZE, I could partner with MANY…many other brands and have had the opportunity to do so. But I haven’t (with very few exceptions). End of story.
WHY DO I LOVE SAMPLIZE PEEL & STICK SO MUCH?
My job as a Paint Color Expert and blogger is to make YOUR life easier when it comes to picking paint and decorating your home – in fact; I’ve written a few hundred (almost 500) articles on these topics.
I’m not messin’ around and will NEVER buy another sample pot again*. SAMPLIZE IS A GAME-CHANGER. It’s lit my lil color-lovin’ world on FIRE. And if I think it’s awesome, I know you will too.
*FULL DISCLOSURE, the only time I’ll buy a sample pot is when I need to see a paint color lightened or darkened by a certain percentage – in other words, not very often.
And I bet you have MORE questions about this product – in which case, they have a great FAQ page for you to check out.
READ MORE
The 12 Best Whole Home Gray and Greige Paint Colors
The Ultimate Guide to Choosing White Paint Colors
How to Sample Paint Colors the RIGHT WAY
The 8 Best Whole Home Warm Neutral Paint Colors
The 8 Best White Paint Colors from Benjamin Moore
The 5 Best Off-White Paint Colors
North, East, South, West – Which Paint Color is the Best For YOUR Room’s Exposure?
Not sure which paint colours to order?
Check out my E-Books and Online Paint Colour Consulting – I’d love to help!
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I just ordered 3 samples for a client and everything you say is true!! I have some sample boards I purchased that are mainly neutrals but that doesn’t help when choosing anything else..like a bright blue for a front door!!
Author
Oooo Maggie! That’s my daughter’s name, it’s just SO stinkin’ gorgeous. And I know, aren’t they awesome, I’m totally addicted.
Thanks, Kylie, I love Samplize also! And your articles and video reviews have been very instructive as well as entertaining. I would warn against counting too much on the precise accuracy of the whites. I have made my own test board of actual Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace, for example, from a gallon BM can and held it up to the Samplize, and they are not a perfect match. That said, you do get a relative comparison between whites, just not exactly true to actual color. Maybe it’s me- anyone else notice that?
I own probably 20 Samplize sheets in various shades of white, griege, and black. So far I have retained the backing on them all, preferring to tape them to long sheets of white paper and use painters tape (or push pins) to temporarily hang them in various places.
Sometimes I want a larger sample, like half of a poster board sheet, and will buy a $3.99 paint sample from Home Depot (they offer various sheens) and use a cheap or even foam brush. While the color may not be a perfect match, it’s close enough, especially on mid to lower LRV colors. This works especially well for outdoor options, like choosing shutter or porch ceiling color where a larger sample is helpful.
By the way, leftover sample paints are great for kids crafts. This week I am letting my grandsons paint “stones” onto their dishwasher box house.
Author
Hi Gari! You know what’s a REAL bugger? Is that there can be variation in how a colour looks based on the LEVEL of paint you choose as well as the sheen. For example, the formula or recipe that goes into making Chantilly Lace in, say, Benjamin Moore Regal, will be different from the formula that makes it in Aura. So, I know this isn’t something unique to Samplize, it’s an industry issue if you ask me. And that’s interesting, I’m going to posting an article in the next month or so re: colour matching, so I’m happy for your info on that too! And this is true, I seriously have over 100 sample pots…at least. Crafts it is! Hope the kids like gray and beige… ;).
~Kylie
I also ordered Samplize samples recently and some were very close to the Benjamin Moore color chip from the store while others were lighter to the point that I then went out to buy actual paint to sample and I’m glad I did. The actual paint was truer to the paint chip when I held it up. The sheen difference could not account for the difference in the Samplize sample nd the actual color.
So I would say use Samplize to get ‘an idea’ of how the color will look, but don’t make a decision until you put paint on the wall.
Author
Ahhh, what’s funny is that i JUST wrote a new blog post about this today that explains EXACTLY why this happens! And you’re right, I also recommend that before you bite the bullet, if you’re at all concerned, get a quart of the exact type of paint/finish you plan on using and see how it looks :)https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/samplize-peel-stick-paint-color-samples-faqs-tips-ideas/
Big fan of Samplize! We’re remodeling a house and adding an addition. I many more samples than I’ll probably need but this way I’m prepared to choose paint colors once the drywall is up. (Our builder can’t understand why I can’t do it with just the framing in place. Ha!) I use Scotch wall safe tape to attached the samples to a piece of white poster board. Then, I tape the poster board to the wall with the same tape. No issues with damage to the sample. It’s this tape:
https://www.amazon.com/Scotch-Wall-Safe-Repositionable-Invisible-813S6/dp/B07BVNYVZR/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=scotch+brand+wall+safe&qid=1585409011&sr=8-2
My husband appreciates not having all of the small pots and cans filling up a shelf in the basement so we’re both happy.
Author
OOOO, I LIKE THIS IDEA! You’re a genius. I need to be able to reuse my samples for my Youtube colour videos and this is a GREAT solution (as they don’t love going back on their paper). THANK YOU!!
You do have great hair! Love your blog.
Author
Oh you.. ;). thank you! It was a great hair day…
Hi Kylie,
Just tried the Samplize site but unfortunately they are closed due to Covid19. Is there another site you would recommend for samples?
Thanks, Susan
Author
Sadly no, it’s back to good old sample pots for a while! Stay healthy 🙂
I come from a country with excellent wines.. … If wine makes you write articles like this, I will be glad to send you some bottles 🙂 Thank you, you helped me a lot… Irena Slovenia
Author
We are KINDRED SPIRITS Irena!~ And aren’t you lucky. Where we are on the island, we’re lucky to get a fruit wine – which are terrible. If you’ve ever been to the Okanagan in British Columbia though, they have AMAAAAZING wines and are only a days drive away for us!