Choosing a new paint scheme for a room can be a messy old business. Paint splotches all over the shop, spending a small fortune on tester pots, then to realise that what you had in the first place is actually quite nice. Bugger.
In our recent home revamp, I’ve tried a couple of other options to a paint brush and pot to use in our home. Being INCREDIBLY indecisive, I hadn’t really got a clue in which colours to go for. On the one hand, I love homely pastel shades, like these dusty pinks from Crown, and grey from Dulux, but the other side wants deep blues and bold striking yellows. You see my predicament? It’s quite daunting, I think, to choose new colours for a room. Paint isn’t cheap, and the time and effort it takes to actually paint the ruddy thing, you really don’t want to screw it up.
First up, I tried:
Dulux Visualiser app
This app is very clever. The basic idea of the live visualiser is that you can hold your phone up to a wall and pick a colour to ‘decorate’ from their huge colour palette. It’s very awesome. It is a little buggy in that if you have crap loads of pictures on the wall (like me) it gets a bit fuzzy around the edges, but to be honest, I was so amazed how clever it is I don’t really care. You can move the phone around to view different walls or rooms and the paint will ‘follow’ you.
Another option is to upload a photo and use the app in the same way as the live visualiser. It will ask if it’s an interior or exterior wall which is helpful also. Another great feature is that you can use “masking tape” and divide up any part of the wall you don’t want painting, or want in a separate colour. It’s pretty addictive stuff. It will give you the option to save your creation and obviously you can share the image for others to inspect your creativity.
Other handy tools include saving a scrapbook of ideas, of course the trusty colour chart, nearest store info and connect with them via social media.
This is a free app available on Android and Apple.
My other recommendation is a slightly more hands on approach.
Crown painted samples
V
ia their website you can order sample paint swatches, A5 cards that have already been painted for you. I would say that using this service you would have probably already decided on the theme colour but not necessarily the actual shade, otherwise it may get a little expensive. The great thing about these samples are that 
the colours are true to life. Whereas the Dulux colours on a phone or tablet are only as good and true as your phone allows, the Crown samples are the real deal. You will be able to see how they are affected by natural light and shadow.
The obvious plus to these is that you can live with the colour for a while to see how it feels in your home. I’ve just masking taped them up, and remove which ones I go off without ruining the wall behind.
Regards monies, you can order 5 samples, and choose the finish of paint too (ie; gloss, satin etc) for £2.99 including postage. They arrive within a week too.
And when you have finished with them you can turn them into gift tags! Or recycling. Success!
So there you go, 2 awesomeness ideas to choosing a new colour scheme without a paintbrush.