It’s an oft-repeated part of the renovation process – buy a few different shades of paint you like and test what they look like on the wall. Something that looks great in the showroom doesn’t necessarily look the same in the afternoon light in your study.

But it doesn’t need to stop there. Test every product to see how it wears in every instance possible.

Start at the Bottom

New flooring is one of the biggest choices you will make and you can test drive it in your space. Get a small piece of the floor, see how it looks in different light in your home, how it feels with bare feet, and see how easy it is to clean mud off of it that your dog and/or kids will inevitably track in.

Maybe even get a few in a different finishes just so that you can compare a few options until you find the perfect fit. Get those samples checked out and line ‘em up in your kitchen, living room, everywhere! Move them around, walk on them. You might end up being surprised by your final choice, but it will be the one that works best in your space!

Large appliances might not be as trial friendly, but certainly go to the showroom and open it up – you might find that what you thought was the perfect fridge has an annoying-to-use water spigot that will drive you nuts.

Lights! Colors! Fabrics!

If you’re used to incandescent lighting – we know, it’s so 1900’s – choosing the color and visual temperature of your lighting is probably something you haven’t considered. In the LED age it can make a big difference. Choosing fixtures with adjustable lighting is an easy solution. However, if your fixtures don’t have that option finding the right lighting scheme for your space means trying the different options at home.

Seeing wall colors, and fabric samples in the places where they will be is also important. That perfect buttery yellow might look wrong once you have it out of the store.

Shopping this way does take some extra time, but we’re here to help you narrow down your options and make sure the end result is perfect. Give us a call today to get started!