Is Sample Paint Real Paint?

Alright y’all I’ll be honest… this topic is one of my hot buttons!

Maybe that’s bad to admit but it’s definitely a pet peeve!

Every single day I have customers and readers ask what’s up with sample paint… is sample paint real paint? Why’s it so cheap? Can I paint my wall with it? Innocent people like you have burning questions… so here’s the scoop!

Sample paint is not real paint… period. There’s a big difference between good quality paint and poor quality paint y’all.

Sample paint is not even paint… it’s literally all fillers and no paint! If the drive-through lady handed you a cup of ALL ice and no soda would you say thank you and drink it?

Would you recommend it to your friends as an awesome way to get a cheap cup of soda?

Nope… because it’s not soda!

I know, I know… you’re all shaking your heads and telling me to calm down. I hear you, I really do but I hate to see people taken advantage of… people use sample paint every single day for projects that it won’t work on.

That doesn’t affect me… it affects you and I only want the best for you!

Here’s the scoop. Sample paint was created to test a color on a wall… that’s it. So it doesn’t have any of the bonding agent that normal paint has to make it durable and to bond to the wall.

Since folks don’t understand this they use it on all kinds of stuff… I once saw a blogger recommend to her readers that they grab a couple sample quarts to paint their kitchen! I wanted to cry.

Those poor walls are not going to hold up to the test of time… they’ll show marks, the paint will come off and the poor wall will need re-painted in a month or two.

Now if you’re using your sample paint for crafts? That’s fine!

Small home decor pieces like picture frames? Also fine! I painted the round-about on my desk with sample paint over a year ago and haven’t had any problems… because it’s not a piece that receives heavy use or cleaning.

Dressers or furniture in guest rooms, or offices (anywhere out of the way really) is probably fine!

Your kitchen walls receive heavy use and require cleaning… so sample paint probably isn’t a great idea.

If you’re really confused and not sure where to go from here ask yourself these questions: Does my piece need to last for many years? Will it receive heavy use every single day? Will I need to clean it? Is it large and expensive to re-paint if I need to re-paint it a month from now?

If you said yes to any of those questions then sample paint probably isn’t your jam. Leave the sample paint for the DIY projects and grab a gallon of paint! If you’re still set on using your quart of sample paint for that coffee table makeover take a page out of Pinterest’s book and turn your sample into chalk paint!

Now we’re talking!

Of course after so many years of being the paint lady I’ve learned a thing or two… and instead of keeping it all to myself I’m sharing it with you in a little eBook called Inside the Paint Can: Beginner Tips and Tricks for Interior Painting!

Painting your home can be a daunting task but it doesn’t have to be. So if you’re ready to make painting a little less confusing you’ll love all 10 chapters of this book… it’s jam packed with the answers to all kinds of fun painting questions!