I think it depends on if it's a saturated color or not. And of course lighting.

In my experience, it usually looks more intense, but that is probably because I tend to go overkill on color and start with some pretty intense colors. And then I usually pair them with white trim which makes them pop.

And I've never done a test wall but according to my spouse, I really ought to. :)

I bought some of those sample pots from Benjamin Moore for my dining room. I only used one of them because the first color I painted on the wall I instantly liked. To me, it seems the color is ligher ... less intense? ... now that it's on all the wall. Still love it, though.

I think it totally depends on lighting and the color of the paint. If you are using the Ben Moore samples, make sure to let them dry all the way because they are way lighter going on and darken up when dry. I've noticed that at different times of day, my colors look completely different. I can't tell you how many sample pots I used! I have a box full of them... Luckily, I can use them for craft projects :)

In my experience, when the paint goes up its usually a tad lighter than the swatch makes it look. Lighting can effect that though. If you have no natural light in the room, I would expect it to look more like the swatch.

It also depends on whether you used primer under your swatch. Primers can really affect how the final color looks. Especially dark, intense colors with dark primers.

I read about "saturated color" all the time and though I basically understand I don't know if I missing some nuance that gives a better understanding so I'm gonna sound dumb and ask. Exactly what is saturated color? Does it mean deeper more intense color?

Thanks for the input. I've been in and out of the BM store at least 5 times today. I too have a nice little stack of those sample pots.

I do have good sized double windows with south exposure and a smaller window with western exposure, so I do get quite a bit of light. Only the South and North walls will have paint. I think I can stand to go with a fairly deep medium tone.