Loving Color: 5 Ways to Decorate With Paint Chips

For those who are offended by the idea of someone "stealing" paint samples - I work at an architecture office and we are constantly given samples like this by product reps and as samples for individual projects. Things like paint chips, flooring, carpet, bricks, tiles, baseboard, etc, all in various sizes and colors. There was even a whole track lighting system hiding in our back room. We have to actively purge or the office turns into a stockroom full of old samples. We recently (March 2013) donated a van full of samples to a local craft store, so if you're near Durham, NC check out the Scrap Exchange and use that stuff.

A story with a different twist-my friend walked into our favorite paint store and there on the wall was this large (approximately 3'x3') canvas full of small paint swipes. Somehow she had never seen it before. She asked about it and it turned out that the employees, after mixing up paint, would dip their finger in the paint and then swipe it on the canvas to test it. As a result, this canvas was loaded with a plethora of color for an amazing mosaic-like art piece. She asked what their plans were for it and offered to buy it. One thought they had was auctioning it off for charity. So they suggested that she write a check for what she thought it was worth to her and they would donate it to the charity of her choice. I thought that was brilliant and she has a unique original art piece for her home. I'm sharing this story as a way to get the multi-colored look of paint chips. It would be a fun way of using that left over paint on an inexpensive canvas. I have a paint grave yard of leftover paint from projects. Last summer, using some of the paint color used in my house, I painted each stair riser a color, repeating the pattern. For the record, my house is an old farmhouse (vs modern). It is an unexpected surprise in a fairly traditional, albeit colorful, home. Makes me smile each time I go upstairs and has been a hit with my family and visitors. I also encouraged a color-loving friend with a cement block basement entry to splatter paint the walls with her leftover paint. She base-coated them white, bought a bunch of wine, food and paintbrushes and had a splatter painting party with her girls friends. She went right up the stairs painting each one, a different color. She then hung artwork and instead of coming into an uninspiring grey cement block entry, people now enter through a fun, bright art gallery! I love the creativity that comes from using what one has.

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