Why Samples are so Important to a Design Project
Let’s talk about samples and why they are so important when you are completing a design project! If you read this entire blog post and only remember one thing let it be, do not start a project until you have samples. Okay, now let’s get into more details.
When you decide to take on a home project, oftentimes the DIY process looks like diving into the pool headfirst. No real plan until you get into it. This is where the designer in us says, HIRE A DESIGN TEAM, but for the ones taking it on themselves our biggest tip is ordering samples for as many elements of the design project as possible. Paint, tile, flooring, wallpaper, hardware, textiles… you name it, there is likely a sample for it that you can get your hands on.
Here is the simple truth when designing; most of the time we fall in love with something online and then it gets to us in-person and it looks nothing like we imagined. This is why samples can make or break a design project.
Paint Samples: Paint samples are arguably the most important to make sure you get for your design project. Depending on the lighting in your space, every paint sample will look different. A white that you thought was going to be perfect may suddenly pull yellow or blue. HelloPaint has large peel and stick paint samples for every colour you can imagine. We love these because you can reuse them over and over, peeling and sticking them to different walls in the room to make sure the lighting always compliments them! Additionally, you want to then make sure the paint colour you like the most goes with the main design elements of the space. Tile, wallpaper, flooring etc.
Tile Sample: Tile almost always looks entirely different in person than it does when you are looking at it online! Obtaining hard samples is key before you make the investment! Most tile shops will let you sign out or ”rent” tile samples to take home and see them in your space! Another great option is online shops like Tile Inspired that allow you to order an amount of tile samples for a super small price!
Wallpaper Samples: Ouu baby, if I had to pick my favourite sample to get my hands on this would be it! Having a wallpaper sample allows you to pull colours for your project from it & ensure that the wallpaper you choose for the space is the perfect “vibe” for the space. Sandberg Wallpaper and Milton & King are great places to look for wallpaper samples! If you are local to Waterloo, I love going to Heers on King St!
Textile Samples (pillows & fabrics): I call textiles the finishing touch of the project! Once you have all the furniture in places, rugs, paint, wallpaper etc then it is time to bring in the textile samples. Tonic Living is an amazing place to order pillow & fabric samples from! They are constantly adding to their collection and are a local Canadian company!
Starting a design project and don’t know where to start or how to get your hands on samples? You can book a personalized design consultation with us so that we can guide you through the process! Fill out our ‘Design Inquiry Form’ today so that we can book you in for a design meeting ASAP!