Sunday, June 26, 2011

Product Review and Giveaway-SMALL WALL

The number one decorating issue I'm asked about is paint color. Paint is easy to apply yourself, it's relatively inexpensive and is a highly effective way to transform any room in your home. Only problem? Paint color can make or break your space. You know the wrong paint color or finish can really ruin your decor, but how can you be sure you're choosing the right color before you invest the time and money? I can see why so many people get intimidated and just stick with basic white.

As a designer, when I have custom paint colors mixed for me, I also have what's called a "drawdown" made. This is an 8x10in card with my paint color on it. Drawdowns are much more effective than paintchips in helping my clients visualize what their paint color will look like. Problem is, most places won't make drawdowns for you unless you're a professional designer, painter or contractor. That's why I was so excited when I read about Small Wall!

According to the manufacturers, Small Wall is a package of two 12x12 inch adhesive backed paint sample boards that:
  • Has no-mark adhesive back, allows you to preview color in multiple locations & in different lighting through out your room
  • Surface is ready to paint it doesn't require primer it won't absorb the color and it won't warp when dry
  • Provides excellent color and finish representation & can be repainted multiple times
  • Lightweight portable and easy to take with you when you shop for accessories
Small Wall retails for $6-$10 (for a pack of 2 boards) and is available at Ace Hardware, Sherwin-Williams and online through Amazon I contacted the company with so many questions that they sent me a pack to try out for myself. Just in time too, because I am currently fixing up my guest bathroom!

When I received my Small Wall, I painted each board with one of the 2 colors I'm considering for my accent wall and tacked them up inside the bathroom.
There are only 2 Small Wall boards here-they're next to the mirror!
I found all the product claims to be true. I really like the size, even better than my 8x10 drawdowns. I also appreciate that you can move them throughout the house. For example, I am considering using the brown in my kitchen so it was easy to move the Small Wall into that room for a few days and live with the color.
There was one HUGE advantage to using Small Wall over professional drawdowns that I hadn't anticipated: I was able to see, before I buy the paint by the gallon, how many coats each color will require! It is very helpful to know that the brown will need 3 coats and the red will need at least 4. This greatly affects how much paint you'll need. For instance, after using Small Wall, you may decide to use the color that needs 6 coats on just one wall, instead of throughout the entire room.

I think $10 is a great price for this product, considering how much time and money you'll save. I also really like that they are durable enough to use time and time again. But if you have a summer paint project you'd like some help with, the makers of Small Wall are generously giving away a package of Small Wall to one of you! Remember,  Small Wall is available at Ace Hardware, Sherwin-Williams and online through Amazon

Here's how to enter-there's a maximum of 3 entries per person, one entry for each of the following:

1. Leave a comment below with your biggest paint-related question (I'll try to answer as best as I can!)
2. Follow Nacho Mama's Blog on Facebook and leave a comment letting me know you did or already do :)
3. Follow Small Wall on Twitter, @mysmallwall, and leave a comment letting us know you did

That's it! Contest ends at midnight, July 2nd. Winner will chosen at random and announced on July 3rd.

Good luck and happy painting!


Wishing you love with extra cheese-
Nacho Mama

Discolusure: The product mentioned in this review was gifted to me by the manufacturer. I was not compensated for what was written, this review is my honest opinion.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Hi Mama. I need help understanding how you can figure out how many coats of paint you need. Perhaps you can educate me on that. In any case, this seems like a great product and when I'm ready to paint, I'll be getting Small Wall. Thanks!

Nacho Mama said...

Hi betweenthesleeps!

Knowing how many coats can be very tricky. If you're painting a light color over white or beige, you might be able to get away with 2 coats. Richer colors almost always take more. Needing more coats does not necessarily mean than the paint quality is not as good. Sometimes the "one-coat" paints can look very flat or not true to the sample, and sometimes the color fades over time, which is not a good value for your dollar or time. I once painted a wall in my home a very dark blue with Ralph Lauren paint. It took SEVEN coats to get the color even, but in the end it was absolutely gorgeous and stayed that way for many years.

Unknown said...

Hi! I'm always doubting the amount of paint to buy, even though at the store they say something it always seems a lot leftover!

Unknown said...

I follow you on FB :)

Nacho Mama said...

Hi Dariela!

Thanks for the follow! How many coats you need seems to depend more on the color than the type of paint you're using. For the 2 samples in the photo, I asked the paint store to mix me just a QUART of each color. Now that I know how many coats each one takes, from trying them out on the Small Wall, I know that I'll need a gallon to do the wall in my kitchen and maybe just another quart to do the bathroom. Sometimes the folks at the paint store don't take the color into account. Ideally, you'd get all your paint mixed at once, but it's usually ok if you have to go back to get more. I know it's a drag to have extra paint sitting around!

Nacho Mama said...

And our winner is...DARIELA. Congratulations! Thanks so much to everyone who entered. Dariela, please email me your address and I will send it along to the makers of Small Wall. My email address: shesnachomama@yahoo.com