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I don't know if there really is a rule of thumb--some paints I feel have turned out lighter than they look on the chip and others have turned out darker. The best thing to do is get a little sample jar of the paint (many paint companies sell these for about $5) and test it out on your wall to see if you like it or not.
I've had good luck by investing in a little time and $ to buy posterboard and paint it using the smallest amount of paint you can buy as ecrane3 suggested above. The posterboard is large enough to give me a good idea of the color. I recommend leaning it against the wall to be painted and leave it there a couple of days to watch how the color changes with different light conditions. Morning light can look very different from evening light. I also carry them around with me in the car while shopping for other items such as fabric, tile, etc. After spending that much time with them I know for sure if I like the color well enough to live with it!
Oh my gosh, doesn't diff light make a diff? I will have to see if Behr sells a small sample like Miller does. It also helps to get the colors that make up the color you like. I painted a room what I thought was a taupe and when daylight came it had a rose tint. That is when I discovered asking for the composition and sure enough some red was in it.
Benjamin Moore also sells those samples. You can aso go to a local paint store and they will have a wide variety. I bought 2 of them last year to redo a couple of rooms and at the time I didn't know which color would go where. I put the samples on one wall in one room and made my decision that way.
Behr does have samples, I think you can only get them from their website though so I went to Home Depot to pick up color swatches, then ordered the ones I liked off the internet (maybe HD would sell them too, but there were about 500 people in line at the paint counter so I wasn't about to wait and then find out they didn't have them!) Theirs are a little more expensive than some of the other samples, it's $6.95 each or $5.95 if you get more than one but they got a good rating in Consumer Reports so I knew that was the paint brand I wanted to go with.
I have learned to shop H.Depot after 8 pm. altho, most nights I am in my pj's by then. But trying to get help w/ paint during the busy hours is a form of self abuse!!!
The rule of thumb is: If it is mixed right the color, the sample chip should be exactly the same based on a matte finish. How it looks en masse, or with a sheen or shine, with varying natural light may change throughout the day and with different types of artificial lighting.
The suggestions above of getting a small container of sample color is your best bet, and having the courage to be bold helps as well.
Ben Moore has many paints in sample sizes that run around $4-5 each. If you don't see your color, just ask the salesperson for a larger paper sample. They have a book with the colors printed off and you can take home a card approx. 4x6 to get a better idea.
I recently had trouble finding the exact color that I wanted. I finally took the drapes and a painting that I was placing in my living room (with the appropriate colors for the room) into the store. I told the salesman what direction the windows faced (MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE) and the attmosphere I wanted to create. He suggested a few samples and then strongly suggested a chip I'd looked at prior and dismissed as too tan. I wanted a golden/buttery yellow with warmth that would pick up my greens and reds without being too green. I took his advice considering I could always use it in the guest room if I didn't like it or repaint. I LOVED IT!! It was just the color I was looking for. Paint changes dramatically once applied to a large surface. Take my advice and ask the salesperson for help. They know what they are doing. Save yourself some headaches and worry.
I would also advise going with Benjamin Moore paints. They are great. I've painted three houses with them and loved the paints everytime. I've tried Sherwin Williams, Behr, Wal-mart, and Glidden. I always love the Ben Moore the best for application, coverage, and cleaning. Most Interior designers choose Ben Moore as well.
CabG,
Do you mind telling what color you used.(The golden/buttery yellow)
I want to paint my kitchen yellow which is next to my den( which is painted a sage color). I need a yellow that will make a nice transition into the other room.
