Why We Never Skip the Sample Board

Every project in the studio begins with boards, not walls. A finished surface is only ever as good as the sample that was approved before it.

We mix samples with the same batch materials, the same tools and the same number of coats as the final wall. A sample made faster or thinner than the real thing is a promise the wall cannot keep.

Boards are made large — typically 24 by 36 inches — because texture and tonal movement do not scale down. A four-inch chip of Venetian plaster tells you almost nothing about how the same finish will behave across a room.

Drying time is respected. Lime finishes lighten considerably as they carbonate, and approving a sample while it is still damp is how clients end up surprised. We hold boards for at least 72 hours before review.

Finally, boards are reviewed in the actual room, at the actual hours the space is used. A finish approved under studio lighting is a finish approved for the studio.