Sample Boards help you to work out the design pitfalls in a room before you begin. They give you a means of keeping track of items you hope to add in future (kits for soft furnishings) and give you a range of color samples and design elements to take with you when you go to match furnishings for your room.
Sample boards can be made from photos and samples available online, but you should be aware that colors vary from monitor to monitor, as well as from printer to printer. Before you make a purchase, check that the online sample is a correct color match with your sample.
To create a sample board, you can download a pdf edition of a blank sample board. Gather photos of the furniture and lighting you intend to purchase or build. Collect samples of the wall paper and wall colors you want to use, as well as samples of fabric for upholstery, drapes, rugs and soft furnishings. Compare the paint and fabric swatches to each other to make sure they create the effect you want. Assemble them on your board from floor to ceiling. You can view a completed sample in pdf form
If you glue your samples to a sheet of Bristol board or card stock and place this sheet in a sheet protector in a binder, you can remove the sheet and take it with you in the sheet protector to match colors and samples when you shop or travel.
Use Your Computer to Create a Sample Board
Sample boards can be created on your computer by choosing the color scheme from the main pattern you intend to use in the room (often the wallpaper). In a simple paint program, the colors can be selected with an eyedropper from a photo of the wallpaper and the colors placed in color sample boxes, then moved around and grouped until you find a color scheme you like.
If you create a sample board for each room of your dollhouse, you will be able to match colors throughout the house to give it a decorator look.
