Here's an online sample, tho it will of course vary depending on your monitor...

{{!gwi}}

No one, huh?

Well I swear there was a chocolate paint thread a few weeks back but the darn search feature still isn't working right. If I find it, I'll post it for you.

Usually, people recommend going with the greens to offset the yellow in cabinets but it's hard to say til it's up. Can you get a sample and try a swatch?

Well I found the thread I was thinking of but the Valspar isn't in there...darn! Sorry!

Here's some other chocolate colors though.

Here is a link that might be useful: chocolate paint thread

Have you looked in the color threads in the Gallery? I know there is a reds thread there, and I think a taupes and browns thread. There are also tons of great photos in the room threads there.

Thanks for looking that up! I know, I've had the hardest time looking. This "chocolate" is really quite red, tho, I think. I do think I'll try to grab a sample tomorrow and test it out. Just finished my family room in Lenox Tan today!

I'd like to weigh in on Valspar paint. I know it's a top rated paint, but I have used it twice with unsatisfactory results. The color just changes too much from the sample to the finished wall. Also you have to prime first, even if it is just from white to cream. I won't use Valspar again.

scarlett, if you mean from the printed sample to the actual paint, I have experienced that too. However, what I did this past weekend was to take the sample that they'd made up for me (in this case, Filoli Gold ecru) and showed the paint-guy the sample sheet up against the painted posterboard...he said incredulously "*this* came from *that*??" So he mixed me up a sample based on color-matching the paper itself, not the supposed formula, et voila, we have the paint color I was expecting from the sample paper. It's really a rather *large* difference.

So if you're upset because of the lack of match between the printed sample and the paint formula, despair not :) I have finally, now that the paper matches the paint, found the exact tone I was looking for.

And re your second point: I plan to prime anyway...but what happened for you when you didn't prime, may I ask?

I'm Curious too. I was going to match a RH paint to a Valspar paint because we have a coupon. We have never tried Valspar yet, so I'd really like your opinion. Thanks. Sorry to hijack!

We are in the process of re-painting several rooms. I took an ancient color sample (we wanted the same color) that didn't have a store ID on the back to Lowes & asked if it was theirs. The guy punched the # on the swatch into the computer & said that "yes", it was an old one of theirs. We had him mix the color in Valspar flat.

We LOVE this paint! The color was spot on but much more saturated. Granted... the old paint was very faded... but we Loved the richness of our original shade in this formula. No priming needed!

We bought basic white trim paint in a semi-gloss and this is my new favorite trim paint. Goes on thick and smooth although it is tough to keep a wet edge. Ten minutes later and the paint has smoothed out into a beautiful almost oil type finish. I will have to do 2 coats on all the trim just 'cause the difference between the old and the new is sooooooo different.

DH actually used the wall paint and had nothing but great things to say about the coverage and handling. We were able to use just one coat.

All paints/shades have different amounts of pigments added to them. Often times the more expensive ones have more pigment (but not always). Machines also can be off in the calibration.

It can also be really hard to compare a small swatch on a paint card to your actual wall. The surface texture, the rate the wall absorbs, etc.... can all affect the color you choose.

I don't mean to disclaim any problems folks have had w/ certain products... but I have been very happy w/ Valspar paint and will buy and use it again!

dekr8 - I have had Lowes color-match RH silver sage in both the olympic brand and Valspar (they made a mistake so I got it for $2). So, I had the real RH ss in the kitchen, Olympic in the guest bedroom, and valspar in my bedroom. I'm sure it's because of the amt. of light the rooms get, but the Olympic is hands down the prettiest! I have already painted over the kitchen SS. I also had Lowes color match RH cappuccino for my two story entryway and the color is a perfect match to the RH chip.

By the way, the valspar paint went over a very deep periwinkle, and it covered it in one coat with the lighter ss. It really depends on the base they are using and also paint companies change their paints so often now - they want you to paint everything over, not just "touch up".

thanks syllabus & daisyadair, great info.!

Now has anyone out there used Valspar chocolate?

Okay, well, last year I painted my living room/dining room Valdspar's Evening Sun, which is kind of a creamy off white with very slight golden tones in it. I painted over the existing white walls, so I really didn't think cream over white required a primer. Boy! It took FOUR coats to cover that! I have painted about 12 houses/apartments and I never had that happen before. Also- in the morning it looks like the color I chose but in the afternoon it looks peachy and at night it has ORANGE tones. I don't mean a little bit, either.

I posted on the paint forum and everybody told me, more or less politely -that I was nutz. So now I have primed and painted the bathroom with Valdspar (Different color) and the shade was so radically different that I took it back to see if Lowes had mixed it wrong- nope, the guy said that is just Valdspar. After wasting most of that gallon, I bought another color, and same thing -it matches the chip when it is wet, dries completely different. I'm not a beginning painter, I know how to prep correctly and paint the right way - it just gives you a big surprise.

Wow.... that's lots of info on Valspar... but not much on CHOCOLATE. ;)

I've used many different paints... Behr, RL, BM, Valspar... and I have no complaints about the Valspar. One good point for me as been coverage. One coat would really be fine, but I do use 2 just because it makes me feel better. I have NOT painted a red yet, which I expect will take maybe 4 coats, but we'll see.

CHOCOLATE???

I should point out that I use the Valspar premium line, which may be why I'm getting such good results.

I just brought Valspar Chocolate for my bathroom and will be painting it this weekend. If I can find your post again (they get lost so darn fast) I will post it. What room are you thinking about using it in?

Actually on 2nd thought just in case I do not find your post you can always go to my site to see the pictures. I am getting "digital picture before and after happy". LOL

Here is a link that might be useful: Country Dreams

As promised here are the photos:

With the light out

{{!gwi}}

with the light on:

{{!gwi}}

I had them custom tint the Valspar primer a dark grey and I only had to put one coat of the Chocolate paint. Valspar paint rocks!

Hope this helps!!