Why does a fabric swatch look different at home than in store?
Updated
A fabric swatch can look a different colour at home than in the shop, mainly because store lighting, daylight and home globes have different light spectrums, so the same dye looks different under each. Next to a wall or another fabric, metamerism adds to it: two colours that match under one light can look different under another.
It is a common and genuine experience to choose a curtain fabric in a shop, then notice it looks a slightly different shade once the sample or the finished curtain is at home. This is not usually a fault with the fabric. It is mostly an effect of light itself.
What causes the shift
Different light sources, such as fluorescent shop lighting, warm home globes, cool LED downlights and natural daylight, each emit a different mix of wavelengths. Metamerism is when two colours that match under one light source look different under another, so a fabric that suits a wall colour in the shop can look a little off against it at home. Some colours, including greys, taupes and muted blues, can be more prone to this shift than strong primary colours.
Viewing angle matters too. Pile fabrics such as velvet can change in colour and sheen with the direction of the pile and the angle they are seen from, so look at a velvet sample from a few positions in the room.
Why it is hard to avoid in store
A retail showroom usually has its own fixed lighting, chosen for the space rather than to match every customer's home. There is often no practical way to preview a swatch under a customer's own downlights, lamps or daylight while still standing in the shop, which is exactly why taking a sample fabric home before committing to a full order is worth doing.
What helps before ordering
- Take the actual fabric sample home and look at it at different times of day, including both daytime and with the room's own lights on at night.
- Compare it against the wall colour and existing furnishings in the room it is going into.
- Avoid judging colour under a single spotlight or coloured light, and compare it in as close to normal daylight as possible as one check.
What to ask your retailer
Ask your retailer for a sample large enough to judge properly, and take it into the actual room before the order is placed, rather than relying on how it looked under the shop's lighting alone.
Other ways people ask this
Is a colour shift between the shop and home a fabric fault?
Usually not. It is most often the effect of different lighting, rather than a problem with the fabric itself.
Which colours are most likely to look different under different lights?
Muted or blended shades such as greys, taupes and some blues can be more prone to shifting under different lighting than strong, pure colours.
How can I check a colour properly before ordering curtains?
Take an actual fabric sample into the room where the curtains will hang and look at it under the room's normal daytime and night time lighting before deciding.
This answer is general information. For your own windows, your retailer's advice and your order with them come first.