Ten steps to perfect paint picks

...or "the least streamlined manner in which to choose paint"...in the HouseLab.  

1--Decide what color you want.  In our current project, we narrowed it to blue or green.  Big surprise here!

2--Pick up paint chips. Choose only those with names you like because even if you paint it and it looks "funky" at least the paint color will sound cool. 

3--Decide paint chips aren't good enough and buy test pots of paint. Paint splotches on walls. Right side of door frame.  Wait 6 months before step 4.  Top color--too dark, other blues too light. One green too yellow, other green too...pukey...middle blue too much like planned office color.  

4--Decide you don't like the test colors and get more.  (Left side of door, bottom two closest to door frame.)  This time all green because at least you decided that much.  

5--Decide bathroom has too much cutting in to do with the time frame in your mind (3 full doorways, two mirrors, cabinets, shower stall, tub stall, etc...) and call favorite painter for an estimate.  He recommends blue prior to seeing the rest of the blue rooms in the house. He then recommends green.  He also mentions that a lot has changed since he was there last and says we have a good eye for picking paint colors.  (And apparently we like blue.)

6--Hire painter.  Set a date for the painting to be completed, and walls to be one color instead of displaying 10.  Yes. Literally 10 colors. 

7--Add two more test colors to the wall.  (The other two on the left of the door frame.)

8--Go back to the 3rd set of colors and decide you were right all along.  (Bottom green, left side.)

9--Go buy paint before you change your mind. "Environmental by Behr."  (Painter is excited to try this new paint as he hasn't tried it before and doesn't believe that all of our other rooms only took one coat.)

10--Get beer for husband for putting up with process, making comments pertaining to project, and pretending to have an opinion. Award bonus points for general agreeable-ness. Consider baking his favorite treat. Then go upstairs to start the process all over again in a different room while waiting for the painter to arrive to paint the bathroom.  

Who wants to share advice with us?  How do you pick your paint colors?