The paint simulator is a small, portable box--easily held in the lap or installed permanently in a closet--that can project colored light along the walls of a home, simulating paint.

This obviates the need for any actual painting.

The paint simulator can project any color in the visible spectrum, and advanced models can form patterns on the wall---stripes or whatnot--as well as solid colors.

All models throw the light onto the wall surface only, so that hung artwork and draperies are not cast into unflattering light. Textured walls can be accomodated by adjusting the settings. A single paint simulator box can cover an entire room. By detecting corners, each plane/wall in the room can be adjusted to display a different tone or hue.

There are several different algorithims to accomodate curved walls, with blended joins or straight, abrupt changes in color. Indeed, straight walls can be programmed to take different levels of color, so a single wall can be intricately patterned, simulating wallpaper. Or a favorite photograph or scene can be projected onto the wall, though the projection would lack the depth of an actual framed artwork.

The paint simulator can also be cast upon floors, to simulate hardwoods or carpets. It cannot simulate the depth or softness or sound-dampening qualities of actual floor coverings, however, so the use of a paint simulator on a bare subfloor is not recommended and remains a code violation in most jurisdictions.