Hey everyone! I'm on a quest to find some very specific paint colors, but it seems like my perfect shades just don't exist in stores. I've checked out all the swatches at Home Depot, Lowe's, and Sherwin-Williams, but nothing's quite right. My plan is to mix some grays and whites into existing colors using exact percentages—I've even created a somewhat obsessive guide to help the paint store get it just right. I was wondering if this strategy makes sense to anyone who's done this before? Am I missing a better way to communicate my needs, or am I destined to experiment at home with cans of white and gray paint?
2 Answers
Mixing paint colors can be tricky, because the way colors appear in person is different from how they look on screens. Just a heads up! If your percentages come from an image editor, be prepared for some differences when mixing in real life. If you know what you’re doing, paint stores might be a bit hesitant to help since they don't like returns. But honestly, experimenting at home isn’t a bad idea!
For those lighter shades, it’s pretty common for paint stores to mix colors at various percentages. You just ask for a color 'at 75%' or whatever you need, and they'll mix it with less dye to lighten it up. I’ve had good luck doing this by experimenting first at home and then asking them to match the intensity I liked. For your gray mixtures, get a color like Heavenly Peace and a few small cans of white and black paint to find your ideal shade before asking them to match it!
This is a really smart approach! I have those base colors, so I’m definitely going to try this method. It makes so much sense now, haha! Glad to hear the mixing ideas should work as well. Thanks a ton!