Can you mix paint into a lighter shade?

[DisneyFan32WI]

I tried asking this on another thread, but I killed it.
SO, I am just going to try to get some info by opening a new one.

I found a paint color that I like, but it is a tad dark. It is Martha Stewart Fawn. I bought a sample and brushed it onto the wall. When it dried, I thought it would be too much.

It is for my daughter's bedroom which will be one wall hot pink and the others brown (Fawn).

If I get a gallon of this paint, is there a way to ask for it to be just a smidge less dark? I don't want it to be a totally different color....just not so dark. The bedroom has lots of light, but the room itself is small.

Thanks!!

 

[msmayor]

Your best bet is really to scan the color cards in that family and find the right shade. This way, the formula is set and if you need more than a gallon you don't have to worry about color variation.

Just asking for it to be a 'smidge' lighter may not give you the color you want, and once they mix it you could be stuck with a gallon of custom color you aren't happy with.

 

[Elmo9607]

Most paint seems to dry a shade or two darker than it appears in the can. I would try to maybe find a shade off of a card that is one lighter than the shade you were looking at? Buy a couple more sample jars that are in the same color "family" (they should all be on the same shade card) and try those out.

If those don't work, then you can probably try to have the fawn color lightened, but I will say that in the store I work at (Menards) our paints have codes that we scan off of the sample itself to get the color formula for mixing. Honestly, I'm not sure if they can deviate off the codes or not, you'd have to ask someone in the store.

And msmayor is right...once you custom mix paint, it is generally non-refundable. The way it works at Menards is you can only exchange it for a different color. I would assume other places are the same way?

 

[SandrA9810]

A paint color can be copied, places like Home Depot and Lowes can mix paint based on a color sample. My biggest concern would be that any new mixes might not match the original exactly.

If you find a paint sample in the store, it can be mixed with any paint, the cheap or expensive kind. But all the samples are preprogrammed into the system for a certain mixture.

I'd say, take your sample card and look at other paint brands till you find your smidge off. Then use that to have all your paint mixed off of that.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I would think that yes, they should be able to just add a little white to any paint to make it a bit lighter.

Like the others said, it's worth checking the samples for the next section on the card (easier to match later, custom colors, etc.) But if you've already looked and the next one down is too light, I'd try showing them both cards. That way they might be able to look up the recipes for both, and hopefully get just the in-between you want.

Best of luck! It sounds like it's going to be a cool room. - Post pics of how it turns out if you can.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

Martha Stewart cards are single colors. Could you compare it to another brand to find a lighter shade?

I actually had the opposite problem - bought a sample of Behr paint and liked it but wasn't commited to doing more than a few strips (trying to establish whether to frame or fully paint cabinet doors). I lookrf at other brands, and similar shades, but when I stumbled upon the MS line I had found "my" color. I didn't want to pay the extra for the name, but it's the shade of green I had been looking for and I love the Bay Leaf color on my (upper) kitchen cabinets...now to finish the lower ones.

 

[tiggger1]

look at MLS #204 Alpaca its a shade lighter than the fawn #205...

 

[tiggger1]

you can go to homedepot.com and search and compare paint.. it will show you the all the colors side by side

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...omp_3=202098001&N=5yc1vZ1xh3Zbo8pZ4tgZ1z13zm9

 

[Tinkmom75]

Yes, I did at home depot with Behr paint. If the person in the paint department is experienced they will be able to do this. When I did it they wrote the formula to get it half a shade lighter on the can so I had it for future reference.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

Thanks for the great ideas! I am heading to Home Depot now. I will definitely bring home a sample of Alpaca.

It is impossible finding a true BROWN color that isn't so overwhelming~!~