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August 6, 2007
Posted by: Cathy at 12:16 am
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(click on the picture to see details)
An easy and inexpensive way to find a paint color for your walls is to mix up a few colors with acrylic craft paint. This saves you time and money having quarts made up at the paint store. Here’s what you do…
1. Decide what range of color you want to paint the wall(s), blues, greens, beighs, golds etc.
2. Go to a craft store that carries a large selection of 2oz. bottles of acrylic craft paint, (there’s 100 colors or more).
3. Purchase 3-6 bottles in the color range you had in mind. (remember, paint dries a lot darker than it looks in the bottle).
4. Also buy a bottle of pure white and black paint.
5. Also buy a few sheets of large white poster board and a foam brush.
6. At home, paint small samples of each color on some white paper. (see top picture). Let dry.
7. Decide which color you like the best. If its too dark, add some white and paint another sample. If its too bright, add a drop of black paint. Or mix two or more colors together to get the right one.
8. Experiment with the colors, add white and black to lighten and darken.
9. When you think you have the right one mixed, paint a large poster board, 2 coats, and let dry.(see bottom picture).
10. Tape the board on a wall you want to paint, opposite the light source. Look at the color at different times during the day and night. If its not quite right adjust the paint color and paint another poster board. (This gives you a LARGE sample of color to look at and you don’t have to paint on your wall to see what it will look like).
11. When you have the right color, take the board to the paint store and have them match the color on their computer for a custom paint color they can mix.
12. Buy enough of that color to do the whole job.
I do this all the time to show clients large samples of a color I’m proposing so they can see the “big picture” and visualize how fabrics and furnishings will look against the wall color.
Give it a try and let us know if this was helpful.
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1. Cathy,
Thsi is a Brilliant IDEA!!!! Thank you so much! I am going to do this today, I have a wall in my family room I want to paint a “deep blue” (just one wall)
and i was afraid I was going to have to buy quart after quart of paint to find the color!
Thanks for the tip……
alli
by Alli — 8/6/07 at 8:38 am #
2. Cathy,
Your brillance astounds me! Great idea!
by Betty — 8/6/07 at 9:53 am #
3. Hi Alli,
Did you get to Michaels to get some paint? Let me know how it works for you. The deep blue should look great in your family room. Yes, this is really a good way to test and try colors without a big money investment.
Thanks for your enthusiasm ,
Enjoy decorating that beautiful new home!!
Cathy
by Cathy — 8/6/07 at 5:10 pm #
4. Thanks Betty,
Your so funny! Brilliance surfaces out of necessity sometimes. ( Doesn’t mean I’m brilliant just cheap and impatient to do things the conventional way….).
Your Great!!
Cathy
by Cathy — 8/6/07 at 5:17 pm #
5. I can’t believe that I never thought of this. I simply use my different fan decks of paint samples and even with all of them, sometime the colors are just not what you are looking for. A very cost efficient idea! Thanks
to our professional decorator!
by lynn — 8/9/07 at 5:36 pm #
6. Good to hear from you Lynn,
I’m glad you like this idea. It is such a simple and inexpensive way to come up with the color you really want without having to buy a bunch from the paint store. Also you get to be the designer and mix a custom color thats just right for the room. I also like, when this paint dries there is a slight sheen similar to the eggshell sheen in wall paint. So its very similar but has many more options and advantages.
Write back soon.
by Cathy — 8/9/07 at 7:38 pm #
7. What a great idea
,we have sometimes spent $10.00 or more just for a quart to use as a sample. Thanks Cathy TW 
by TW — 10/12/07 at 10:41 am #
8. Your’re welcome TW !!!
by Cathy — 10/15/07 at 11:59 am #
9. What a great idea. I have been struggling with finding a color to paint my livingroom and dining room. Thought I found the perfect sand color and did a sample on the wall (had to buy a quart) and it is too purple. Ish.
I am so glad I read about this method.
Thanks again
by Beth — 2/7/08 at 3:05 pm #
10. I’m glad this was helpful to you Beth.
by Cathy — 2/8/08 at 12:11 pm #
11. Hi, I just found your thread and I have a paint question for you. I am reusing/remixing “oops” paint that I bought at a big box store to paint over cedar paneling in my basement. The color I have come up with is ok, but it is cooler than I would like with the lighting in my basement (fluorescent). The color is a lighter taupe (with a slightly greyish hue), but I am really hoping to warm it up to more of a vanilla-tan color. Any thoughts on how I can do this? Do I add a tiny touch of red? Orange? Yellow? The store is not really willing to help me since I bought the paint on the cheap, so I am hoping for a little advice.Thanks! : )
by RP — 4/10/08 at 5:28 pm #
12. Hello RP,
OPPS paint is great if you can find one close to what you had in mind.
To warm up your greyish taupe color, try a few samples first. Mix a 1/2 cup of your paint with a few drops of a warm yellow,(orange undertones not green). paint some poster boards. If its not warm enough add a few more drops of yellow. Keep track of how much yellow you add in relation to the 1/2 cup of paint. This should help pull the grey out and warm up the taupe. You had the right idea to add a warm color. Try the yellow first…it should work.
Thanks for writing.
by Cathy — 4/11/08 at 12:51 pm #
13. Thanks Cathy, all I needed was a little reassurance. : )
One last thing, what’s the best way to get the “warm yellow?” Should I :
A. Have a quart of paint mixed at the paint store and then use it to “recolor?”
B. Buy colorant to mix myself (is that available at a craft store)?
c. Mix my existing latex paint with a yellow acrylic “craft” paint? (Is this possible and will it still have the same result?)
Thanks for any more hints you may have.
by RP — 4/11/08 at 2:26 pm #
14. Hello again RP,
There’s a few ways you can go to warm up that paint. You can buy universal paint tints at big box stores. The ones I’ve used are called Tints-All, $3-4. a tube. Get the gold or yellow/orange color. Try a few drops first in a little of your paint . Paint some poster board and let dry. Adjust the amounts until you get the color you want. This make take a few times. You also could try the artist acrylic paint in the golden colors or even acrylic craft paint. Mix small amounts and add the yellow a little at a time. Keep track of proportions you use to tint the whole gallon.
I hope this will give you the color you want. Let us know.
Good Luck…you’ll do fine.
by Cathy — 4/14/08 at 5:20 pm #
15. Hi Cathy, as luck would have it, I stopped by the “depot” last weekend and happened upon a “oops” quart that was in a yellow-orange color. I spent a dollar on the can, took it home, slowly started to add it to my “test” mix, and suddenly my taupe was warm and wonderful (and no longer taupe!). Thanks for the help. PS: I spent my weekend at several HomeGood stores in my area (on the hunt for a rug). Their clearance sales are fantastic, and I love that they have set up a “community” blog on this site for design-loving folks like me. Way to go HomeGoods and thanks for your contributions.
by RP — 4/15/08 at 7:06 pm #
16. Hello RP,
You lucked out at the “depot”! That “oops” paint is a steal. So glad they had a color you could use. Soooo glad my hairbrained idea of adding yellow to your paint seemed to work…(just kidding, I knew it would???)
You have your own custom color …RP Oops Beigh! lol.
Hope you find that rug you’re looking for. You can’t beat HomeGoods for “HomeGreat” buys.
So glad you like the site. Please join us again when I can “mix you up” another batch of paint…
Happy painting!
by Cathy — 4/16/08 at 7:34 pm #
17. Hi Cathy,
I love reading your suggestions! I do have a dilemma, wondering if you could suggest some help.
Installing hardwood floors in my galley kitchen and dining room, right now both rooms are green, I want to change color choose 2 colors but can’t decide if it’s the right choice and which walls should be painted what color…what a mess. My dining room goes opens into the living room and the color in that room is beigy…my curtains are almost burgundy, same for accent piillows, brown leather sofa. I wanted the kitchen and dining room to float into the living room just don’t know how to do this…could you suggest something please.
I really appreciate any advise you could give me. If it helps the colors I picked are Benjamin Moore – desert tan, and san carlos tan.
by Marisa — 4/23/08 at 5:50 pm #
18. Hi Marisa,
I’m glad you’re enjoying the site.
I looked up the two colors you named. Both nice. You say you want to blend (float) colors in your open floor plan…kitchen, dining room , living room. You’ve picked colors in the warm beigh family. One a yellow beigh and one a red beigh. I would like you to read a previous blog I wrote. Look in the archives in the right side bar and go to Apr. 2007. Look for a title called “Wall Color Idea”. I think this idea would work well for you. Use 3 colors on the paint chip, above and below the Desert tan color (rich cream, cork) . I do like the Desert Tan better because it won’t have “pink” undertones as you lighten it like the San Carlos Tan. You will have to decide which shade goes where. Depending on light, cabinet colors, feel, etc. You could paint the dining area the darkest, Cork, color, the kitchen the lightest, Rich Cream, and the living room the middle color, Desert Tan. They will blend beautifully but will subtlely delineate each space and draw interest to the area as a whole. Your burgundy accent color will look nice in all of the areas, as well as your wood floors.
If you want a little more color, add an accent wall in one of the areas in the burgundy color…but stay with the 3 color idea as well.
I hope this gives you a little direction in picking paint for your home.
Let me know what you think.
by Cathy — 4/27/08 at 6:23 pm #
19. Hi Cathy,
You have some great suggestions. I have a question for you. I am going to redo a bathroom using grey porcelaine tiles with a hint of gold and white “veins” running through it (faux marble). Tiles are on the floor only. The fixtures are white – white corian countertop/sink. The house is casual. There are no windows in the room. Currently the room is painted blue. I am not sure what color would bring out the colors in the tile?? I don’t want the room to look dingy grey…. Any suggestions?? We like blue, but after trying some sample boards, we cannot tell which shade to use. We also tried some mustard or taupe tones, but are not hitting the right color.
Please let me know what you think…
Thank you.
Ellie
by Ellie — 2/1/09 at 9:54 pm #
20. Hello Ellie,
Thank you so much. Your bathroom sounds nice. You need wall color ideas for a bathroom with no window and grey tile.
Since the room is windowless, what about a paint that has a little sheen to it, like a metallic or pearlescent glaze. This paint finish seems to bounce light around a little and opens up the space. Also they will look great with the grey floor and adds a little drama.
These are all from Benjamin Moore Studio Finishes…
Look at Silver metallic-20
If you want a little less sheen, look at pearlescent colors…
Liquid Silver PT-100
Zephyr (silver blue) PT-290
Tulle (light gold pearl) PT 3-40
Champagne Dreams (golden beigh) PT-240
In regular finish paint, look at…
Blues with a little more gray in them like B.M. Nantucket Fog, Wedgewood gray, Buxton Blue,
Or, if you want to go gold, try B.M. Concord Ivory, Chestertown Buff, Desert Tan
Somewhere in that range might work for you. Try a few samples and see what looks best. Also check your lighting, it can really throw off paint color. Use clear, true, color bulbs in your fixtures.
I hope one of these works for you. Good luck.
by Cathy — 2/2/09 at 6:05 pm #
21. Hi Cathy,
I love your site! I have a question. My husband is Military and we are stationed over seas. We forced to move on the base out of our amazing Villa due to water issues. My question is this we have a small apartment we are moving into and the living room and dining area are in the same large space a rather large square. I have an Olive green Couch ( a new purchase) dark almost Cherry wood dining set and living room furniture from Ashley and we were confused on what color to paint the walls. We have alot of natural light. I also have one picture of the Great Wall of china done mostly in Blues that my wonderful husband brought me back from his deployment to China. That hangs in the Dining room above dining room table. I suppose I could move it if necessary but would prefer to leave it there. We both really enjoy it. My floors are a white tile.So again with this many colors I am stumped on what color to paint my walls. Please help!!!
by Jenny — 7/10/09 at 7:19 am #
22. Hello Jenny,
Thank you, I’m happy you like the site. Thank you also for your service in the military.You have my highest respect and admiration.
Your new apartment sounds nice, as well as the furnishings and art you are building the room around.
I would begin by finding a great area rug(s) for your white tile floors. Look for a nice sized (6″x 9′ -8″ x 11′) rug with the blues, greens and neutrals in the room. An area rug is a great jumping-off point to pull all the colors in the room from. Look for a neutral color in the rug to paint your walls, it could be beige, tan, taupe, camel etc. Then pull some of the blue and neutral color in the rug onto your green sofa with pillows and a throw. Add a little of the green to the dining area. Cover the dining seat covers in maybe a stripe of green, blue, tan. In other words “cross pollinate” the colors in both areas to blend them visually and unify the space. If you want a little drama, add an accent wall in the green or blue.
I hope that will give you a little direction on pulling your colors together and unifying the space.
Enjoy your new home and have fun decorating.
Be safe and all the best to you!
by Cathy — 7/11/09 at 11:56 am #