Have you just not been able to find the perfect color for painting your Walnut Creek home? Do you have a color in mind that you think would be perfect but you can’t find it in the sample chips? Alternately, is your home already the perfect color but it just needs a coat of paint to feel fresher and cleaner or to touch up a repair? You are the perfect candidate for custom mixed colors.
There are two ways to achieve a custom color. You can mix paints yourself. This involves buying a shade that is very near your desired color, and then experimenting with darkening, lightening, or adding undertones by adding other paint. Or you can take a sample of the color to the business you are using for painting in Walnut Creek and have them computer match that sample. Obviously getting a custom mixed color from a professional vender is the easier way to go. Modern computer matching systems are nothing short of amazing.
To get a custom match at the paint store, obviously, you will need a sample. This can be difficult if the only sample you know of is on your wall. You can try taking digital pictures of it in differing light set ups and printing them out. Once your paper matches your wall you’re set. This is very difficult. Another option is to cut out a small piece of that wall and take it to the store with you. You will need at least a 1 x 2 inch sample. Good places to try for a sample of wall that won’t be noticed are behind light switch plates and outlet covers. If you can’t find a large enough piece there, you may have to just pick an out of the way corner and cut out a small section, and then repair the drywall.
Another option for creating a custom mixed paint color is to take matters into your own hands. This is more difficult, but can be more fun. It certainly feels more creative and is the only option if your perfect color exists only in your head. Having a color wheel to consult will help tremendously. Another good idea is to also, at the time you are doing your project, paint a sample piece of drywall for later computer color matching.
Get your base shade as close to what you want as possible. Try not to need to change your color more than two shades. Be sure to get enough to do your entire project, with just a little left over for later touch ups. If your ideal color is a little darker, add a little black or gray. A little bit of black goes a long way, so add slowly and stir well to thoroughly incorporate it. Gray is best if your color is a light shade. Conversely, lighten your color by adding white. Unlike adding black, it could take a lot of white to make a discernible color difference. Some people even recommend using white as your base and adding the color you want to have lightened.
There are other options besides just making a color lighter or darker. You can enhance a color by adding in more of one of its base colors. To make a drab green more vivid for instance, add a bright yellow. In the other direction, you can reduce the intensity and tone down a color by adding a complementary color, which is the color directly across from it on the color wheel. You can change the hue (often referred to as the “warmth” or coolness of a color) by adding dark yellows for warmer or blues for cooler. This is very tricky, and it is better to just start with a base color that is already very close to your desired hue.
Whether you chose to mix the paint yourself or have your paint mixed, make sure https://custompaintinginc.com/services/residential-painting/ you use high quality paint, and start your project with a good primer. Custom mixed color painting in Walnut Creek can be fun and creative.
