Color Matching Guide

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You love the beautiful blue paint in your dining room, but notice it is getting a little old and cracked. Or, maybe, you’ve always loved the yellow of a blouse your mother gave you and want it for your bathroom. What do you do?

Well, if you’re smart, you find an expert to perfectly match the color you love and give whatever room in your house needs it a new look and a fresh coating of paint. Here is a guide to help when it comes time to hire someone match the paint in your home.

 

1. 1.Paint Type

   Paint can range from the very inexpensive to the very pricy. Going cheap may seem tempting, but may not be best in the long run.

   Establish with your professional what you are painting. Will you be painting your bathroom? Living room? Will it be used on the entire exterior of your house? These are all different jobs requiring different kinds of paint. Talk with your professional about what your expectations are and what your budget is.

2. 2.Color Selections

   What color do you have in mind? One-way is to bring your professional a physical copy of something that is the exact same color. That could be a photograph, an article of clothing or even a larger piece of existing paint that has chipped off the wall.

    

   Your professional will probably use a spectrophotometer to get an exact match. The devise “reads” the color source and can measure out the exact paint colors to match it. They’re usually about 90 percent accurate and there are even portable machines that a professional can bring to your house.

3. 3.Clean it Up

   Make sure your color source is very clean. Dirt, grime and smoke residue can make colors appear darker than they are. If you want to match a particular wall in your house, get out your soap and water and scrub it to get rid of excess dirt and grime. That will be important anyway when it’s time to paint because paint needs to be applied to a clean, dry surface.

4. 4.Test it Out

   Once you have arrived at a color you think is what you want – test it out. Have your professional give you samples you can test on different parts of the room so you can see it in different kinds of light. Light plays a big portion in how we see color, so it’s good to have a chance to look at it in the space where it will be displayed.

5. 5.Have Patience!

   Painting your home can be a nerve-wracking project. Wall color is something you see every day, so you want it to be right. Your professional can play with the color adjustments a bit – adding more or less of certain colors to help you arrive at the color you want. But that takes time. It may take your professional a little while to arrive at something you both are happy with.

6. 6.Budget

   Paint can range from the very inexpensive to the very pricy. Going cheap may seem tempting, but may not be best in the long run. Who wants to invest the time and money of getting a room repainted, only to have to do it again when the paint starts chipping and peeling right away? Talk to your professional about the best options for your buck.