How to Avoid Inconsistent Paint Colors
So, you may have seen on my recent stories that we had a paint situation at Cedar Alley Acres last week. We painted the common areas of our main level and ended up with a paint color that was inconsistent on our walls. The paint we used to trim and the paint we rolled didn’t match. Ultimately we experienced the color inconsistency because we purchased the same color from two different store locations. So today, I wanted to spend some time talking about how to avoid inconsistent paint colors and also offer guidance on what to do if you experience one.
To start, here are a few tips for avoiding inconsistent paint colors:
Use the same brand of paint and store location for your project.
Ideally, all stores should produce the same color regardless of store location; however, in our case that was the variable that made the difference. Once the end of our project was in sight, we realized we would need one more gallon to finish out the job. That last gallon came from a different store location than the initial three gallons we purchased and was the variable that lead to our inconsistent paint.
Thoroughly mix your paint.
When you’re ready to paint, make sure your paint is thoroughly mixed. If you’ve had the paint sitting around your home for a while, take it back into the store and have the associates reshake the gallon. When you get back home, give the gallon another manual shake for good measure. Then before pouring the gallon into your roller tray, stir it one last time with a paint stick. All of this mixing may seem like overkill, but trust me it is worth ensuring your paint is consistently mixed instead of finding out that it wasn’t after it is on the wall.
Don’t panic until your paint has completely dried.
You may notice that the trim paint and rolled paint isn’t matching as you begin, but don’t sound the alarm quiiiiiite yet. Paint colors get darker as they dry and odds are your trim paint may be drier and darker than the freshly rolled paint. However, if your paint dries completely (at least 4 hours for latex-based paints) and you are still seeing a color variation, it is time to do some further investigating.
Color still inconsistent after drying? Here is what you should do:
Cry inside for a couple of seconds. Then, about-face and start problem solving.
Pull out the original paint chip and compare it to the areas where you are seeing color variation. Compare the chip in different lighting throughout your room. Identify which areas match the chip and which do not.
Take multiple photos of the color variations present in your room.
Load up your paint cans (even if they are empty) and head back to the store.
When you get to the paint counter, inform the associates of your situation and share the photos from your project with them. They will start by confirming your original gallons had the same color code by checking the label on the lids. The associate will also likely remix the color into new paint while you are there to compare it to the gallons brought in from your project.
One of the greatest things about paint suppliers is how seriously they take color. Being a bit color-obsessed myself, paint suppliers are my people. They will work to ensure that your replacement paint color is exact and typically will work with you to fix the error left behind from the first round of paint.
Gear up to repaint.
While you will be left having to repaint a few walls — or in our case, most of our main level (we cried for 1.5 seconds, then put our paint clothes back on) — it is well worth repainting in the long run to ensure you are happy with the final look of your space.
Although one could file this away as a paint horror story and never paint again, I wanted to share these tips, so that others could know what to do if they face a similar scenario. Choosing a paint color can be a daunting task and when the results aren’t as expected, it can feel really defeating.
Choosing paint colors is definitely something I take pride in and I love to help clients pick colors for their homes. If your walls are needing a refresh OR you are experiencing a color situation similar to ours, get in touch or shoot me a message. I’ll happily help provide help to get your paint color right.
