Is there any way to lighten a dark paint color?
Question:We picked a gray/blue color but when they mixed the paint and we put it on the walls, its more gray than blue. I would like to try to get the color I'm looking for... any ideas?
Answers:
Wait a few days before you decide. The process of paint drying is actually a curing process. Although the paint is "dry", it can take quite some time for it to fully cure and the color will change, sometimes significantly over the first 2 -5 days depending upon temp and humidity.
If you still don't like it, take a sample of what you have along with your color chip back to where you had the paint mixed. A good store will replace it if it is significantly different from the chip.
If it does match the chip, or is at least close, I would not expect replacement but it is possible to lighten a paint formula by reducing the amount of colorant added to the mix in the first place or adding white colorant to the mix. You are likely to get more help from a paint store or a locally owned hardware store than you will from the big boxes.
Go over it with a glaze in the color you want. Go to a Benjamin Moore paint store for help.
To get a lighter version of the color add white.
To make it richer with blue, add blue
Sometimes you can go in and say they mixed it wrong. Also, you can go in and tell them you need it to be more blue. I've seen them do it at Home Depot before, but it couldve been a one time thing.
you could probably lighten it with a white paint, then add more blue to the grey. that should work. but try it on a little amount so that way you can tweak it to your liking
This really depends on the color paint you have. Is it a dark color? If it is, you can not lighten it due to the base that they mixed it in. But most places will not lighten the paint for you! If you go to Home Depot, pick out the Bear paint! They are very true to their colors!
By lightening the paint color you probably are not going to solve the issue with not liking the color, when you picked the color did you actually take the little color card home with you and look at it in your light?? or did you pick it at the store and think hmmmm that looks good?? The lighting that you have in the room will affect what the color looks like due to the fact that some bulbs cast different light. IE white, yellow or even a bluish tinge, its probably not so much the color as it is the light.
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