Matching existing paint color in new house?

imanartiste · August 2010

We put an offer on a house (hopefully will hear this week...I really want it!) that has the entire entry/livingroom/hall/stair areas painted a light yellow color. It looks nice and I like it, but when the previous owners moved out, they dinged the walls and made a few holes in the process. I know that's an easy fix, but how do I find the paint color they used so I can touch up those areas after the repairs? I really don't want to have to repaint the whole area...it's quite high ceilings.

It's an REO, so I can't ask the previous owners, and there were no paint cans left in the garage or anything. Of course there's the chance we won't get this house, but I've noticed we'll likely have this problem in any REO we buy, so I'd like to know.

Any suggestions on how to match the color without having to buy a ton of different shades and try it?

Hudson_Hawk · September 2010

I think it's almost impossible to match colors, especially if the paint has been up for awhile. For one, even if you know the name of the color, manufacturers change their formulations all the time. You need the code from the top of the can or a sample to take to the store (like a decent sized chip). Paint also fades over time, so you can't always be sure you'll get a perfect match and if you're just patching and touching up little areas it could be pretty obvious if it's not exact. And then there's the finish. Is it eggshell, matte, satin, etc. Too many variables for my taste.

Why not just pick out a new color and paint it yourself?

air2701 · September 2010

If you plan on patching up the walls anyways I would cut out a sample from the wall and take it to a paint store. There are some stores that actually have a computer that scans the color and will give you an exact match. Then instead of buying a whole can I would buy one of those mini tester cans to try on a few spots. If it doesn't work you may have to paint it all a different color

blue_elle · September 2010

We did the piece of wall matching thing and it was close, but not close enough to pass. In our case I think it was because the contractors only put one coat on, so the second looked darker. I went all over the house touching up spots before I realized (don't check paint in a dim house!). I had to repaint everything.

Matching existing paint color in new house?

Re: Matching existing paint color in new house?

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