Paint Color Question

Nope, if it's too dark, they probably won't be able to fix it, but you can always ask them to try.

I am a longtime painter, so I know a bit about this subject. First, unless you are using acrylic (water-based) paint over oil, there is NO NEED to prime first. Most high-quality paints will cover old paint, unless you are painting a light color over something like navy blue, in which case you might need to prime it. But Behr, which is at Home Depot, has a paint line that includes primer in the paint, so if there is a color you like in that line, that's an option that will save you a step.

BUT - here's the thing: Most paint jobs require two coats, and a coat in a normal room takes one gallon, so you will need two gallons for the room. So if the two colors are similar, you could use the paint you have for the first coat, and then buy a second gallon in a lighter color. Two tones actually usually looks better on a wall, however, painting the darker version over the light version usually works better than the other way around.

Have I already told you more about painting than you ever wanted to know?

ALWAYS paint a few sample swatches on the wall before committing to buying a color. Some brands have mini sample sizes you can buy, and some places rent cans so you can try out a color before spending $35 dollars or more. Good luck.

Also good point that Jane made about it being deceptive over primer. She's right -- once the whole room is painted, it will look lighter than that first section looks, though it still might not be what you wanted. Truth is, you never entirely know until the whole room is painted if it's exactly what you wanted.

Yes you can lighten it. However, its possible that its not as dark as you think it is. Its very deceptive to paint on primer, the contrast seems huge. But you were putting swatches up on an existing color which can be deceptive to the hue, but probably gave you a good idea of the value. Perhaps you picked up the wrong color perhaps you didn't. But paint usually seems darker than it is when you are putting it against white. If the whole room were to be painted, my guess it that is wouldn't seem as dark as you think. I'm an interior designer, I see this over and over again. But don't take my word for it. I haven't seen the paint. But do yourself a favor. Don't compare the value against the primer or anything white. Paint a large sheet of paper. Let it dry. Take it with you into various rooms and analyze its value on its own as well as next to other items of various values (light, medium, medium dark ...). Squint to detect the value difference since hue (color) is not part of the comparison. Decide if the value is light, medium, medium dark, or dark. decide what value you want to live with, then make a decision to lighten or not. If for example, you decide that its a medium value after doing this, and a medium value of darkness is what you were after, then trust that it will look like a medium value when the room is all painted, but don't keep comparing it to stark white primer. My guess is that its not as dark as you think.

I would call them and see if they can make it lighter. When you get there find the color you really want and see if they can use what you have to make the color lighter. I know how you feel. I did the same thing in my family room. I wanted a khaki color too and the color turned between and mustard and dark beige color. I painted the whole room thinking the color would get darker. It didn't but I left it. Good luck!!

i bought some paint from kmart ( yeah mistake number one) and it was too dark, i called to ask if they could lighten it and the lady yelled at me. basically no,you idiot you bought it you deal iwth it.

I did end up adding like one cup of that blue to a gallon of white and it was still a shocking color just a lighter shocking color. i guess this is the hue thing people are talking about.

anyhow, you might try doing one wall as an accent, and just tring to sell the other gallon of paint to buy the lighter color, trust my goign through all the work of painting and then not being happy sucks.

I, too, would see if they can make it lighter. Otherwise, I've sold paint on Craigslist when in a similar situation. FYI, Valspar paint at Lowe's IS returnable :) And it's a great paint.

The only way to make it lighter is to buy a lighter color and mix them. You can lighten khaki is to use various shades of white.

I buy off white and add some to your can and mix. Then paint a small place and let it dry. If you like it, mix both cans together with the proper amount of the other paint. Just remember, you cannot un-tint paint.

Good luck to you and yours.

I think they can lighten it as long as it's in the same color family. You know the little sample thing with four or five different colors? If there is a lighter color they may be able to match that one. Guess it wouldn't hurt to ask.

I got some paint from Home Depot and wasn't sure on the darkness of it. The paint guy said there was no problem- if I started to paint and found it too dark, bring it back and they could lighten it however much I wanted. I suggest trying that before you scrap it. It seems a better idea than trying to do it yourself since their machine has the formulas and can lighten a bit at a time.

call HD first to see if they will fix it. They just might be willing to lighten it a bit but no guarantees by them in case it does not come out right.
I lightened a blue paint by adding some creamy white to it. It might be easy to lighten by adding some ivory. I used a bathroom trash bin as it was the perfect size. I was able to buy a quart of paint and it all worked out great.

I also had a can of paint I bought at Menards (never ever from them again) that looked like putty when I got it home. Yuck. I used a bathroom trash bin and added some really light blue and white and got the color I wanted so you can experiment but do it in small amounts. Use a cup measurement. Use 2 cups of this painty and half cup of an ivory and see if you can get yor color then just keep the proportions.