How to Match Indoor Paint Colors

You may want to repaint a damaged wall if you can't match the old color.

Moving a large object through the house, you've bumped the wall and damaged the paint. Now you need to fix it. Matching a paint color can be difficult, but most paint retailers offer color-matching services. You also can look around to see if you still have your old color swatches or even an old paint can with the color code on it. If you want a challenge, color matching may be possible using color swatches in the correct lighting. When in doubt, you may be happiest if you repaint the entire wall.

Things You'll Need

• Soap
• Water
• Color swatches

Instructions

1. Wash the wall using a bucket of warm water and liquid detergent soap. Cleaning removes dirt that may dull the color of the paint.

2. Find color swatches that closely match the color of your wall paint. Most hardware stores will have color swatches or chips to take home.

3. Hold the swatch up to the wall and observe it under regular, indirect sunlight. Hold it in different spots along the wall to get different perspectives. Do not try to match the color in sunlight then try under a lamp, since lamps change the color.

4. Take the matching color sample to the store and have the paint shop mix up a color slightly darker than your swatch. Also purchase a bucket of white paint.

5. Test the paint on the wall. Add white paint to lighten the color until it matches perfectly.

References

• Ask the Builder: Matching Paint Color Perfectly
• House Painting Tutorials: Matching Paint Colors