LOL Funny I do happen to be here. All I did was ask the paint clerk to only add HALF the paint color mixture to the base paint instead of the whole amount the recipe calls for. This gives you the same color only in a lighter version that does not get darker as it drys like most seem to do. Some times the paint mixtures are an odd mixture and the clerk will grumble because they have to do the math. usually it is a very simple process.

I like a light colored paint. A just barely there color.

Chris

I like the just barely there color too and plan on doing that when I paint again, probably this week.

Shades, I don't want to bring your other post down from the top, but have you posted on the care giver forum? You're talking about the small pads (about 18" x 30") you put on top of the sheet, not a full bed mattress pad, right?

Thanks Marti, I was thinking larger size, 36 by 36 or some thing like that, pads but not full mattress. With the surgery "Whipple" my husband has had now he will be needing these pads for awhile. I did not even know there was a caregiver board. Will go look for it. Thanks!!

Our painter did this in our bedroom. He pained the walls our color in full strength, then cut the color in half for the ceiling. The bedroom is a light warm yellow and it works well. For another bedroom that is light green we decided against this. We thought a soft warm white would look better than a pale green on a ceiling.

Thank you Shades! I now have hope my post-menopausal brain still has a bit of memory function! I could not remember when or where I read about asking the paint store to reduce the colorants by certain percentages, but I did remember - and I love the outcome. Something has actually worked as planned in this Little House of Horrors!

Just last week I had the living room painted a lovely sage green. Parts of my hallway can be seen from the living room and kitchen. While not an "open concept" house, parts of all three areas can be seen from one another. The colors must play nicely together.

The hallway had been painted "Rich Buttercream" as a "get some color on the walls" effort a couple years ago. Now it was out of tune with the new luscious living room.

My hallway is short, narrow and dark. It has three doors, plus one open, arched doorway, and a double-doored linen closet all opening off of it. I knew the medium green paint would look too dark on those walls. I wanted the same Key Lime Pie color, but a lighter version.

I couldn't decide if I should go 25 percent of the color, or 50 percent. The young lady offered to tint the gallon using 25 percent of the colorants. If that wasn't a good color, she said she would add 25 percent more making it 50 percent. She was actually helpful, and while she had never cut the colorant by percentages, she was interested in how it would turn out. Amazing!

It was a hard call, but I chose to add the extra and brought home the 50 percent color. The difference between the living room and hall are subtle but the subtle difference really adds to the overall look.

To hold me over until the some-day kitchen remodel, I have decided to get a quart of the Key Lime Pie in the 25 percent strength and paint the kitchen soffits and one small section of a wall with that.

Now I need to pick another color to use with the green in the kitchen and living room. I want a "plum," the word I use to try to hide the fact I want to put some "purple" in these two rooms. Don't want the hubster freaking out.

For some reason cutting the percentage down helps to keep the paint from reflecting upon itself making it even darker in a smaller space.

It was a good idea for the clerk to suggest the 25% to start. Unless you have a break in the middle of the wall with the change of color it probably would have been fine. We have a small bend in the wall where I stopped the living room to hallway green and did not get back to it.And YES I saved some painted on a card for color match. BUT if it is not exact it is not going to be noticed because of the bend in the wall.

So half way into the evening 6PM the night of furniture removal in our master bedroom for new vinyl floor, I decided since the room was empty I should paint it. NO I did not have enough of any one paint to use. NO I was not going to drive 80 miles to get some paint so I rummaged in my paint collection of odds and ends and got my trusty canning kettle out and started mixing all I had until I had enough. I ended up with about half an inch of paint left in the bottom of the last gallon of my mixed paint. LUCKY!!! It turned out a light mintish green and just slightly darker than the living room. Partly because the room only has two small windows and not four big windows. I am happy with it. I finished painting about 1:30AM both coats. I am still limping around from so many trips up and down the ladder. My hip is screaming at me.

Now I am painting suitcases and a wooden chair and a stool. New post on that to come later. Back to my painting.

Chris