How to Get Designer Paint for Cheap
When shopping for paints you will find several tiers of paint available. Now I already know that I am simplifying this, but simplify I must. On the top end of the scale you have these designer paints by companies such as Ralph Lauren, Martha Stewart, and so on. In the middle you have house brands by better manufacturers such as Benjamin Moore and Valspar. And at the bottom you have off-the-shelf paints such as Behr paints found at Home Depot.
I have long believed that the only distinguishing quality--at least in the minds of most consumers--between those designer paints and others is a better attention to color. Not only that, but the colors have a lot fancier name with those designer paints. I have not been able to find any kind of research showing that the quality of a Ralph Lauren paint is better than the Home Depot paint.
Hex Numbers Make the Paint Colors
As long as you have the hex number of a paint, you can duplicate it—anywhere. All paint colors on Earth, whether the $50/per gallon designer or the $12 Ace Hardware, are made from the three primary red, blue, and green. Colors on a computer monitor will differ from real life, of course, and the Web is stuffed to the gills with "paint pickers" from the paint companies or magazines, such as this Paint Color Picker from House Beautiful. But for a more pure way of seeing how hex numbers work, here is a free color chooser that I use a lot.
But the way to get those designer colors for cheap is to pick out the sample designer paint chip at a place like The Home Depot, scan it into their free color scanner, take the resulting code and then have the paint mixer guy/gal duplicate it with Behr or another cheaper paint. Is it perfect? No, there is no way you will get the exact same hex code, but given the amount of money you can save, I'd say it's worth it.
Later Notes About Designer Paint Colors
An anonymous commenter named "Angelo" raises a valid point. He/she says, "Quality and price of paint doesn’t have anything to do with colors. It’s about adhesion, coverage, and, durability." I have amended my blog post so that it deals more with getting designer paint colors cheap, than with the actual paint substance itself.
This commenter also says that colors go beyond red, blue, and green; that there are 10-12 different tints available. But aren't those tints still derived from red, blue, and green? I am happy to stand corrected if someone can clarify this.
Comments
If you use the sherwin williams website (their visualizer) and add the color scheme to your favorites, it will actually give you the hex number for each of the colors you pick
Thanks for pointing that out.
That is some helpful info!
You don’t really know what you’re talking about. Quality and price of paint doesn’t have anything to do with colors. It’s about adhesion, coverage, and, durability. $12 ace paint will need 2-3 coats to cover, where a $30 valspar signature will only take one coat, will go on easier and smoother, and will look nice for longer. Red, green, and blue? No. There’s 10-12 colors of tint at paint stores, ranging from white to brown oxide.
Quality and price of paint doesn’t have anything to do with colors. It’s about adhesion, coverage, and, durability. $12 ace paint will need 2-3 coats to cover, where a $30 valspar signature will only take one coat, will go on easier and smoother, and will look nice for longer. Red, green, and blue? No. There’s 10-12 colors of tint at paint stores, ranging from white to brown oxide.