What to do if you’ve chosen the wrong paint colour

You’ve been to your local hardware store. You’ve stared at the hundreds of paint swatches. You’ve driven yourself half-mad trying to decide which precise shade to use. Then, finally, you bit the bullet and purchased a (probably expensive) tin of paint.

You head home and put a few strokes of paint on your wall. To your absolute horror, the colour is all wrong. You wait for it to dry, but it still looks terrible. Now what?

If you’ve found yourself in this situation, all is not lost. Here are four things to do if you’ve selected the wrong paint colour.

1. Give the paint a really good stir

Before you lose all hope, be sure to give the paint a really, really good stir. This is especially important if your paint was mixed in-store – it’s not uncommon for the pigments to separate and settle.

Stir your paint for about 10 minutes. Then, paint another swatch on your wall, allow it to dry, and paint a second coat over the swatch. Hopefully, it’ll look closer to the colour you imagined.

If the colour is still awful, try one of our other tips.

2. Use the paint somewhere else

You forked out a fair bit of cash for that tin of paint. Perhaps you could use it somewhere else. For example, while it may not be the perfect shade of mint green for your bedroom, it could be just the freshen up your living room needs.

Things like room décor, lighting, and room size can impact the way colour is perceived. When you use the unwanted paint in another room, you may find the colour looks a whole lot nicer.

3. Use the paint anyway

This probably isn’t what you want to hear, but just because the colour isn’t quite what you wanted, that doesn’t mean it’ll look bad. You could just use it anyway. Try to imagine the finished product. Your furniture, artworks, and soft furnishings will soften the impact of the colour. Over time, you could even come to like it.

4. Sell the paint

If you truly cannot work with the paint you’ve purchased, try selling it on Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace. You’ll probably have to sell it at a discounted rate, but at least you’ll get some of your money back.

Invest in a professional colour consultancy service

Colour has a significant impact on the overall look and feel of a room. That’s why our clients have access to a professional colour consultancy service. If you’d like a fast and accurate quote for your upcoming painting project, get in touch today. Call on 07 3829 5735 or fill out the form on this page, and we’ll get back to you ASAP.