Will Sherwin Williams do this?

[Deleted]

Will they be able to give me a sample of a color at, say, 75% saturation?

After painting a bunch of random gray colors on my walls I found a color that I really love, but it is too dark.  The color is Ellie Gray and it doesn't read too green, blue, tan, etc. in my home. Unfortunately, it will be too dark when I paint the family room, nook, and kitchen.  I tried to find the color that is one shade lighter but this is one of their special colors that doesn't come on a paint strip so I can't just move up a shade.  So, is this less saturation thing possible?

[FoxInFiji]

Yes they can do this. I've been collecting a small army of gray paint samples as well for our basement and I've had them lighten up colors. The thing you want to keep in mind though is to get a full shade lighter you have to go to 25% of the color though. It's strange but at 75% it will look almost identical to the original color. The other thing I've found is that grays are really tricky when it comes to lightening and darkening. A darker gray that looks like it doesn't have an undertone in one shade will have a noticeable hue of blue/yellow/green when it is lightened a look like a totally different color when some of the black is removed. I've had multiple gray color samples do that but the green color I as had lightened to 25% (Garden Sage) this did not happen.

I love the Concepts in Color colors but they don't always have true lighter/darker paint options. Looking at colorcharts.org Silver Plate is looking like it's a lighter version of Ellie Gray though: www.colorcharts.org/ccorg/resources/colors.aspx?companyid=124369&lineid=874&cbn=3E04-Y9G4-JGB9


ETA: Looking at my CiC paint deck (yes I go there so often they gave me my own paint deck LOL) Silver Plate would be your best bet if the 25% saturation doesn't work.  To give you an idea the color I started with in the basement is one paint chip over on the warmer side Collonade Gray.  I've been trying to stay on the warmer side of the gray family so the basement with it's lower ceilings and limited lighting doesn't look too cold.  Collonade was just too dark though and Modern Gray was too tan so I went to BM for some paint chips.  They have a lot more gray color options with closer shades than the SW Essentials line...their gray/black/neutral line.  I fell in love with BM's Classic Gray but it was just too light so I wanted it at 175-200% (because one shade darker on the gradient chip...Balboa Mist...looks like a whole different color) but after 3 mistints from SW trying to match that I went to BM tonight for a paint sample.  It is finally the color!  Now I just have to see if SW will have an easier time matching that color with an actual can of paint to match it to vs. a little chip and having the formula right there to reference because I have 3 gallons of untinted Duration that I bought for that room!  With it being a darker color it's easier to match than white so I'm hoping it all works out.  *fingers crossed* 

[SusanBAnthony]

Yes, but it isn't quite that simple depending on the colors. I just did this. I picked two colors on the same card. One was the darkest color that used the light base, one was the latest color that used the dark base. So they spend about 30 minutes playing wi it with me to get something in the middle. It wasn't perfect but it was a heck of a lot more than I would have gotten at Home Depot.

[Deleted]

Thanks for the info. I am going to head in today and get even more paint colors. My walls are starting to look a little ridiculous with all the little stripes but hopefully this time it will work out.