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When I moved into my apartment, the first thing I wanted to change was the sage walls. It was a lovely color, just the one I wanted for the living room. However, the paint looked old, with cracks and chips here and there. I thought it would be an easy job, but I had a hard time finding the same shade.
I didn’t have a quick solution then, but over time, I’ve compiled the best resources so you don’t have to go through the struggle I did. A few of the best ways to match paint colors with accuracy include downloading paint-matching apps, gathering paint chips and cutting a piece of painted wall. Here is a more in-depth look at these methods that I wish I had known back when I first moved and repainted.
Some well-known paint companies offer paint-matching apps. Download one to your phone and simply point the camera at the painted item for a close match. There are also specific devices on sites such as Amazon that allow you to easily match paint.
Point the tool at the color you want to match, and the device removes shadows, ambient light and harsh flares from fluorescents. Make sure to take the photo with as much natural light as possible. Follow directions closely about how far to place your phone’s camera from the wall.
You’ll get a close-match list of the mix you need for the color. Many of the devices also offer ideas for a full palette and additional options. Here is the Renovated Color Matching Chart for a handy reference if you’re not sure which accent colors for your objects make your room more interesting.
|
Wall Color |
Goes Well With |
|
Red |
Green, white, black, brown |
|
Blue |
Orange, white, yellow, gray |
|
Yellow |
Purple, blue, black, white |
|
Green |
Red, orange, brown, gray |
|
Purple |
Yellow, green, white, black |
|
Orange |
Blue, green, brown, white |
|
Pink |
Gray, white, green, brown |
|
Gray |
Blue, pink, yellow, white |
|
Brown |
Green, blue, cream, orange |
You may be able to eyeball the shade and figure out what matches most closely. If you go to your local home improvement or hardware store, you should be able to grab some paint sample cards you think are a close match to what you want. Most stores offer the chips for free or at a low price.
Take the samples home and hang them on your wall to see how they look. Narrow the choices down to three. From there, you can buy small-batch samples and try the options on the walls or furniture you plan to paint. Close enough may work just fine. But if you want something a little more exact, make sure your color-matching effort is a success by taking the extra time to go back to the store and try samples.
If you want an exact color match for your paint or a specific piece of furniture, you can take a paint chip from the old material or a fabric swatch to the paint store and have it scanned. You just need to cut a section very carefully and bring it to the store to check. The advanced in-store electronic tools are usually highly accurate, so they can offer a very close match to the color you love.
Make sure you take a large enough piece for them to scan easily. The tinier the sample, the more difficult it will be to get the color aligned in the scanner.
While hunting for this new paint, you might want to consider other factors, like accents and furniture you already have. For example, if you have dark-colored furniture, you might want vibrant wall colors to liven up the space. Examples include pale yellow, light lavender, warm brown and deep red.
Lastly, consider the room’s size when choosing the color you’ll use. For example, color drenching is effective in small, boxy rooms, as it removes the feeling of being contained. For this technique, it’s important to remove your furniture and clean surfaces before painting.
Matching paint colors isn’t as easy as it seems at first, but you can get close to the shade you want with a little determination. With these apps, methods and techniques, finding the exact color you love doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. I hope that your repainting journey goes more smoothly than mine did, now that you have all the tools under your belt.
Note: This article was first published on February 24, 2021, and was revised on September 14, 2026 to reflect the most current information.
