Mixing Your Own Paint Color + Painting Cabinets!
It’s week 5 of the One Room Challenge and we’re starting to see real progress in the laundry room woo hoo! There are only 3 more weeks until the big reveal so stay tuned for the real good stuff coming up.  (If you missed the previous weeks/projects from this space check em out at these links; before’s, demo, marble herringbone floor, installing cabinetry, diy concrete countertops)
One of the biggest changes to date is in this mixing your own paint color post! Big because it’s not only a major impact in the space but it’s a total deviation from the original design plan.
Mixing Your Own Paint Color
Here’s the original design board. You can see I had initially planned a deep teal color for the cabinetry.
The rich teal was meant to ground the wallpaper a bit and bring out the blue/greens.
But then I decided I might want something more fun and vibrant. I picked up a few samples including a bright orange, fuschia and a blue.
These were the 3 samples I picked up. I really liked each of them but none were quite right.
So I decided to mix my own! I dug out all of my sample paints and started mixing. I wasn’t sure what I was going to go with so I made several different color swatches. Don’t be afraid to do this if you can’t find the perfect color, it’s super easy and can be color matched at your local Lowes or Home Depot!
I had a labeling system so I could keep track of how I mixed the colors.
 *Hot tip: ALWAYS test out your paint sample in the actual space it’s going in. These samples look much more vibrant in the photo above because it was flooded with natural light from all of the windows. The photo below in the laundry room has no natural light, you can see how different they look!
These were my top 4 favorites, 2 blues and 2 corals in varying shades.
The GG is Gentleman’s Gray and is a deep blue but here it looks almost black. While C is reading an orange-y peach instead of a soft pinky peach.
Ultimately I decided on F! A spicy coral that balances pink and orange for a bold punch without being chaotic. I had it color matched to my swatch at Home Depot using their Behr Cabinet paint in a semi gloss for best durability.
Oo la la
We prepped to paint the unfinished cabinets by removing the drawers and doors, covering the floor in plastic and taping off the countertop.
I also covered the countertop in plastic (not pictured)
I set up the door fronts on a tabletop to paint with the sprayer. I always like to start with the back so that when flipping it over if there are any dings or scrapes in the finish it’s on the inside.
I like to use a paint sprayer to paint cabinetry. (See this post on painting cabinets from my kitchen ORC)
This is in the evening after we finished painting so it’s a bit dark but look at how much it pops with the wallpaper sample! And for a main entrance/exit used dozens of times a day, it gives such a happy welcoming feel as you come into the house.
I am SO glad I changed from a deep teal to this vibrant spicy coral. It’s got life and punch!
We also finished up installing the trim at the top of the cabinet going up to the ceiling. I adore that built in look as it highlights the ceiling height drawing the eye up while making the most use of the space.
Oh and by a happy coincidence, the light fixture for the space arrived the next day. It looks almost like the same color as the cabinetry! It’s by Stray Dog Designs and it’s their John O Chandelier. (sponsored) I love working with small businesses that create incredible products like this.
Handmade to order by artisans, unique and one of a kind. They have all sizes and multiple colors to choose from!
The few projects left to cover coming up are the custom finish I did on the countertop, installing the wallpaper and finally the big reveal. Stay tuned to see those by hitting up the subscribe box, trust me you’re going to want to do your own countertop with this method. ; )
What to do you think? Have you ever custom mixed your own paint color? Would you do a spicy coral cabinet color? I always love to hear from you so hit me up in the comments below!
And be sure to pop over to the ORC site to peep what everyone else is up to, so many great projects are going on!
XOXOXO
Have you ever experienced mixing your own paint color? Â Let me know in a comment below!
Libbie@alifeunfolding.com
June 5, 2021That color is divine! I cannot wait to see this finished!
Tina Bousu
June 9, 2021Thank you so much Libbie! xo
Lindsey
June 9, 2021That light fixture is really amazing! I love the color
Tina Bousu
June 9, 2021Hi Lindsey! Thank you so much!
Maggie Overby
June 10, 2021Loving the color happening here and the light is to die for! looking good in the home stretch…
Tina Bousu
June 15, 2021Thank you so much Maggie! Almost there! xo
Caryn
September 5, 2021I love the coral you mixed! Can you share a pic of the paint mixing label Home Depot puts on the top of the can showing the formula? Thanks!
Tina Bousu
September 14, 2021Hi Caryn! Thank you so much, it’s a really versatile color. In bright light it reads more pinkish and in dark light more orangey red. I do have the code, it you want to pop me an email or IG dm I can send it to you!