How to Color Match Magnolia Paint to Sherwin Williams

Trying to color match Magnolia paint to Sherwin Williams? You’re in the right place. I’ll show you exactly how to get that cozy Fixer Upper look using Magnolia Home paint matched to Sherwin Williams colors you can find at any paint counter.

Selecting paint colors can seem overwhelming, but with my suggestions, it can be fun! Follow these steps to find just the right Fixer Upper paint colors for your own home and about finding Magnolia home paint matched to Sherwin Williams.

SELECTING FIXER UPPER PAINT COLORS

I recently had all the wallpaper primed and painted white and added board and batten to the walls in my kitchen sitting area to give it a good old fashion look.  So now I have a clean slate to visualize many Fixer Upper paint colors.

FINDING THE PERFECT FIXER UPPER COLORS

My first suggestion is to start with Pinterest. If you search “Fixer Upper paint colors,” you will find loads of options that lead to more color suggestions and palette ideas.  But my best advice is to go straight to either Magnolia paint line, Magnolia Home paint colors by Kilz, or Magnolia Home.

You cannot get any closer to selecting ‘Fixer Upper’ Colors than this.

SHOP FOR PAINT CHIPS

Another way to get a Magnolia paint color is to take a trip to your local paint store.

If you have a store that carries the full blown collection of colors of the Kilz Magnolia Home paint, like Ace Hardware, then I suggest starting there.  But if you do not have Kilz Magnolia Home paint products close by, then you are okay because most paint stores can help you color match for the exact color.

It is very easy for them to match paint colors. Show them your selections on your phone and they will do their magic of matching the colors and will pull you some paint chips to try.

Quick tip: Bring your top paint chip choices to the counter and hold them next to your trim color, not just under the store lights. Fixer Upper colors can look warmer or cooler once they’re back home next to your existing white or cream trim.

You can also order samples online from some paint companies. You cannot get much easier than that to preview your fixer upper paints!

Here are some Sherwin Williams samples I have matched and planned to consider for my wall color, but I have ordered some samples from Magnolia and planned to try them later, too.

NARROW DOWN YOUR PAINT CHIPS

After you go to the paint store, bring home some paint chips and a few more that catch your eye. 😉 Now, I want to encourage you to remove any colors that are not an option.  Place them in a happy pile for a future project.

Even if they don’t work here, they may be perfect somewhere else.

Did you know there are lots of colors you may love but only certain ones that you can live with?

For example, navy is one of my favorite colors, but pretty sure I could not live with it as a wall paint color in my kitchen.  So, that color will go in the “not an option” pile.

HANG PAINT CHIPS ON WALL

Now that you have your top five or six paint chips, it’s time to find the right shade. Take some tape or use the stick paint samples and display those favored paint chips you’re interested in onto the interior walls in the room you’re considering painting.

A word of advice–if you currently have a color on the wall then that color can affect the new color.  So I suggest putting a piece of white paper behind it to mimic a white wall or stick it to white trim.

Watch those colors through the day and move them around so you can see what they will look like in different lighting. Natural light will change throughout the day. Also, make sure to not place the paint chips next to each other.  That may also affect the color.

COLOR SNAP| VISUALIZER

Okay, this is the fun part!  Colorsnap Visualizer is a tool on the Sherwin Williams website is a great option that allows you to upload your own room to add your favorite paint colors.

It’s a fantastic way to find the right paint color for your home! You’ll feel like a professional interior designer.

I decided to try a color for my new wainscot in my dining room to show you how easy it is.  It took me some time to figure out how to use the program, but once I did, it was easy, and I knew I had found a great color for the room.

I would highly recommend narrowing down your selections to 2 or 3 colors before working in Colorsnap.  You will save yourself a lot of time.  But don’t let my words discourage you because it is still well worth it to try it out for your next paint project.

PURCHASE QUART OR SAMPLE SIZE PAINT

Now that you have one or two colors for your room, it is time to purchase a quart or sample size of paint.

Again, go to your local paint store and have them mix up the colors you are considering.  Sherwin Williams and Magnolia have sample sizes.

I love it because it is cheap, so I don’t mind wasting a few dollars if I don’t like the color.

PAINT LARGE AREAS OF SAMPLE PAINTS

This is where selecting a paint color starts getting fun!  Bring home your samples and paint a good section on a wall.

Again, live with it for a day or two.  You should know by now if it’s your color or not.

CONCLUSION

As you can tell, it pays to start thinking about your selection a good week before you plan to paint.  If you painted the sample color on your wall and didn’t like it, I would recommend starting again at the beginning.

The main thing is, whether it’s for your living room or your laundry room, guest room or master bedroom, you deserve to find the perfect color. The best paint color is the one you love.

If your color was to dark or light, travel back to your paint store and pull some colors lighter or darker than the one you thought you would love. The exact color you want is possible.

Honestly, I don’t think you will have to start over because if you go through these steps, it’s a great way to know what you like and can live with by the time you purchase your paint.

Steps to picking fixer upper paint colors.

• Research fixer upper colors you like with Pinterest and Kilz websites.
• Narrow down your paint chip color selections
• Hang paint chips on the walls
• Render the colors you like on a photo of the room you are considering by using Colorsnap | Visualizer by Sherwin Williams
• Purchase quart or sample size paint
• Paint a large section on the wall of the room you are considering
• Now you have your color but if you have your doubts try starting over or read my last tip below.

CAN YOU REALLY GET AN EXACT MATCH?

This is the question I get asked the most, so let’s cover it here. Paint stores use the same color-matching equipment no matter which brand you started with, so bringing in a Magnolia chip is really all it takes.

Very deep or very bright colors are the only place it can get tricky, since the lighting in your own room can make a “perfect” match look a touch different once it’s actually on the wall. That’s exactly why testing a sample first, as we talked about above, is worth the extra step.

ONE LAST TIP

Now, if you are still hesitating to match Magnolia paint colors at other paint stores, consider looking at these popular farmhouse paint colors or paint colors at Life on Summerhill. The dining room photo is a Magnolia Home paint.

You may feel a little weak in the knees when you paint your room. Not really, but you get what I am saying. Don’t panic!  Finish the job. It takes a few days to adjust to a new color, and once you put your furniture and accessories in place, the color will change slightly or calm down and become easier on your eyes.

Last is shopping for paint supplies or accessing your paint supply inventory.  If you would like to see what’s in my painter’s crate, then check out my blog post on what’s in my paint crate. Good luck!

Happy Decorating!