Help! Just spent 42 quid on the wrong shade of paint

[Frizzbeol]

Would really appreciate any advice on how to darken emulsion paint so that it is a darker shade of the same colour. After hours of searching and a small fortune spent on tester we decided on Dulux Chalky Downs 3 but wanted the next shade up. This has turned out to be much much lighter and is the same colour that is already on the walls. Chalky Downs 3.5 would be perfect! Could we add CD1 to the CD4 to darken it, or get CD3 and add some white, or maybe add some black or grey? Anyone tried this before? Gutted that after all that effort the paint colour we end up with is no different from the Dulux Eygyption Cotton already up. Thanks

Where did you buy it from. Last year I returned paint to b&q wrong shade they didn't bother.

You might be able to take it back to where you purchased it and see if they can help. If it's a darker shade of the same colour, then the formula shouldn't be too tricky for them to alter. If they can alter it, get them to write down the combination and quantity of colours they add, that way you have the formula of you need more.

You could do it yourself (maybe adding a tester pot of the 4), but you'll have to take a risk that the colour is what you want when it dries, and that you mix enough of it.

If you can't mix enough in one go, mix enough for a walk and then do a new batch for the next wall. That way if there's a slight difference between them, it won't be very noticeable, as light will hit each wall a bit differently

Good luck!

That should read mix enough for a wall

I also think it's worth seeing if they can just add the extra colours to take it up to the next shade.

They might be able to add the colours for, say, the lightest shade of CD to the paint you already have.

If it's any conciliation, I spent £100 on the wrong paint colour earlier this year
I had to buy the correct colour (another £100) and we're supposedly using the wrong paint in another room.
Could you do that?

Dulux has a guarantee that if you are not happy with the colour you have chosen then let them know and they will send a voucher for a replacement

here

Thanks so much for taking the trouble to respond. I think we will take it back to B and Q and see if they can darken it for us. Thanks again

Good luck. Hope they can sort it for you.

Lucky saint, I can do one better than that. £100 on wrong colour of paint AND didn't realise it until the painter had done one coat of the external woodwork, so had to replace the paint AND pay for an extra day's labour :-(