Color Quandary

It’s entirely possible that in the back rooms of paint stores all over Dallas, there are pictures of me hanging up.  Below those pictures are a warning to all those brave souls who mix paint:  Warning, Do Not Approach, Tell Her the Scanner is Broken.  Tell Her We Don’t Color Match on Days Ending in -Y. 

Okay, I will admit, I am a paint store’s worst nightmare, except my posse over at Texas Paint at Preston and LBJ.  I converted to Aura paint about a year ago. 

I swore off big box mass retailers for my paint purchases years ago.  They promise “expert” color matching, but I could never exactly what I wanted.  Oh, and when you hand them something, for example, a dog, and say, “I want this exact shade of brown,” they looked at me like I was nuts.  Also, I had issues keeping my dog still on the scanner.  Believe me, I tried. Some women carry in their handbags pictures of their kids, or a little planner, or the latest best-seller.  Me?  I am armed at all times with a Benjamin Moore color deck.  In fact, I have three: one for the car, one for the house, and one on my person. 

So, yesterday I popped into Texas Paint armed with various samples of pink.  I was going for a dusky pink as opposed to a Pepto Bismol cousin or something that resembles one of those medical sketches of a stomach. (Although, in that particular sketch, I love what they did with the gallbladder, the shades chosen for the organs…very preppy!)

Anyway, The Spawn and I were in a dilema.  We chose a pink, but the one next to it on the deck was pink-o-licious as well.  Knowing me like they do, Texas Paint professionals allowed us to hem and haw for a few minutes.  Finally, they offered, “Amanda, do you want us to adjust it?” I thought they would never ask.

What ensued was similar to an auction.  10%? 15?  20? Getting closer, and then the magic number.  25%.  Darker, that is.  The Spawn’s eyes glistened, and I visibly saw her pupils dialate and then adjust to tiny pin points.  She had the revelation.  The thousands of little cards along the wall are meaningless.  It’s all about custom.