How to Get a Sample of Any Paint Color, Even Older Colors No Longer Available

Welcome to the 457th Metamorphosis Monday!

Have you ever come across a great paint color online, perhaps on a blog or on Pinterest, only to discover it’s an older color that’s no longer available? I often get emails or messages from BNOTP readers asking how they can get the color formula for the yellow paint I’ve used in so many rooms of my home.

 

This yellow is an older Duron color called, Sugar Cookie. It’s a bit of chameleon, changing from a light yellow to a more buttery-looking yellow, depending on the light.

 

I’ve used Sugar Cookie in my living room, entry, kitchen, master bedroom and office. Several years ago, Sherwin Williams bought Duron. The next time I needed to purchase more of my fave yellow paint, I stopped by a SW store and asked if they still had the formula and could mix some up for me. They said, Yes!

I bought a gallon and when I got home I was dismayed to find the paint they had mixed for me was a dark, dreary color, nothing like the original Sugar Cookie. So beware having Sherwin Williams mix it up. I guess their base formula has changed or something. (Photo below is originally from THIS post.)

Entry Foyer, Grandfather Clock, Shell Niche

 

Sometime later I happily discovered that the Home Depot near me still had the old Duron paint fan deck thingy stored away underneath the counter in the paint department. Since BNOTP readers occasionally ask how they can get the yellow paint they’ve seen in my home, I would periodically stop by the HD paint department to ask if they could color match to that little yellow square on the fan deck.

That was usually followed by a post where I would share the latest formula. It kept changing because HomeDepot periodically changes their base paint formula as many paint companies do. Unfortunately, when I stopped by the paint desk about a month or so ago, I was told they have a new manager over the paint department and he had discarded all the old Duron paint fan decks.

A Better Way

Well, it looks like buying paint in an older, no longer available color just got a lot easier! You can now order a sample board or a small sample of Sugar Cookie (or any other paint color) via a fabulous website called MyPerfectColor.com. I thought it was too good to be true when Allie, a BNOTP reader first emailed me to tell me about it, but I tested it out and it worked!

So here’s how the process went: I visited MyPerfectColor here: MyPerfectColor. There I saw this box below. I typed Duron Sugar Cookie into the box and clicked on “search.”

My Perfect Color for finding a paint match to any paint

 

This screen below popped up. The yellow color it was showing looked very much like Duron Sugar Cookie, so I decided to order a sample to see how close it really matched.

 

These were some of the choices available for ordering. They even offered it in a spray can. I was tempted to go with the Hand-Painted Sample Board but ended up going with a 4 oz. sample jar instead. When I ordered, the cost was $4.99, and the shipping was $4.99. So my total cost was $9.98. It looks like the cost of the paint sample has gone up $1 since I ordered on October 19th, so a 4 oz sample is now $5.99.

Buying Paint at My Perfect Color

 

After I made my selection this screen popped up. I continued on and placed my order for a sample container.

Duron Sugar Cookie on My Perfect Color . com

 

The sample came very well packaged.

How to Get the Formula for an Older Paint Color

 

Ummm, I wondered if it would really match. Was my beloved Sugar Cookie color really inside that jar? 🙂

How to Match to an Older Paint Color

 

Looked pretty good when I opened it! I took these photos in the evening in my office, so please excuse the shadows/lighting.

Duron Sugar Cookie Paint

 

I had a plastic paddle that I had used at some point long ago for stirring white paint. I dipped it into the paint sample and set it aside to dry. Later that evening I compared it to the Sugar Cookie walls here in my office.

The verdict: Looks good! Pretty dead on, if you ask me!

If you have been wishing to try a sample of Duron Sugar Cookie, if this link works, you can order a sample here: Sugar Cookie Sample. If that link doesn’t work, just start at the home page of MyPerfectColor.com and type Duron Sugar Cookie into the search box.

Sugar Cookie Paint by Duron

 

Another great yellow, if you’re looking at yellow paint colors for a room, is the old Duron color, Tea Biscuit.

It’s the yellow color I chose for the walls in my upstairs family room/bonus room. Tea Biscuit is a little lighter yellow than Sugar Cookie. I wanted a lighter yellow since the furniture in this room is antique pine. I didn’t want the beautiful, golden color of the pine furniture to fight with the wall color, so I went with a lighter yellow for more contrast with the furniture.

Bonus Room Upstairs Family Room

 

Here’s one more picture showing how Tea Biscuit looks with light coming in through one of the dormer windows in this room. It’s a very light yellow. Love both it and Sugar Cookie.

 

If you’re interested in obtaining a sample of Benjamin Moore Raspberry Truffle, the color I have on the walls in my dining room, I’m guessing this system would well for that, as well.

 

Someone once pointed out that all my paint colors are food names: Sugar Cookie, Tea Biscuit, Raspberry Truffle. lol I do have a serious sweet tooth, so maybe my paint choices are being made subliminally. 🙂

 

Here’s one more photo showing how Raspberry Truffle looks in the evening by lamplight.

Red Dining Room Makeover, Adding Art

 

It should also work for the red paint I used on my front door: Benjamin Moore Heritage Red. In addition to obtaining a sample of the paint, you can also order the paint in quart and gallon sizes. It appears they only sell Benjamin Moore paint at MyPerfectColor, so perhaps the site is affiliated or owned by Benjamin Moore. I really like Benjamin Moore paint and have used it several times in my home, as seen in this post.

 

As stated at the start of this post, this isn’t a sponsored post, just sharing this resource since I think it’s absolutely brilliant! I will definitely be using it again in the future!

A million THANKS to Allie for telling me about MyPerfectColor! I believe she found it while trying to track down Sugar Cookie. I still love Sugar Cookie, after all these years. I think it will forever be my favorite yellow because it’s a great neutral that works in any room and with pretty much any color fabric. I’m thankful for the person who shared that color with me around 20 years ago! She had it all throughout her home and I loved it the minute I saw it!

Here’s the info that came with my order, in case it’s helpful.

 

Looking forward to all the great Before and Afters for this week’s Met Monday!

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Metamorphosis Monday

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Comments

  1. So, if you want a gallon of the paint, where do you get it?

    • At their website, after you search for a color and find it, and then click to “Select your paint,” it takes you to a screen where you’ll see it available in sample sizes, quarts and gallons. So you can order it directly from them, or you could buy a sample and take the sample to a local paint company and have them match to it.

  2. This is a fabulous tip Susan, thanks for sharing it! Liz

  3. Love Sugar Cookie Susan! That was great that HomeDepot had the fan deck for ya.

  4. I absolutely love your blog! I am so happy when I see I have gotten something to read from you. You have inspired me to reorganize things I thought were already organized until I saw what you do. BTW, I am drooling over your silver lamps in your dining room. Do you know where you got them?

    • Thanks so much, Susan! I bought those around 12+ years ago from a company called Speer Collectible. They manufactured lighting and used to have warehouse sales. Unfortunately, they stopped those and I think closed their business a few years ago. I love those lamps but the bad thing is, I have to polished them every so often since they are silverplate. They need again now, badly. I’m worried that one day I’m going to polished through to whatever is underneath. It’s starting to happen in a few raised spots near the bottom. I wish they had sealed them somehow so they never needed polishing.

  5. Your house always looks so inviting! I have seen the MyPerfectColor website while googling paint colors, but was wary. Thanks much for checking them out and letting us know the color is spot on. I had problems trying to replicate the old Duron Shell White color, and was told at my local SW store that the SW duration paint I like to use has more pigment in it than the old Duron colors I was trying to replicate. Hence they were deeper. I have had pretty good luck when I brought in actual paint to be color matched though instead of just using their formula.

    • That explains why when they mixed Sugar Cookie for me, it was soooo much darker and downright ugly. It was nothing like the old Duron Sugar Cookie. This company got it spot-on though. I hope they are around for a long, long time!

  6. Great resource. I’ve had NO luck with local color matching, ever.

  7. Thank you for sharing , Susan! Also was very nice to see your home again!

  8. Libby Bernard says

    I saw your “sugar Cookie” blog several years ago and thought it would be perfect. First I went to Home Depot and they looked it up and printed out the formula. I never purchased it. But later I went to local Orchard Hardware and they were able to look up the old Duron paint formula. Bingo. I had nothing in real life for comparison but it certainly looks right on. Painted front bedroom/sitting room. Love it. And it does cast a different look in different lights. Thanks for your great ideas!

  9. What a great tip!! Thanks for hosting! Have a lovely week ahead. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

  10. Thanks for hosting the party. Hope your week is full of treats!

  11. Hi Susan,

    Thank you for the great tip!! I’m the kind of person who could use the same color of paint for years if it’s something I really love. 🙂 Your home looks beautiful, and that color’s a winner!

    Thank you for hosting Met Monday, and have a good day.

    Hugs,

    Denise

  12. I have to try this! I have old paint colors that I still love in the house, but things have chipped or faded and need to be painted. The matching never works perfectly. Going to order a few small samples and check it out. Thanks for sharing!

  13. Elizabeth Roderick says

    Great news !!! Thanks so much for sharing this information. I have been a fan of your sugar cookie since the first time I saw it!

  14. I have wondered what i would do if i couldn’t find my paint colors anymore, i certainly didn’t want to paint the whole house again or at least 3or 4 rooms. Thanks so much for saving my back and little fingers,haha!

  15. Thank you, Susan, I have wanted to paint my spare bedroom (which has really become my dressing room). I am thinking that Sugar Cookie will be the color. It looks fantastic in the rooms that you have used it in. I think that it is a happy color. Thank you for sharing your information.

  16. Great sharing of source info! Thank you, Susan, and thank you, Allie!

  17. Great info Susan, thanks so much!

  18. Marilyn Bowers says

    If you will share with us..what is your other outside paint or trim color that you put your beautiful red door with? Thanks!

    • Sure, it’s Benjamin Moore Heritage Red. It’s still available, I think it’s one of those colors that they never discontinue since it’s from their Heritage line of paints. They only sell it in their Aura paint, unless they’ve changed that. Not all Benjamin Moore stores carry the Aura line, or they didn’t the last time I purchased it. So if you plan to buy it, call the Benjamin Moore stores in your area to make sure they have it or can mix it for you.

  19. Bobbi Duncan says

    This post actually got me excited about painting …truly. Thanks for sharing, as I’m sure this will save everyone an enormous amount of search time for any loved color.Your blog is always so full of helpful tips that, when hubby needs to search advice on any project, he always says ” I wonder if Susan posted that on her blog already.” He’s in love with the easy deck cleaner you posted. Hugs!

  20. The paint used in most of the rooms in.my house is Corn Silk by Benjamin Moore. It is a beautiful yellow & seems to be very similar to your Sugar Cookie.

  21. What an absolute fabulous tip Susan. Definitely will store it in my ‘memory bank’. Re Benjamin Moore paints; I do like the brand but don’t use it that often namely because the store that is in my area is now mostly staffed with Interior Designers who give me the impression that they are more interested in having you as ‘their customer’ rather than selling you some paint. I could further elaborate but don’t want to bore you so this might solve my problem. Also re your colour name choices being that in the food group; when it comes to art work I lean towards that which contains children or people and actually never realized it until a good friend of mine pointed it out one day. -Brenda-
    Oh …. HAPPY HALLOWEEN BTW.

  22. Hi Susan! Thank you for giving me the web site(Milk & Honey) the other day for the engraved antique/vintage spoons. I went to the site( and I know this sounds ridiculous) but I can’t figure out how to order off the web site! I don’t do a lot of online ordering ,but I’m really not an idiot(though I sure am feeling like I am). I just don’t even see a spot that says “place an order” or a telephone number to ask for help. I really want to get my Christmas order in soon. If you would you be able to give me any guidance I would be really appreciative!

    • Gail, I just checked since it’s been a while since I ordered. Go to this link: http://bit.ly/2gWm15r. Once you’re there, you’ll scroll down to look at all the different sayings/expressions. You may need to click on a link that says “see more” or something like that to view even more as you scroll. Anyway, once you see a spoon you like, you click on it and it will open up…and that’s where you’ll see the “Buy it now” or “Add to cart” link.
      If you want your own custom saying on a spoon, there should be spoon for that in there too.

      Once you choose a spoon and add it to your cart, when you go to check out, that’s where you can write any special instructions or ask any questions you might have. They are great at replying to any questions you leave in the little box at check out.

      Hope that helps. I just noticed she has Halloween spoons here: http://bit.ly/2gYsDA5. I need to order some of those!

      Oh, and look on the left side of the screen and you’ll see a menu of all the different types spoons she offers. That’s where I just found the Halloween spoons.

  23. Susan,
    Where did you buy those silver lamps in your dining room?
    Love these and have admired them from the getgo.
    Ann

    • Thanks, Ann! Those are silverplate and they from Speer Collectible…about 12-15 years ago. They used to have warehouse sales and I purchased them during one of their warehouse sales. Unfortunately, they have closed their business now.

  24. I took the switch plate off and clipped a small piece of the sheetrock . I took a razor blade and sliced it very thin, took it to Home Depot and the lady mixed paint for me, and it was perfect. I put a small amount of spackle on the torn place, let it dry and painted the room. I then attached the switch plate and no one would ever know it had been repaired. The color was great!

  25. I love Sugar Cookie! (and your entire house.) We save the lids of each of our paint cans with the color formula printed on it, so we can get the same color in the future. When we moved and tried to repeat a color, we discovered that formulas could change every six months to a year. Thanks for all your hard work on your lovely blog!

  26. I love Sugar Cookie too! Your whole house has very beautiful colors! I’m trying to find the right color for my master bedroom and not having great luck. I bought a sample of a color I’d picked out months ago from Sherwin Williams but when I put it on my wall in various different places it was just blah. Did you know that their samples aren’t considered by them to be actual paint? They say any areas with a sample color must have a top coat. Also, their samples are only available in satin, which I don’t care for at all. I think I need to head back over to Home Depot.

  27. I’d love to have the job of naming paint colors. I once rejected a soft gray paint color because its name was “Dismal Morning”!

    • Oh my gosh, that is so funny! Who would name a paint color that and expect anyone to choose it?! lol It reminds me of that old Dudley Moore/Darryl Hannah movie, Crazy People, where he creates realistic/truthful product ads (though not very nice sounding) that actually end up selling products. Such a funny movie!

  28. What a wonderful tip! I’ve been thinking about giving my living room a new paint coat and this idea will be super helpful. Thanks!

  29. Shirley Milne says

    What happened to Thursday’s post(Nov.2)?

    • It’s still there. Trying clearing your cache or using a different browser.

    • Shirley, if you’re still having problems seeing the link for Tablescape Thursday, you may need to update whatever browser you’re using. If your browser hasn’t been updated to the latest version, that will sometimes prevent the links from showing since InLinkz only works with the latest version of a browser.

  30. Susan, this post was a Godsend to me! My whole house is painted a beautiful warm beige color, called Antique. We didn’t save a can (big mistake!) and the paint store acts like they have never heard of it! I, too, have a red dining room. It has been red for 10 years and I am about ready to change it. My dining room is dark and I think the beige color the adjoining living room is painted would work well. I love my red, but think I need to lighten it up. Maybe I think that! Ha! I’m still undecided, you see! Now I can have a prayer of getting my color mixed. There seems to be hope! Thanks for sharing this site!

    • I recently paid a decorator $350. She selected a paint color yellow called “straw.” Way to orange! Just placed an order with My perfect color for tea biscuit and sugar cookie! I am going NUTS !!! Driving my husband crazy trying to find a pretty yellow, so cross your fingers!

  31. Great Blog…love all your information.

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