How to match painted brick colour?

ReluctantDYI

We moved house at the beginning of the year and there is wall that could do with repainting. Our place is a mid terrace townhouse in a group of 5 and the brickwork in bagged and painted. I want to match the existing colour so I don't end up having to paint the whole strata!

Unfortunately none of the current owners know what colour the walls are painted so I've been on a mission to match it as close as possible. A previous owner thought the colour may have been classic cream (this would make sense because the trim is painted in Manor Red and Cottage Green both which are mentioned in Dulux's description blurb of Classic Cream). Sadly the sample pot was too yellow\orange and a tad dark so I guess it has too much red in it.

Then I discovered there are 2 Dulux classic creams!

Colour values:

R 230 G 207 B 174 #e6cfae

R 229 G 212 B 178 #e5d4b2

It seems one is for enamel and one for general paint but from the RGB values it looks like the enamel version could be a match. Can low sheen acrylic  be tinted the enamel version (#e5d4b2)?

I know I can take a sample to Bunnings and they will try to match it but I can't really remove a brick from my house and take it along. Also I'd really like to know what the name of the colour is so I can pass the info onto the other owners. Can colour matching be used to identify the paint colour name?

Are there any tips for identifying paint colours? My collection of sample pots is getting out of hand.

EricL

Hello @ReluctantDYI 

I understand your dilemma in regards to paint colour matching, it is a hit or miss proposition sometimes. Is there any chance that you can chip off a flat 10 cent sample size? This would be the ideal size to bring to the store for paint matching. Should the paint match be successful it won't necessarily mean that the name of the paint will match your original wall colour.

I propose holding off on the sample pots and instead getting yourself a dozen or so colour sample cards from the paint department (you can get actually get more if you like) place the cards on the wall and take a step back and see which one comes very close or if you are lucky find an exact match. This would be an easier method rather than getting more sample pots. 

In regards to your question about the low sheen acrylic be tinted in the enamel version (#e5d4b2)? I don't see why it can't, but you can double check with your local paint specialist at the store just to be sure. 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric