Doing light/dark versions of a color sometimes works, sometimes not.
If a colorant is present only in a small quantity for the 100% formula, it often disappears @ 50%, therefore changing the nature of the color.
When going darker, other issues crop up. Some Golds/Khaki's can get fairly "Olive" because of the Black & Yellow-Oxide becoming proportionately larger.
Soooo...the other colorants may show more dominance than they would otherwise.

I've learned a LOT in nearly 10yrs. behind the counter!
(We've got ACE-Royal, Ralph-Lauren, & C2 as our lines. I'm frequently matching SW into ACE or C2!!)

Faron

Faron. . . and we are so glad you share what you know!

I don't know why people hold on so tightly to the concept of increasing or decreasing percentages of colorant.

When clients ask "can we cut the formula by 50%?" I ask 50% of what exactly?

Cutting, doubling, etc. formulas is for the most part a myth. I think many folks behind the paint counters simply humor designers and consumers because they don't have the time or energy to get into explaining the details of WHY the concept of cutting, doubling, etc. is fantasy.

As a result, what we have is a boatload of folks walking around who truly believe that they've been cutting and doubling formulas -- sometimes for years. Sometimes they can name color names and instances of success.

And like you said, Faron, with some colors an exact cut of 25% or 50%, etc. *IS* indeed possible. But there just are not that many colors where the math works out all nice and tidy like that.

So, juleecat there are a few issues you've got on the table. Asking for a Behr paint base and colorant mixed to 50% of a SW color formula is the same as throwing a dart in the dark. Blindfolded. It's anybody's guess what you'd end up with.

Instead of playing the futile game of increasing or decreasing paint color formulas maybe you could start dealing with something more tangible. Like paint chips.

Use what you know for sure, i.e. Golden Gate is too dark and use it as a benchmark to search for a color chip that has the same characteristics as Golden Gate -- but lighter.

Even this can be easier said than done. Because if you have multiple resources and multiple color palettes to choose from, you still have to have the time and patience to search for the color you want.

Thank you both for your information. After rethinking this mixing stuff, I am going to go with the original Golden Gate. The great room gets a lot more natural light than the other rooms, and I really like the color with our trim and furniture. I have searched many different paint lines over the last year for something that I liked better, and have come up with nothing! I have been so hesitant to pick a color-we had the help of a designer when we built our home, and the great room is currently a blue-green, cathedral ceiling and all...........talk about color overload!
So thank you again for your input.......I am now calling the painter, and will relax! :)