By far, the questions I get asked most frequently have to do with the paint colors in my home.  I wrote up a post devoted entirely to which paint colors are where here.  However, we painted our walls over 3 years ago and it seems the Bonsai/Magic Spell Valspar swatch and the Wet Dock Valspar swatch are hard to come by nowadays at Lowe’s.  Even so, my local Lowe’s still carries them.  Southwestern Ohio must be last on the list for a paint department upheaval!  Anyway, for the last few weeks, I’ve been picking up loads of paint swatches from all my local paint supply stores in search of Bonsai/Magic Spell/Wet Dock lookalikes. {I wasn’t able to get my hands on any Benjamin Moore swatches as the nearest BM supplier isn’t within my regular driving area.} I found some pretty convincing ‘fakes’ that I’d like to share with you today. Hopefully, they are in stock at your local stores!  {FYI – Due to the nature of this post, all images are original and unedited taken under natural light.  I always recommend grabbing swatches and taping them up on your walls at home with painter’s tape before committing to a color.}

• BONSAI {Valspar/Lowe’s} – This color covers the majority of our walls including our kitchen, sunroom, dining area and family room.  It’s a light, airy gray that changes throughout the day depending on the lighting, going from light gray when drenched in sunlight to a green-gray in indirect natural light to a warm, taupey gray under artificial light.  I found three Bonsai lookalikes available at Lowe’s and Sherwin-Williams that would make it hard to tell them apart from The Real Slim Shady.  {I didn’t have much luck matching up Bonsai at Home Depot.}

Some great Bonsai alternatives:

1.  Frappé – a Valspar color available at Lowe’s.

2.  Jogging Path – a Sherwin-Williams color.

3.  Linen – a Valspar color part of the Signature Colors/Eddie Bauer Home Lakeside Cottage collection available at Lowe’s.

• MAGIC SPELL {Valspar/Lowe’s} – This color is on the same paint swatch as Bonsai and is one shade darker than Bonsai.  Magic Spell lends a warmer, taupier feel.  It’s in our first floor powder room and looks amazing with white accents.  I was able to match up four Magic Spell-esque colors available from Lowe’s, Home Depot, Walmart and Sherwin-Williams.

Some great Magic Spell alternatives…

1.  Gray Silt – a Valspar color available at Lowe’s.

2.  Olivewood – a Glidden color available at Walmart and Home Depot.  I noted the swatch number for each store above…be careful, they’re different!

3.  Ethereal Mood – a Sherwin-Williams color.

4.  Porch Gray – a Glidden color that’s part of the Better Homes and Gardens Editors’ Choice Paint Colors available at Walmart.  I didn’t see it at Home Depot even though Home Depot carries the Glidden line.

• WET DOCK {Valspar/Lowe’s} – This color is still in the gray family but has a creamier tone to it than Bonsai.  I used it to paint two, wide horizontal stripes on our TV wall in the family room for subtle contrast with alternating Bonsai stripes.  I was able to find two Wet Dock stand-ins at Lowe’s and Walmart.

A few great Wet Dock alternatives…

1.  Bay Sands – a Valspar color available at Lowe’s.

2.  Geneva Swan Gray – a WM119 paint swatch color available at Walmart.

And that’s the extent of my paint swatch hunt.  I really think any of the colors mentioned above could be used pretty worry-free for a nice, neutral backdrop.  They are good Bonsai/Magic Spell/Wet Dock alternatives if you happen to live in one of those cities that’s already had their Lowe’s paint department revamped.  If anything, maybe they will save you some legwork.  Like I said, my local Lowe’s still has the original Bonsai swatch in stock.  In fact, I happened to grab ~20 of the Bonsai/Magic Spell swatches on my hue hunt so if you want the real deal shoot me an email and I’ll be happy to send you one as long as you provide a self-addressed, stamped envelope. First come, first serve!  Which brings me to another paint point…just because you grab a swatch from a certain store doesn’t mean you have to have it mixed up there. Feel free to take your desired color swatch to the paint department of your choice and have it color-matched.

What a gray post, right?  It definitely wasn’t anything pretty to look at but hopefully it was practical and useful.  I’m crossing my fingers that these alternatives are available at your local stores. Happy painting!

PS – If you have an idea for a blog post you’d like to see on House*Tweaking, please feel free to send me an email at danarmiller {at} hotmail {dot} com.  I find that many of my readers have similar questions, styles and interests so it’s sometimes helpful to address certain topics in the form of a post…for instance, suggestions for alternative Bonsai paint colors.

images:  Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

I’ve been wanting to start a monthly post that focuses on great paint colors for the home.  I get so many questions about the paint colors used in my home and what colors to use in other homes.  I thought featuring a different paint color every month would be a good way to introduce you to no-fail paint colors.  Along with detailing the brand and name of each color, I’ll include images of the paint color in real life settings and discuss how to use it in your own home.  Sound good?  Ok, let’s get started!

This month’s featured paint color is Sherwin Williams Sea Salt.  It’s a cool neutral with blue-green undertones.  Drenched in natural light, it takes on a slightly bluer, grayer hue.  In artificial light, it’s more of a blue-green.  Sea Salt sets the stage for a light, airy and fresh room.  Honestly, I can’t think of a room that this color wouldn’t work in…bedroom, living room, nursery, bathroom, laundry room…I could see it in any of those settings.  And depending on what it’s paired with, Sea Salt could fit into traditional, contemporary and/or playful moods alike.

Pair it with warm wood tones to lighten the heaviness wood can sometimes bring to a space.

In a bathroom with a pretty standard oak vanity, Sea Salt adds just enough color to make the room feel a little more spa-like.

When used in combination with whites and turquoise, Sea Salt can lend a shabby chic vibe.

Sea Salt has versatile color scheme options.  Go modern and playful in a nursery or child’s room by adding in white, charcoal and orange accents…in furniture pieces, art work and fabrics.

Go sophisticated and cozy in a bedroom by adding golds, tans and creams.

Finally, get springy and punchy with touches of olive and citron in accessories.

So, what do you think?  Would Sea Salt work well somewhere in your home?  Have any other ideas for possible Sea Salt color combos?  Are you liking this monthly paint color feature?  Do you have any requests for future You Hues?  {Get it?  You Hue.  Like ‘yoohoo!’  Yep, I came up with that all by myself.}

Happy painting!

images:  1) Sherwin Williams  2-4) Sarah Rainwater for Apartment Therapy 5) Decor Pad 6) Deb at Cappuccino Cottage 7-9) Sherwin Williams collage by Dana Miller