We were shocked to learn Home Depot no longer carries Martha Stewart Living paint. Shocked…and sad. You might think we have been living under a rock, but we actually just tend to buy lots of paint infrequently. We will stock up on a couple paint colors for various projects all at once. So, it had been several months since we actually purchased paint.
Here is a post on Martha’s blog in early January, where she kind of ignores the discontinuation of her paint, but promotes her color palette being mixed in the Glidden paints at Home Depot. Just a week prior, the New York Post reported Home Depot was dumping the Martha Stewart paint base. Since the Martha Stewart paint chips are still in Home Depot, which we walk by every time we go in the store, we never gave it a second thought.
This weekend we went to find paint for the guest bathroom and grab another gallon to finish off our two-story living room. We found the perfect “Enamelware” blue for the guest bathroom and we grabbed the swatch for “Zinc”, which we are using in the family room. When my hubby went to the counter to have the paints mixed up, they broke the news to us. I immediately felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. Of course we were one gallon shy of finishing the two-story living room that has taken us over a year to complete. I was in total despair. This was the current state of our living room, without a drop of Martha Stewart paint to spare:
The Home Depot lady recommended mixing the Martha Stewart color into Glidden paint. We have never used Glidden paint, and with no option for getting the matching Martha Stewart paint, we had no other choice. We were worried about the paint quality, coverage, and color matching. We are pretty adaptable to change, but when we find a paint brand we like, we try to stick with it. Paint is not an area of life where we care to experiment.
I am happy to report, we were impressed with the quality and coverage of the Glidden paint. We redid our guest bathroom in Martha Stewart’s “Enamelware” mixed in Glidden paint with a satin finish. Had you put the Glidden paint in a Martha Stewart can, I am not sure if we would have been able to tell the difference. The finished walls matched the “Enamelware” paint chip as closely as expected (there is always a slight difference when comparing a paint chip to a painted wall).
We have not used the “Zinc” paint in the family room, yet. That will be the true test. Is there anyway the Glidden paint color and sheen can match the Martha Stewart paint we already started the project with? Or will we have to re-coat the entire room to even out the color? We are crossing our fingers for a match, but preparing for the let down if it does not match. This is what we get for taking over a year to finish a paint project and not getting enough paint for the job in the first place.
Before we left Home Depot that day, I went and grabbed every paint swatch from the Martha Stewart line with the star color key symbol and several with the asterisk color key symbol. My hubby thought I was mildly crazy, as I stacked up over an inch of paint swatches in my hand. Have you ever grabbed such an obscene amount of paint chips?
All reports claim Home Depot will continue to carry the Martha Stewart color palette, but I was not taking any chances. I was just concerned the paint colors may not stay forever, but we love the color selections so much. We based our whole house color scheme on Martha’s color key symbol system and it has never failed us. We prefer colors in the star palette, so I grabbed every single paint chip with a star on it. Many we have already used, some we are planning to use, and the rest we may use some day.
Our laundry room/craft room was painted in a color from the asterisk palette. We like many of the sea glass type colors in this palette, too. I did not grab even chip from the asterisk collection, but picked out all the specific ones we like.
We have not finished painting our whole house and may want to repaint some areas in the future, but I think we will always want to stick to this color palette. I figured as long as I have all the swatches, I can always get the color matched down the line. Plus, no more standing and staring at the paint chips in Home Depot. We have the whole palette at home now for reference.
P.S. In case you didn’t know, Martha’s color key symbol system extends beyond the paint color palette. Her carpets and cabinets also follow the same system. We recently ordered samples of carpet for the basement with the star symbol. We were delighted to confirm the carpet colors with the star symbol go very well with any of the paint colors with the same symbol. Martha really has taken the guesswork out of color coordinating for the home.
Have you ever grabbed all the paint chips from a particular color palette before? Do you have a favorite paint? Ever mourned the loss of a paint brand being discontinued in the middle of your project?
We used Plumage recently in our dining room and had to have it color matched at Lowe’s with Olympic paint. I thought it was just our Home Depot, but apparently it’s all of them. Disappointing, as I really like the colors and how easy it is to coordinate!
Martha Stewart paint may have actually been Glidden paint with just a different label. This happens very often with specialized branding (my own company makes a name brand product and the same product packaged into a “special brand” container). If Martha’s blog promotes the Glidden paint using her palate, then this is even more likely.
Are Martha Stewarts color scheme available in Europe? Is there an international standard like ICS standard for her colors? love the colors and they fit in our home- but it would be easier if I could get them here, instead of guessing the color from photos on the internet… :D
Synne, I am sorry I don’t know about the availability in Europe or where to find the color formulations. Hopefully another reader will be able to chime in with the answer.
I had no idea about the Martha Stewart paint being discontinued or about the marked color palettes. (That’s so Martha though) Makes me want to grab a stack of swatches too. Great Post!
~Danielle
Yep, I’m still mourning the loss of the old Every Day Paint line at Kmart. So many gorgeous colors. In fact, I was able to get one of those colors at HD (Pale Naples Yellow) – it’s been my kitchen color for years. I went back to grab another gallon and was informed the color formula was no longer in their computer. Boo. Fortunately
I’m soooo bummed. I just started collecting the Asterisk colors and was putting together a color scheme for my home. I was at Home Depot last weekend getting samples of MS paints. Maybe my Home Depot is trying go through the lot before they discontinue it. I love how easy MS makes choosing colors. Those undertones get me every time.
I did this same thing — take all the MSL paint chips — just a few weeks ago! I found out they were being discontinued and ran to the store immediately. While we have always had the shade colormatched in another brand, I have never painted with an MSL color I didn’t like. Everyone laughs at my swatch collection now…
I also just painted my dining room Plumage by Martha Stewart but had them mix it with the Glidden paint. Read bad reviews about Martha Stewart Paint. Love, love, love the color…paint was just the right thickness and super easy to apply. I agree, Martha colors are wonderful & unique. Will have to send you pics of dining room once I finish buying accessories.
Suzy, I definitely want to see pictures!
Martha Stewart paints were made by Glidden, so I think the color match should be ok. I have 2 gallons of Bedford Gray left but I think I’ll need three to finish my guest bedroom. I’m in the same boat as you.
Wow this is so interesting. I just painted my front door in Sparkling Brook by Martha Stewart but my Home Depot is already using the Glidden paint so I had no idea there was ever any Martha Stewart paint. Thanx for the info.
Oh no! I used Whetstone Gray in my last office/studio and loved it. I used Morning Fog in my last bedroom and loved it even more! It looked so light and fresh, sometimes more blue, sometimes more green. It was really pretty. I also have a couple of their little samples of bay leaf, and possibly another green. I’ll have to go snag some paint chips next time I’m in HD, if they still have them out!
I love the whole Martha Stewart system of matching colors with the symbols. This saved me, and I work with the moon symbols which have worked out beautifully. I think I’ll go and get all the moon swatches very soon, cause they’re out of the book of colors at my Home Depot, with no plans to get more. How sad they’re discontinuing her line. Great colors too!
I like this color as im looking to paint my master a charcoal gray but was wondering if you notice any undertones in it? I know grey can have like blue, green, pink etc undertones so have you noticed any?
Reba, Zinc would be a great color for a bedroom. We have used it in our family room and also our office, both of which get different lighting. I really have not noticed any undertones in the color. If anything it would lean towards the blue/green side, but if you look at pictures around my slate fireplace, you can see the zinc wall color is straight gray. It is a wonderful dark neutral.
Awesome thanks :)). That’s what I’m looking for. God bless!!
Do you happen to have a swatch of “Ocean Floor” in that stack? Martha discontinued the paint color; I’m trying to determine if it’s a star or an asterisk. Thanks!
I have also used MS ocean floor on my kitchen cabinets and am having a hard time finding coordinating colors from the swatch. Would love to know what she recommends. Thanks for any info!
Stephanie, They still carry the MS colors at Home Depot. They just mix it in Glidden or Behr paint now. To find coordinating colors go to the store and find the swatch for your existing color. It will have a symbol in the upper right corner (star, asterisk, flower, leaf, etc.). That is called the color key symbol. Look for other swatches with the same symbol. All the colors with the same symbol are designed to coordinate.
Synne, You can purchase a color pallete usually. At least from the other DIY stores you can of their paint fan decks, online for under $30. So if you get the Martha Stewart fan deck where you live, and they don’t carry the paint, or it’s a discontinued color for anyone, they just color match with their machine. I hope this helps. Plus I wasn’t aware of the astericks, moons, stars, flowers…I’m going to have to check this out now. The guy working at my Home Depot tried telling me MS only started doing paint 3 yrs ago when I was looking for an older color…GEESH! LOL
Would you be able to tell me the name of the 4th paint chip in the back row of the 2nd photo of the blue/green color palette? The color looks like its in-between “lamb” and “sharkey grey”. Thank you!
Courtney, I can’t say for certain from this picture, but I believe the fourth color in from the left in the back row is Washed Denim. We used it recently on our front door.
Can you tell me the color of your living room? I can’t seem to find where you say which color that is.
Valerie, The color in our living room is Zinc by Martha Stewart.
Having just driven all over the San Francisco Bay Area looking for the paint chip that matches my lost can of MS paint for my dining room I am in despair! I can no longer remember what it is called but by the looks of what you grabbed, you likely have the name and number. Clearly you are much smarter than I am. Is there any way you’d be willing to photograph the grays (I know it’s not Zinc) and show them? I am freaking out thinking I have to repaint the whole room another color because we had a repair done and I can’t locate the old paint name/number. :( SO SAD!
Melisa, The Martha Stewart line is still available at Home Depot, but they now mix it in Glidden paint. They still display all the paint chips. Check your local store.
Does anyone know where I may buy Martha Stewart Metallic Paint? Home Depot in my local area is finally liquidating all MS Paint stock and no longer carries the product I need. :-(
Meaghan, Oh no. I will let you know if I see the metallics available anywhere else.
I too am sad about the Martha Stewart line of paint! Loved the symbol system and color choices! I am not done with my house!!!! I keep hoping her line will pop up at some other store!!!!!!
I use Martha Stewart’s metallic glazes and glitter paints all the time. It’s going to be difficult to match the Black Coffee glaze that I was using on a project to complete it with something else. Would have been nice to know of their plans to discontinue,so to be able to stock up. The premixed items would go well into another store…Hobby Lobby or Michaels! Just Sayin
I just discovered the Martha Stewart paint line. I grabbed a large handful of the swatches but thinking of picking up a few more. If they still have the foldout paper with all the colors on it, it has the symbols next to the paint shade. Also, I did see the full color paint swatch online.
Mindy, You might be too late. See my latest post this week on what to do since they completely discontinued the line at Home Depot: http://www.tealandlime.com/2014/07/what-to-do-when-they-discontinue-your-favorite-paint/
Thank you, thank you for posting the info about the MS color match system. I had no idea! I have had a time trying to figure out a paint color to coordinate with MS Sea Glass I painted my kitchen and dining room with. Can’t wait to get over to Home Depot :) You’re a doll :D
I, too, am dying over here. (First world problem, I know.) We started painting our family room some lovely MS shade…and now can’t even figure out what it was. Lovely blue-green – I am seriously eyeing your pictures of the paint chips, straining my eyes to write down NAMES !! Haha. Thanks for letting me know I’m not alone!
Just an FYI, I went to Home Depot for some color matched Whetstone Grey and didn’t have my chip. They said it wasn’t in the computer and needed to bring in chip. As you advised. I then figured if I’m color matching anyway, just go to Lowes because it’s closer. Lowes paint desk told me they didn’t need my color chip, the have all colors in their computer. They looked it up, mixed my paint, and it looks fabulous.
Has anyone found a place to buy MS Metallic Glaze? I’m just sick HD doesn’t carry Martha Stewart products anymore. I love the gold glaze. I have used it on many furniture projects and achieved that antique French look. I’m not sure what I’m going to do if I don’t find it. It has lasted a long time and now I’m just about out and just finding out that Home Depot no longer carries it. I would have bought every one I could get my hands on if I’d known.
I bought 2 gallons of Martha Stewart precious metals gold base on clearance, at Home Depot. They said they will tint it, later, if I bring them the formula. To my dismay, I found that the 1st gallon I already had, was tinted to”tiger’s eye” , not to the green/gold I had requested! Does anyone have the M.S. Formula for a green, with her gold base??? I don’t even remember the name of the color!
I’m in such a jam. I have a blue color that I can’t find the name of and I’m trying to match. They will re-make me a quart no problem but I’m trying to get a company that does oil based paints to match the color and for that a name would be very helpful. it’s a light blue/grey color. Anyone have any ideas? I cant see the names of some of the colors on the swatches…I know if I saw or heard the name it would ring a bell. I’m really upset about this news. I have that paint all over my house.
Allie, There were a lot of blue-gray colors in the Martha line. The one way have throughout our main floor is Driftwood Grey. We also have a bluer one called Dolphin in our half bath. But there were many more. I am sorry if I can’t trigger it for you.
Just uploaded kinda lousy photos from my phone camera of Martha’s paint palette to flickr. Focused on the blues and grays. Hope it helps. Been down the what’s the paint color road and its a bumpy one. Hope links work!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/16070026716/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/15476131103/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/16070012576/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/15908510820/
I can add better photos if anything rings a bell. And I apologize again bc the pics really aren’t that great and I’ve never used flickr, hoping it works. But it’s a starting point.
Stacey, You are such a sweetheart for sharing this. I am sure it will help several people here looking for paint names of their beloved colors.
The “Precious Metals” blue, that I know of, is called “Tide Pool” MSL377
Oh, bother! I need Martha Stewart’s glazes!!! What do you suggest? This is the main product I use for my art!
I was very upset when I went to Home Depot today to get a color chip for Zinc & was told they were no longer carrying Martha Stewart paint. I would appreciate it if anyone has it, & wouldn’t mind parting with it!!
I have been looking for a gallon (maybe 2?!) of the MS light effects base paint. We painted our bedroom and living room using this base and I need some more. Does anyone have any ideas about how/ where to find some?
i painted the lower half of my tall fireplace in a precious metal paint by martha stewart just to see if it works and it looks fabulous so i went back to home depot and they no longer sell that paint line now i dont know what to do with only a half painted fireplace and i lost the chip and don’t remember the color which is a light soft warmish brown-gold hue any ideas ?
Hi. I read your article, and I too LOVE the enamelware color from Martha Stewart. I tried every blue out there and finally found this one and painted my whole living room in this color. My problem, is that I can no longer get this color either. I am wondering if you have the “formula” that the paint mixers use to create the color? I think that if I provide that, I can get a close match. Any help would be so appreciated! Thanks!
Anne,
As of recently the stores still had the color information in their computers. Ask the paint counter at Home Depot to look it up for you.
This My Perfect Color website does re-create MS’s colors: http://www.myperfectcolor.com/Martha-Stewart-Color-Matches/131.htm
I’m looking for 1 gallon of Martha Stewart Lightstrokes to finish a room. The color I’m using is Dock but if I can just get Lightstrokes Homedepot will tint it.
Hi! This is really random, but do you have a swatch for Morning Fog? I would love to color match it since it’s not available at Home Depot anymore, and we have painted our bedroom this color for the past 4 rentals/purchases!
I loaned out my “FULL” collection of MS color swatches- never expecting the line to go out of production- now I need a swatch of “Butter Yellow”- any suggestions anyone. It is not listed on My Perfect Color- someone has a strip posted on Pininterest but that doesn’t count. Uggg- My last house every room was MS and this is room one of the new one (1860 sm Victorian I no longer want to paint ). My experience at Lowes was ridiculous- MS was so easy in the past——–
the thing i’m missing the most from martha stewart living paints was the fact that she had the coordinating ceiling and woodwork paint color ideas on the back of her color cards. i have a good selection of her color cards from before the line was discontinued at home depot, but i do not have all of them. does anyone know any other paint company that does coordinating like that for you – it takes a lot of the work out of it, and every room in my house looks fabulous because of it – but now i have more rooms to paint and i need help!
Can you tell me the ceiling recommended paint color for Rainwater (msl120)? I have lost my color card and the Home Depots near me have thrown away all their Martha Stewart color cards. I wish I had known her paint was being discontinued and I would have grabbed as many of her color cards as I could.
Rainwater MSL120 coordinates are Tailor’s Chalk MSL001 and Spring Melt MSL114.
OMG, I was searching for a MSL paint color and I think it’s actually pictured above. It’s from Lowes’. My husband threw out the old can thinking it was just old and now we have a patch that we need to paint and I can’t find my old swatch. :( At Lowes it was MS220 (Araubana Egg) based on what I had written down. Google search hasn’t helped. It looks like one in the fanned out photos. Can you help?
Stumbled on your blog when I searched for “Martha Stewart Zinc.” Have enjoyed reading everyone’s comments and questions that I can easily relate to.
I love the Zinc on your walls and also like the blue in your bathroom.
I bought 1 qt. of MS Zinc in March 2014 at HD or Lowe’s. The label says GLN base. Made chalk paint with it and painted TV cabinet that now houses all kinds of other treasures. The color is great. Also painted a small bookcase and used it for crown moulding in kitchen. Saved the can lid that has all the info. on it and a large color sample on the bottom of the lid.
All of this to say, I am taking the can lid to our local Benjamin Moore store tomorrow to get a sample of it to try on our LR walls. Two summers ago I painted the LR with Behr paint and it was so streaky it looked like it hadn’t been mixed, although it had. The color was perfect but the paint was a waste of money and time. Someone recommended Sherwin Williams paint. They attempted to match the formula but it was not close. Another waste of time and money. Ended up back at Benjamin Moore, which is family owned, where we have gone for years but I didn’t want to spend the money… They not only matched the color perfectly, they actually have the exact formula under a different name. Even though it is expensive, the coverage is outstanding. They can perfectly match any color, including the 10+ year old paint on a gate latch.
We have always used white primer to paint ceilings, recommended by Benjamin Moore guys. It’s less expensive and doesn’t need to stand up to traffic like walls do.
Some ACE Hardware stores also carry Benjamin Moore paint and can match any color chip. They will mix samples for $6-7 per pint. Couldn’t find the exact color chip I wanted for our front door so got pints of two colors that are both close to what I want. One color is a little too pinky and the other is a little too cora-ly. Hopefully the combination will work.
Will continue to keep up with your blog and appreciate your posts and everyone’s questions and comments. :]
Hi, I’m thrilled you kept the MSL swatches!! I need the recipe for “Gull.” I painted one room that color & I’m ready to paint another room the same color & can’t find my swatch. Is that info included on the card?