SpecsyModels and product details
Save the product details you will need again in two years
The paint colour, the tile reference, the exact curtain drop. Details that matter once, then again years later when you have forgotten them.
- Colour
- Dulux Timeless
- Code
- 30YY 68/060
- Finish
- Matt emulsion
- Coverage
- 2 coats, 5 L used
- Bought at
- Local trade counter
Some information is only needed twice
You choose a paint colour, spend an hour on it, and use it. Two years later a wall gets damaged and you need the same colour, from the same brand, in the same finish. The tin went to the tip.
The same shape repeats everywhere in a home. Tile references, laminate batch numbers, the length of a curtain, the size of a mattress that is not quite standard.
None of it is worth a spreadsheet. All of it is worth thirty seconds and a photo.
The details most worth keeping
- Paint colour names with the code, since names repeat across brands and codes do not
- Tile and flooring references with the batch number, because batches vary in shade
- Window measurements, curtain drop and pole length, room by room
- Mattress and bedding sizes, especially if anything is a non standard size
- Key cut codes, radiator valve types, anything a tradesperson asks you for
The habit that makes it work
- Photograph the label before it leaves the houseTin lids, tile boxes, packaging. The moment you finish a job is the moment the information is about to disappear.
- Name the card after the roomYou will search for "living room", not for "30YY 68/060".
- Add the date and the quantity usedTwo years later that tells you how much to buy without measuring again.
This is the card people are most glad to have
Sizes and filters save you a bad purchase. This category saves you an afternoon, a colour match at a paint counter, or a room that no longer matches itself.
It is also the least likely to be written down anywhere, because at the time it feels unforgettable.
Questions people ask
Is this not what photos on my phone are for?
A photo works until you need to find it. A photo of a paint tin from two years ago is fifteen thousand photos back, with no name and no search term.
Can I group cards by room?
Yes, categories and naming both work. Most people name the card after the room and search by that.
Can I share these with a builder or decorator?
You can share a card, which is easier than describing a colour code over the phone.