primed

The ‘L-shaped’ room is ready for color!

Can you believe I tried out this many samples for one room?? I mean, how many different browns are out there? A lot, apparently.

Even with sampling the colors on the walls, I’m still a teeny bit hesitant about my choices. I think it’s that I hadn’t anticipated doing an accent wall, and I’m still getting used to the idea. I’m excited to paint and excited about the colors, just wish I felt more confident. I will say, though, that I brought EVEN MORE paint chips home from Lowe’s yesterday and STILL ended up with the same two colors that I’d already chosen, so I guess that’s a good sign.

Carolyn came over to help me paint, which was a MAJOR blessing both time-wise and so that I didn’t have to roll. I much prefer to cut-in around the edges since I’m pretty accurate and have a steady hand (and it’s my house, after all–I have to live with the mistakes!), and having her roll while I was doing that made the job just fly by. Also, I really did a number on my neck at the gym Monday and I’ve been in agony ever since; rolling would have just made it worse. I’m going to have to roll the color on this weekend, but having the help with the primer was a huge blessing.

Here is a shot after we primed:

I wasn’t going to prime since it was already very light beige (in fact, the photo above almost looks like a ‘before’ shot), but it’s always best to prime. I think I’m really sensitive to pinks, and I could definitely tell some of the beige was showing through even when I was painting on the samples, so I knew I’d feel more comfortable if we primed.

Here is a shot with some more light:

Can you believe how NOT WHITE the trim and mantel are?? I tell you what–you wanna know what color your baseboards are? Just prime the room and it’ll be obvious.

Once I get the brown up, they’ll look much better, but ultimately I’d like them to be white. Like, bright white. And the trim in the newer part of the house is already white, so the OCD-ness in me wants it all to match and be the same. And plus, if they’re all the same and you have to touch something up, it’s easy to find the paint and take care of it.

So, project number 4,873: Paint baseboards, moulding, doors and frames (and apparently the mantel, too) in the ENTIRE HOUSE. I did this in Ohio, so I know exactly how big a project this is. Sheesh.

deadline

Nov. 2.

That’s the deadline I gave Andrew by which I’d like to have EVERYTHING done around here. (Within reason, of course. Pictures and decorations–yes; garage door project and wood floor in the bedroom–no.)

Why that particular Friday? We’re having guests again!! My girlfriends from college Wendy and Leslie–and Wendy’s two kiddos–will be coming to visit me for the weekend. How exciting is that?!

Wendy and her husband, Gary, did come visit once while we were in Ohio, and I’ve seen both Wendy and Leslie almost yearly since they were in my wedding ALMOST SEVEN YEARS AGO (can you believe it’s been that long? I can’t.). I’m just so tickled they want to come to New York!

So, anyway, I’ve informed Andrew that he has two months to get this place presentable. We’ll have our furniture by then, and (hopefully!) the laundry room will be LONG finished, so it’s really just a matter of making sure all those little projects happen, like hanging pictures and replacing light fixtures and organizing. Andrew asked me to make a to-do list by room, so you bet I’ll be on that today.

Fifty-four days…

and more brown

I picked up two more paint samples this afternoon at Lowes’s. Both Andrew and I thought the first ones were kinda ashy and more gray than we wanted.

Now, I have another problem! I like them both, and (of course) Andrew and I prefer different ones.

The new ones are the four patches below the original four. I painted the two new ones below the first ones, then decided to paint a bit near the floor, too.

I like the tan one as a color, but don’t like it with the floor, or the red couch, really. I prefer the lighter tan/gray color with the floor and couch, but don’t love that it appears close in color to the gray family room just through the hall on the left.

All in all, I think the tan is too yellow, and the other is exactly what I said I wanted–a color exactly in between the first and second original samples. I just don’t know if I love it, or if I can convince Andrew it’s the one to do…

Help! Six samples is already too many!