My "Love-Hate" Relationship With Paint!!!

Paint is one of those things in life that is a "necessary evil". It can change a blah room, into a divine getaway. However, it can also change a blah room, into a terror! No matter what, I have yet to EVER find a paint color that looks like it did on the tiny sample card you find on the racks. And, painting a room is a huge undertaking, especially for this "Single Super Mom". It is work alright, with many steps, and it commands extreme attention to detail. Oh, did I mention lots of patience too?!

So, being that I just moved into my dream house 2 1/2 months ago, I have decided to finally start painting. Thankfully, the builders current choice of color on the walls is pleasant, albeit boring. It is safe and neutral, and actually goes well with a lot of my furniture. I have scoured Pinterest, Houzz, and Google to find the colors best suited for my taste and decor. I've also spent hours at Lowes, Home Depot and Sherwin Williams. Last week I painted my Sunroom "Pavillion Beige" by Sherwin Williams. I must say that this is a gorgeous color. It is a perfect warm khaki taupe, without too much yellow or green in it. My only issue is that it just didn't "pop" the way I expected it to. In fact, in daylight hours it is hard to distinguish much of a difference between it, and the current builders paint on the wall. Oh well. I still love the color overall and atleast it is safe!

Last night (on my big Friday Night free from my son who was at a sleepover), I decided to paint my foyer. I wanted to push the envelope a bit from what I typically look for, and chose a gray this time. I had hoped it would add some depth to the light blue color pillows on my Greatroom couch, and play off the stainless steel appliances as well. I used "Dorian Gray" by Sherwin Williams. Let me mention that I also get the mixture with the primer in it. I just feel that it has better coverage, and I really hate painting 2 coats! After it was all said and done, unfortunately, I was not in love. Agh!! It was deep in the midnight hour when I finished so I was dependent on lamp lighting to see it. Well, it looked somewhat green to me. It was similar to a color I'd used in the past when I actually wanted green. Needless to say, I was distressed!

This morning I gave it another chance with natural lighting that comes in from my back windows. Thankfully, I did like it better. It seemed to be more of what I wanted which was a true gray. I also switched out my light bulbs to a soft white, and it helped too. Do I love it now? No. However, I like it a lot better than I did. And, I don't feel the huge need to re-paint it again which would be a chore alright. I will see what it looks like tonight.

All of this to say that you are best to just paint a small portion of your wall and live with it for a few days. See how it looks at different times of the day, and with different lighting. It's amazing how much it can change and how vastly different it can be from the sample. It is well worth the few dollars you spend on the sample paint. I knew this going in, but I tested my luck ( I like living on the edge anyway :-))! Who knows, I may end up loving Dorian Gray. I do like the name and maybe it will surprisingly redeem itself!!

1 month later...I do like it better. Don't LOVE it, but, seems to work with everything and folks like it. On another paint note, I just painted my master bedroom. What a chore! However, I LOVE the color this time. It is "Tinsmith" by Sherwin Williams. Not green at all. Not red or pink either. A hint of blue, but I have to say it is a true gray in my eyes. FINALLY!!!