Hello. In Real Life.
Painting: Failing.
This is a boring, business post, mostly for Becky, but also for anyone who likes to scratch his or her head at well-meaning failures. I persevere. I plow ahead! These traits are virtuous in some areas, but design isn't one of them. I don't know what the heck I'm doing, except probably making things worse, but I lack superheroic design skillz. (Regrettably, anyone who sets foot in this home will soon know the same.)
As instructed, I used the Target gift card for ME, so I'm the only one allowed to clean my shoes here. The girls think it's Swimmy.
Sunroom: It actually looks greener than this and a bit darker, and I wanted robin's egg blue, not teal. Maybe I should try something closer to the color of the globe?
Library: It's brighter than this. Believe it. The top half of the wall is more true to life.
Buttercup! It's identical to the buttercup's shade, but the yellow that might work is closer to the shade it looks like below.
I would definitely keep the bright yellow if I had the luxury of picking out rugs/chairs/curtains/couches/paintings, etc. that would complement instead of clash, but beggers can't be choosers (i.e. spoiled Americans can't be even more excessively spoiled Americans). The orange chair will still be ugly no matter what color I paint the room; this comforts me. I can do no wrong in the eyes of Ugly Orange Chair!
Living room: A mild change. My painting is less likely to horrify anyone (Mother. Becky. Aunt Alice...) with just a slightly brighter shade of what's already there.
I haven't bought test paints for the rest of the house yet. Perhaps I should back out now, but I persevere. I plow ahead! At the moment, I'm tempted just to plow ahead and finish painting the walls with the colors I tested, because part of me thinks everything will look great if the WHOLE room is painted. The other part of me knows it will look hideous, and then we'll be stuck with it.
This is Luci. She's even cuter in real life, with slightly darker flesh tones.
This is me with Luci on my shoulders. In real life, I'm actually MUCH more pretty and fit. Plus, I have no wrinkles.
Piper can walk in real life.
And this? Well, it all looked lovelier in real life, even my toes.
9 comments :
Bold choices!
Ha...I know just what you are going through. I painted Libby's room yellow and I was so nervous that every time I walked in her room I would think of French's mustard. I stared at square of it painted on her wall for about 3 days before I decided to paint the room. I'm happy to tell you that once I moved her furniture in, it looks quite pretty and does not look like mustard at all...
I have a thing about blueish green colors, so I think that one you chose is lovely.
There does come a point when getting it done sounds much better then thinking about it anymore...that is where I am at this point!
ha, ha...more fit and less wrinkly in real life. EXACTLY my problem, too :o) !!!
feeling your uncertainty of choosing colors...will be painting here over the summer and color choice is already stressing me out. sure, you can re-paint it, but it is a LONG process to do it just once let alone twice!!! eeeek...or dare I say thrice???!!!
The very best part about your comment, Torie-- the BEST part-- is that when I first read it, I thought you had written, "Bad choices!"
You honesty is admirable. :)
Carly,
Hang in there! I've admired your decorating abilities from afar, and I'm sure the new palette of this house will result in more of the same. You have a talent for making your living spaces beautiful!
The yellow color in the library IS exactly like French's mustard, but the problem on this end is that the furniture actually makes it worse...much, much worse. Find me a designer who can take a plush, orange rocker, a brown recliner, a couch that appears to be upholstered with balertwine, and an old chair with a ripped-up seat (which you've covered with a green blanket so your two-year old will forget how much fun it is to pull handfuls of padding out of it) flow beautifully with walls of mustard, and I'll award her the Medal of Valor! Yellow. I don't know WHAT I was thinking, but I'm going with yellow, anyway, because I'm tired of bland off-white. Argh! I hate decisions, even silly ones regarding paint.
Kiley,
I'm freaking out even having to buy a second TEST can of paint, so there's no way I'm going to paint entire rooms over again once they're done. We'll live with whatever foulness I create. Post your end results, too! I've enjoyed seeing your recent home projects (the map mattes/frames, etc.) Very cool!
Haha!! I don't think the choices are bad, just BOLD!! I LOVE bold, and I love that you paint your walls the way you want to, even if it does't go with your furniture. Your attitude of doing your own thing regardless of the thoughts and feelings of others is the reason I love reading your blog so much!!
oh this is TREMENDOUS! Very exciting. I can imagine how much WORK painting is, but to me-one who has never been allowed to paint- it seems such a fun and exciting process.
I love all the colors. Truly. Someday, when I CAN slather walls with paint, I fear you may think I am being a big, fat copycat.
I love the rug too-did you paint that? You know I love that color combo.
Funny you should mention about the globe colors. That is PRECISELY how I finally chose a bit of a theme with my schoolroom. Mine is cream, blueish teal (the globe water) and corally orange/red.
And I love yellow walls too.
I never knew you could get "test paint". That is cool.
I thought you hated painting and were the all-white-except-for-one-room girl? :)
WHEN your day comes (because it will!), I hereby offer my painter's-apprentice services, but I'm pretty sure you won't want to copy these colors exactly. Sigh. (If so, go for it! Three cheers for French's mustard! With ketchup! And blue kool-aid!) I DO like them, though.
Didn't paint the rug. Wish I did. It was a birthday gift card purchase from Target. Swimmy's a favorite childhood book of my siblings and I, and I couldn't resist. (Well, I could have, but I'm glad I didn't.)
With the globe staring me right in the face, the teal looked so dark, and I'm very glad I changed it. You can call ME a big, fat copycat.
Test paint was recommended to me by my sister (in-law) Sarah last summer. It costs about 2-3 dollars a can and is brilliant for second-guessing, insecure ninnies like myself.
I saw this and knowing of all your grand decorating plans that are beginning to come to fruition, thought of you:
http://ashleyannphotography.com/blog/2011/06/08/diy-tree-limb-curtain-rod/
I would do this and thought of it when we first moved in but then skipped the curtains all together so as to enjoy as much light as possible. Though I am questioning that decision as there is no sun shield for 98 degree days (such as today) and no extra barrier to retain hit on frigid days. Maybe curtains really are the way to go.
And yes. Lots of white rooms too so maybe I can actually get some good INDOOR shots from time to time (wouldn't THAT be grand?)
I guess I need a mansion.
;-)
I am always surprised how cheaply but profoundly a coat of paint can change the entire look of a room. (Not in my OWN experience but seeing other peoples')
When we first moved here, I stole Millie's newfound walking stick for a curtain rod in our bedroom, but I'd never thought of painting them! Maybe similar cherry red sticks would work in the sunroom with banners. Very cool idea!
I also want to make some hanging pegs out of twigs. We'll see how many years it takes me to actually do it...
Yep, paint is (relatively) cheap, but for a miser like myself, painting all this at once is WAY TOO MUCH money. It adds up awfully fast when there's a mansion involved. I look forward to the day when you paint YOURS (tho' not as much as you do, I'm sure). :)
I hope there's a small pool somewhere along the length of your dry creekbed. You'll need it!
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