Wednesday 23 October 2013

Watching paint dry... literally

The time has come, I said, to paint our living room.

To be accurate, I said that more than a year ago.

I can't believe how long it has taken to choose a paint colour, rethink it, overthink it, discuss it with everyone I know, pass it by Fis, and finally make a final, final decision.  Only to find out -- of course -- that that colour has been discontinued.  Or at least renamed.

Grr.

So, back to the paint samples I went.

I chose another final colour.  I entered it into one of those colour-match applications that let you see what it would look like in your own home, with your existing stuff.  And it looked terrible.  So I chose one shade lighter, a pretty silvery-grey, that was still warm enough to go with the gold sofa, the deep-red chairs, and the dark-grey cushions and throw.

Just to be sure, I painted a test-strip along the trim - window, baseboard, and crown moulding.  I wanted more of a contrast than the cream/white combo that was there when we moved in, and at first, I wasn't seeing it.  After a few hours of drying, it looked better.  "Try another coat," said Chris.  So I did.

And it's calming, you know, sitting there, knitting.  Watching paint dry, hoping and wishing that it will be a little darker, a little different.  And waiting.

The verdict:  I love, love, love it in my dining room.  Huh.  I guess it's lighter and brighter in there, but I was happy with the cream for now.  But in the living room, nope.  So my living room has a stripe of rather odd, light grey (that can mostly be hidden by the curtains -- I was thinking, just a little)... I'm going to have to pick a slightly deeper-but-not-too-dark grey, and hope for the best.

Back to the paint store I go.

Sigh.

No comments:

Favourite posts