Chris and I are right in the middle of remodel. We’re finally to the point where we get to pick paint. We should be thrilled that we are so close to being done. But, picking paint is fraught with anxiety.
While researching, we bought painting magazines. We started paying more attention to the walls in homes than the actual people living in them. We got fistfuls of paint swatches and started talking in terms of “Glorious Wheat Gold” and “Golden Glorious Wheat.” Was one more yellow hued than the other? Perhaps “Golden Glorious Wheat” had too much peach tones in it?
My friend, noted painter Jody Bergsma, shared her philosophy about interior paint, “It needs to be skin toned so people feel comfortable in your house.”
Okay. We got more fistfuls of paint swatches, all different tones of fleshy skin. Holding them up to the wall creeped me out. I worried they would start growing arms. I suspected this was not the “comfortable” feeling Jody was waxing rhapsodic about.
After endless discussion, we chose color 2004-8C, “Warm Cappuccino” for most of the house, with “Mesa Sand” 2004-8B as a secondary color and finally, two teensy accent walls of 2008-3A “Coffee Whip.” Those are the actual color swatches pictured above courtesy of MyPerfectColor.com
The painting is done. We went and looked at it today.
It. Is. Hideous.
The entire place looks like the inside of a giant mutant shell. Pink, pink, pinkeverywhere you look. We are both hoping that the furniture miraculously fixes everything and our “Warm Cappuccino” goes back to a normal latte coffee. Otherwise, we’ll be living inside a pink shell, forever ruing the day we decided that a new coat of paint was a good idea.
I broke down and repainted two of the walls. It’s much better. I’ll post a picture one of these days …
Casey, I will totally post a photo as soon as there is a photo of something to post =) Right now, it’s a blank empty pink/peach shell of a place with not much more to add.
Rita, I’m so glad that you’re a fan of Jody’s work. She is such an inspirational character in person as well. I feel really lucky that she lives in Bellingham! =)
Heidi, a bit of unsolicited advice? Do paint swatches on your actual walls, with your lighting. Apparently, lightening plays a really big role in determining if the paint color looks the same on big walls as it did in the store!
Audrey, I visited the remodel again yesterday and it’s hilarious! Yesterday, it looked more like a giant peach and the electrician said something like, “Errr, um, it looks nice?” when I walked in and commented on what a shock the entire look ends up being. I guess it could be worse – liquid foundation or bubblegum pink like your Mom sounds like a worse fate.
Everymore, oh my goodness! Did you see this post about my stairwell? I just need to quit with the painting:
http://soap-queen.blogspot.com/2007/08/i-was-going-for.html
oh i know this feeling!! when i moved into my new apt, i wanted to keep it light and airy without painting it the usual beige. so i went with a nice lite green… which of course turned into a very cold color that screemed ‘GRRREEEEENNN’ at you every where.
so i re-painted it with cheyanne green 1502 from benjamin moore with my bedroom a shade lighter – spanish olive 1509 also from ben’s paints.
it now looks lovely, warm and cozy. i hate going to work, i just want to hang around in my living room all day! 🙂
This blows my mind. Painting comes so easily to me – as does infusing my soap with color. The thing is, if you don’t like it, you can easily repaint. I moved into a white townhome two years ago and the white killed me! I got to painting immediately. My living room is hues of sage greens with a darker green on my fireplace accent wall. My dining room is burgundy with gold accents. They flow into each other so it was important for me to coordinate. My wood furniture is a dark color, my couch is a very pale green. I’m so proud of myself – it’s my best painting work yet!
Splash some color on the walls, AM and see how it ‘feels’. Express yourself and have fun!
What color is your furniture? Darker pieces should work wonderful.
Of course, going with the lighter colors…well, those are pretty much the shades we want to do a french wash with in our living room (once we figure out how to either cover or remove the nasty early 80’s fake paneling.) Add some more golden sand or a buttery cream for the trim. Going with a beach-ish theme so giant sea shells don’t scare us. LOL
Post a picture for us. I am intrigued!
Yikes, these colors don’t look so hot on my computer screen. I’;m hoping it’s the computer. My suggestion, bite the bullet and REPAINT NOW. Before the furniture arrives and you are stuck with paint you don;t love. What a mess! Godd luck.
Thank you all for your fabulous support and comment =) I really hope that this turns out okay after the furniture addition. I’m sure it will (fingers crossed)??
The color swatches are a bit backwards in the photo – the top one is the accent wall, the middle one is the partial accent wall and the bottom one is the mostly-entire-place color.
Different monitors really make the colors look different. My phone displays them almost perfectly, my laptop is a bit pink and my work computer shows them totally pink.
=) I’m sure it will be fine. And if not? There’s always very tall ladders to rent. That’s what weekends were created for, right?
I love pink as well! My room in Malaysia has just one wall painted a sweet purple pink. Only one wall as I thought it might be a bit overwhelming. The names of the colour swatches don’t match the colours? Or is it just my computer. I see orange, pink and baby pink.
I chuckle because when we bought our house one of the rooms was very dark. Windows were covered up, no natural sunlight coming in. The lighting was very dim in the room and it was hard to figure out what color the walls were. OMG – there was a very good reason why the room was so dark. Natural light flooding the room displayed a cross between screaming neon yellow and mustard yellow…UGH!!!
And just so you know…browns do tend to take on a pink hue until you enhance with furniture so I’m sure you will be fine! I painted over the “lovely” yellow with a nice tan color that carries a pink hue in certain lighting. With furniture and window treatments that pink tones way down and blends in perfectly.
I had to laugh at this because it reminded me of the time I decided to paint my bedroom green with a contrasting green on the trim. Usually I do well with these decisions, but I really dropped the ball on this one. It looked like I was in Pee Wee’s Playhouse! Luckily I discovered a nice dark blue that made it all go away.
Ha! I did the exact same thing also. I selected pink and brown in what I thought were cute French cafe colors, but when the paint when on, it looked like I stepped into an adobe house in New Mexico.
Just redo the colors, which is what I did immediately and you will feel better. It’s better to redo it now instead of suffering for years before repainting it again.
Also, check out something like this:
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/pro/paint_colors/paint_color_samples/
with the color simulator you can get a better idea of the colors you choose in your rooms.
My step mom painted her main hallway and computer room with what she described as a light beige. It.is.horrid! It looks she spread liquid foundation on her walls in the midtones. And then she painted her 1/2 bath…bubblegum pink. Looks like the bubbalicious factory exploded in there.
Hope things look better when you add furniture!
This made me laugh = ) I hate picking paint for this very reason! I go through so many swatches and think I’ve found the right one…then its on the walls and hideous.
Right now I’m trying to pick paint for 2 bedrooms we’re doing this summer. AHHHH! = )
Your post reminds me of a remark the real estate expert said on Designed to Sell: “I feel like I’ve walked into the belly of a salmon” (sub in your “giant mutant shell”). LOL!
Anne-Marie, you are so very funny though! If you ever decide to write your memoir, I’ll be first in line to buy it. 🙂
I do think, also, that once furniture, art, people are in the house, the color won’t stick out so much. And, one day, you’ll grow so accustomed to it, you’ll say, “what pink?” if a new visitor to your home comments on how pink the walls are.
OH NO! I have totally had this happen to me–a warm yellow tone which I thought would be cheery for the kitchen but ended up making it seem like you were walking into a box of Kraft Macaroni and cheese every time you walked in. Not in a good way. Well, for the time being…think pink!
I like pink so I won’t comment on your paint. Generally, I know it is tough to make a decision, like using color. A real gut wrencher.
Just wanted to say that I have loved Jody Bergsma’s work for many years. If I ever got up that way, I thought that would be one place I would stop.
rita
Hey Anne-Marie! I have absolutely felt your pain! I’m so sorry (and yet giggling just a little) about your paint We built a new house 2 yrs ago and I was in charge of paint. (My hubby is color blind:)_) There are some amazing colors and some less than amazing colors but I’m the only one who notices.
It will definitely get better with furniture, pictures and you guys in there! Stop standing in the empty room looking at the paint and go find a great cupcake! 😉
Ralph Lauren/Muslin is a warm beautiful neutral “skin tone” paint. We have been re-painting the interior of our home, and found this color a perfect neutral to make our accent colors, and furniture “pop” out. We used Behr (Home Depot)/Swiss Coffee for all the mouldings and doors.
FYI- Your color swatches, as seen on my computer, look pumpkin, deep mauve, and the bottom~ ballet pink.
Good luck!
What a timely post – I spent today priming our bathroom for painting.
The fumes I inhaled today made your story read extra funny/tragic, and also contributed to misreading the description of your newly painted room as “the inside of a giant mutant skull.”
Hope your story has a happy ending with the addition of furniture.