very happy to have a sister Andrea Ahedo and our Visual Media Producer/Head Photographer share with us her latest paint color debacle!
One of my toxic traits is buying a gallon of paint without applying it to the wall and sampling it. and I think it’s the flex to do so. I walk into the house with confidence, carry a bucket of paint in my arms to the kitchen island, and gleefully look down at the little paint they have smeared on your eyelids. Match your room. I love the adrenaline of prying the lid off and seeing if the immediate reaction is regret. This definitely disguises curiosity or pure excitement.
Choosing the wrong paint color Step 1: Blindly buying paint
This is the story of a person who painted his dining room on a whim, hated the color of the paint, and faced the harsh reality of having to repaint it. Here’s what the room looks like.
Before
rear
dining chair | | rug | | pedant
When I opened Sherwin William’s Grays Harbor in January of this year, I was thrilled and confident. In the end, I spent a total of two days scrolling and scrutinizing Pinterest, trying to land on the moody, stormy paint colors of his room, the formal dining room, between the green-grey and blue-grey families. It was a toss-up.
Ultimately, the cabinet color in this photo sold me.
Image source: studio maggie
Step 2: Choose paint colors based on internet images
Read “Why Paint Colors You See Online Look Different In Real Life”.
The plan for the dining room was: paint the room yourself, install the picture frame molding, and paint the trim. I outsourced the installation of the picture frame molding, but the installer said that it would be easier to do it in that order, but I still have a question. The first night, I diligently put on my paint-splattered leggings, popped my AirPods to start Prince His Harry’s Spare, and tackled the endless uphill “cut-in.” I thought the entire painting process would take a weekend, but it took two weeks. I’m tired of being polite. I switched from roller to brush each night, trying to get into every crevice in the trim and apply three even coats of paint to the dark wall in the dark room.
Once the picture frame molding was installed and I started painting all the trim, I was nearing the point of no return. You will definitely need two. I think that’s when the first sting of disappointment really started to sink in. As I painted, my love for color faded, and I realized I didn’t like paint colors that were worth two weeks of painting. ah. I continued, and with each final stroke, I justified my doubts.
“I would love it more if the art was on my wall.”
“Choosing curtains makes the room feel less like a cave.”
“It’s okay to have this much blue on our main floor. It’s kind of an unplanned theme.
Step 3: Ignore Doubts
Alas, I persevered and finished what I started. A few days after the room was all painted, I stayed overnight with a friend in a picturesque location in Charleston, South Carolina. We walked her two days through that fairy tale street. Like a bad déjà vu, I remembered the dark navy dining room at home and felt that stinging regret again.
To ease the pain, I ordered 9 different patterns of drapes from my favorite Amazon storefront “Maison d’ Hermine”. You may find the answer by mixing the patterns! It’s really funny when I think about it now. My persistence in moving forward is because I’ve already worked hard. nice Paint colors for this dining room. As soon as I threw in the towel and said out loud that the room didn’t feel the way I wanted it to, I was immediately relieved.
Julie came to drop Polly off for the sleepover, and knowing she had repainted the room earlier, I confided in her my paint color regrets. We looked around the room and to my surprise she didn’t solve my dilemma by suggesting a new paint color. She leveled with me and said, ‘Andy, you don’t need to repaint right now. Place all the dreamy furniture, art, lighting, and curtains I want in this room onto a blank canvas.She gave me permission to envision the room I really wanted, so her excitement returned I felt it come.
Step 4: Don’t have a “big picture” of your space
And I thought about how I wanted my dining room to look and feel, like she said. Oh, I tested some paint swatches. mourned the lost time at Gray’s Harbor, but the only thing you can do is turn around and keep moving forward.
Painting a dull pink swatch directly over the blue didn’t give a clear cut. So I primed the big squares and then painted the swatches! My new hobby has become constantly staring at my swatches throughout the day to see how they change. I think this is what people usually do before deciding on a paint color…
The dining room’s new direction is inspired by Merida, Mexico and Charleston, South Carolina. These two places feel like home and I didn’t want to leave since I arrived. By allowing myself to really visualize and dream, I’ve already learned that a pattern I’ve always been drawn to is called “Jungle Toile.”That’s right, Pinky Beige called “Classic Sand” is exactly what my heart desires for these. (And I think the ceiling too!)
Cafeteria mood board (new paint color)
buy mood board
I would Love This time I decided to hire a painter. Because I am still hurt from painting myself in the cave for countless nights. Plus, I’d love to see what a room without the blobs of paint feels like. To change your mind and go for what you really want is to be liberated.
I’m not saying this won’t be the last time you buy a gallon of paint before testing a swatch, but I learned a valuable lesson! There are several ways to avoid selecting .
Other posts featuring Andy
Solve Andy’s awkward living room dilemma
Andy’s Story: Selling my first house
6 budget-friendly things that completely transformed Andy’s kitchen
Andi’s Art Ledges (& tips for displaying family photos!)
