Or, as my sister Fran always says –
“It’s easier to pick a heart surgeon than to choose a paint color.”
I’ve been back and forth to the paint store at least three times, painted and repainted the same damned sample room on Behr’s website so many times I think I live there, read every discussion thread on HGTV.com that even remotely references paint color, covered every wall in the place with paint splotches and I’m still not there. The house is starting to look like a crack den, and I think I’m getting a sample paint pot habit…
If anyone has ever painted a room using Bemjamin Moore’s Peanut Shell or Nugget, do comment on how it’s worked for you. Mr TBTAM thinks it’s going too dark, but I think I’m finished with the cheery yellow look and want to go to something more neutral and warm.
Once I get out of this, I promise to post something more interesting.
Meantime, you can head on over to Dinosaur Doc’s site and find out what can happen if you print out my mushroom strudel recipe before I fix the typo. (Sorry again, #1…)
UPDATES –
Paint color Heaven. Where I finally decide on a color
Decorating Update – Photos of the fnished paint job (with wallpaper, too!)
You need Gretchen.
She’s a color genius.
Her paint line has very few colors in it, but they’re all terrific.
http://www.devinecolor.com
E
I’m a big fan of buying a little quart can, painting a big splotch on the wall(s) in question, and living with it for a few days. It may cost a few more dollars, but it can save a lot of headache.
Good luck.
Most of the walls in my house are close to the color on the far left in your row of colors in the photo, and my kitchen is the darker color to the far right in the row. I’m happy with both those colors, and they’re very versatile.
I can’t comment on the specific colors, but I can tell you that Benjamin Moore is the shiznit and Behr isn’t fit to wipe my hinder.
Oh, and we have one wall in a lovely terra cotta and another in a cafe au lait and it’s fabulous.
Also? Devine is. Divine, that is. Devine is divine.
PS, Benjamin Moore also has those great little bottles that will paint like a 3×3 square so you can get a better idea of how it looks. It gets pricy, but then you don’t have 10 quarts of rejected paint to deal with.
PPS, polenta. Lovely color. B Moore, I think.
Eric –
Thanks a lot, all I needed was another manufacturer’s paint palatte to send me googling the whole damned web to find every picture ever posted of any living room ever painted with any Devine color even remotly resembling the color I’m thnking of using. What are you, a crack dealer?
BB – I’m using BM’s little sample pots for $5.99 each. Already spent over $50 on thos damned things – that would’ve paid for almost two gallons of the real stuff if I’d only make up my mind…
Northwoods baby –
Shiznit – had to look that one up, and now that I know what it means, I agree. BM is the way to go. But Behr’s website lets you paint a photo of your own living room, which as you can imagine is quite addicting…
Will check out those colors you mentioned – after all, what’s a few more sample paint pots?
Kalyn –
Any photos perhaps posted somewhere? I am addicted to room photos at this point.
The beauty of Devine – the sample pouches are 3x3ish, no quarts to get rid of. The paint IS like yogurt, and her colors are never the loudest drunk at the party (her line, not mine).
Yes. I am a crack dealer. I LOVE getting people hooked on some quirky little item that I can’t live without. Pray you never write a word about citrus fruit – there’s a grower I love so much I can’t resist mentioning them given half an opportunity…. ;0)
At least you’re testing on the wall. Some people get so neurotic about that…no ability to live with paint smears on the walls…but I have to say, brown smears at arm height..kinda look…well, poo-like, for lack of a better word. Thank goodness the other ones are there, or we’d think you were pulling a Tigger*.
E
*(AKA, flinging Poo(h) in the air)
I’ve since moved from the house that had the color (and am in a shabby neutral rental at the moment as I toil thru grad school) so I can’t remember much beyond the fact that it was Behr paint… but I did all but one wall in the mustard/gold/baby poop color and the remaining wall in a deep brick/tile/venus blood type red. The red made the yellow fabulous, and the yellow returned the compliment. So perhaps look at the color in terms of the accoutrements that will be playing with it too? Shoot me an email if you’d like pix. Best of luck!
TBTAM, First of all, you must prolong this paint color crisis because, obviously, your readership needs it. Second, the spray of colors behind your sofa is striking, way too systematic to be crack den-ish, rather MoMa, and fun, so why not continue that pattern around the room for 20-30 more splotches. When the thrill wears off (if it does) those buttery yellow colors offset the tones of your couch with such rich, harmonious contrast, I’m strongly inclined to recommend…your daughters’ instinct on this important matter.
PJG
Can’t beat the comments already made. Keep us updated.
For what it’s worth — the color of the fabric on the left arm of the sofa (lower right hand corner of photo) appears to be burnt-sienna-ish. It would set off the sofa well (which is mostly brownish, so is the wood furniture) as an accent color on that wall only — with other walls in the room a glowing yellow-gold.
Then you can use warm red accents (pillows, candles, lampshades/whatever).
Can’t recall, did you go to Sienna last summer? Maybe look through those photos — ooh, another project!) for more color clues. xxoo
I did my dining room in Benjamin Moore Dorset Gold (Historical Collection) I love it- so warm, not too dark at all. I limited myself to Benj Moore Historical Collection only- all over the house- just because I knew I would go berserk if I had too many options. It’s worked well for me.
I painted 2 walls in the living room very dark and the other 2 light. I really like it because I wanted a dark color, but I did not the room to be too dark.
I’m good with color and I’ll be in NYC at the end of February if you want a free consult 🙂
I’m honestly not a fan of neutrals. I like a bold color statement but I know a lot of people shy away from them. From some of the colors on that wall it looks like you like bold colors as well. I’m not sure anything headed towards the red or brown end of the spectrum is going to work with that couch but I do like the deep golds.
And not to add to your paint confusion, but Pittsburg Paint’s Manor Hall line is one of the best paints I’ve ever used. It goes on like velvet.
The good news is that you can have any color made up in any paint you like these days, all you need is either a formula or a sample. The optical scanners many paint stores have can give you a damned accurate match.
CCInnkeeper –
Aren’t you sweet to offer a consult? However, I think if I don’t make a decision soon I am going to go crazy.
I decided last night on Richmond Gold (Benjamin Moore), which is not on the wall there, but which is a dark rich warm gold.
Mr TBTAM is getting a quart tonight and we’re going to do the wall behind the couch and see if we like it.
My biggest concern is that we have a lot of art on our walls ( not expensive art, but colorful stuff) and I want to be sure we don;t compete with it….
I’ve found that art looks amazingly good on deep gold walls. Take a look at my website, the living room & dining room walls are done in a deep gold. http://www.stonelioncapecod.com
The conventional wisdom that art looks best on a neutral background is cr*p. Next time you’re in an art museum, notice the colors of the walls. They’re almost always very deep, rich colors.
Go for it.
TBTAM, I have been through the same torment. My solution? I hired a colorist to come to the house, and pick colors for every room in the house. If you have a scheme to follow, the colors flow well.
It cost me $175 dollors and I haven’t looked back since.
The colorist asked us questions about what we liked and solved our problem immediately. We were ecclectic with taste, but very variable. She narroed us down, and was done in 1.5 hours.
I highly recommend…
Yeah, I know, more ideas are just what you need. But I love me my Benjamin Moore Historical Color #304 (Shooting Star). It is sunny and cheerful in bright light, without being too lemony yellow, and really quite warm in low light. Clearly, Ben Moore is the ONLY way to go; I love the ‘zzzp’ crisp noise it makes when painting with a brush. But (I’m sorry) are you sure you want to go yellow in a living room? It seems so kitchen-y to me. I did mine in BM 2085-20 “Pottery Red” which rather a brick/cranberry color, and it’s awesome, and shows off framed prints so well. Good luck!
CCInnkeeper – Wow, what a beautiful Inn! And you are right about the art. Thanks!
Schrugglin –
OF COURSE, you used a colorist. Why didn’t I think of that? I think we will ahve spent almost that much tring out paints samples. And we’ve still not decided the bedroom and the kitchen, though for some reason I’m not schtressing about those rooms…
Midwifemb – Actually, there are a lot of warm yellows that don;t look kitcheny at all. We used yellow for years and it’s always been warm and sunny. I was just getting bored with it and wanted a change.
Totally agree re BM paint. It’s great stuff!
The fifth one to the right of the left lamp (behind the sofa) is very pretty. It will bring out the color in your lamps and compliment the sofa.
I know the feeling…I’m having a class on faux painting…But I’m going to cover paint ideas and tips as well..Come on over and join! http://www.thescreamingmeme.blogspot.com
Thank you for the awesome laugh. I started loading this page on my horribly slow computer, walked out of the room, returned, sat down, took one glance at the title and saw the gazillion paint swatches on your wall and laughed hysterically…only because I know your pain! I’ve never seen so many swatches on the wall. Glad to know I’m not the only one who is clueless about color.
I googled Richmond Gold which is how I came across your page. Excited to see what you finally decided on.