Painting!

We're having our living room, foyer, hallway/stairway & master bedroom / bath painted. It's taking forever, but the guy is meticulous ... and I need the extra time to make a decision on the master bedroom color.

As I've said before, we've got an open floor plan - so everything I listed except the master bedroom / bath all pretty much need to be the same color. For that I chose Carton from Martha's line at Sherwin Williams. I'm really pleased with how it's warmed up the living room and made the molding pop.

For my bedroom ... ay yai yai!! I've got 6 different color "swatches" painted on my walls in no less than 24 spots (the light hits the walls differently). I CANNOT make a decision. I'll try to get a picture and upload it for some input here.

I'm going to paint the dining room, and have selected Spanish Red from Benjamin Moore, and the kitchen is Saffron from Restoration Hardware. On the first floor you can see the kitchen, living room, and dining room all at the same time. I'm only paying to have the current stuff painted b/c the ceilings are too high for me to do it myself. I can handle the dining room.

Pathetic, I know. I need to get a real problem.

I'd love to see before and after pics. I loved the color of your kitchen. I know what you mean about picking out paint colors for open floor plans. Ours is open as well. I want to do different colors for each room, but am afraid that I will pick colors that clash. Have you tried that BM service where they help you pick out paint colors? I did that for my kitchen/great room and they definitely helped to point me in the right direction.

Geeeez, I can't even decide what color to paint my laundry room. It's not like anyone will ever see it.

Okay - here are the photos, showing all of the disarray.

1st: all 6 color choices w/the pillow sham propped up next to them. I do not want a direct match - but something compatible.



Next - to show how one "room" opens directly into another (all of the furniture is moved around for the painter)





You can see a spot on the wall in the dining room where I painted the test for the Spanish Red. I'll probably do that next week (once the painter is out of here).

Is that the Carton that is up now? It looks nice. If it is not, I like the old color too! What happened to Stone House?

Are you wanting opinions on the bedroom? If so -- I like the top 4 colors the best with preference for the 1st and 3rd (from left). I like the other two as well but it is harder to get a sense of those with the underlying color -- esp on the far right one. In our Denver house, when we moved in the walls were painted a faint gray and ended up looking sort of dingy. I think there needs to be enough color with gray tones to avoid that.

Have fun! I looooove paint!

ps -- your boys are too darn cute.

[Vanquisher]

I like #3 on the top!

I also like the old dining room color and the new color, but I don't remember your old color. Wasn't it white except for the kitchen?

My house is realtor beige and likely to stay that way per the expense of painting, and we will only be here for 3 more years.

I'm partial to gray for bedrooms. Ours is RL Mt. Rainier.

I love the dark red and yellow.

We had a red kitchen and gold dining room in our last house. Used complimentary fabrics for the curtains so they flowed together really well.

[Meenah]

I like the third from the left on top!!

Thanks guys. #3 is in the lead for the moment as well.

The color in the LR is the new color, "carton". The old was just an off-white that always seemed to photograph more yellow than it looked. The DR has been the color it is since we moved in, and I'll just be taking it to the "Spanish Red" that you can see a splotch of in pic #3.

Thanks - the boys are cute. Even cuter the past 2 days since we've been getting along better. With the exception of Quinn biting Jacob today ... but that is another story.

Oh - Nellie - I decided against Stone House b/c I figured it was too lite, and it would have taken SW a day to make it b/c they'd have to color match and they were behind. I decided to go w/my 2nd choice, and I'm glad I did. I think this one makes the moldings pop a lot more, and really accentuates the fireplace, which I was never a huge fan of before. It also brings out the browns in the tile around the fireplace and diminishes the gray, which I was never fond of.

Gee - if any of you have hung on this long to my decorating woes - God love ya!

I'm glad it is the new color because I really like it! There is great contrast with the trim and I see what you mean about the fireplace.

We're hanging in there with you and on the edge of our seats for the bedroom paint decision.

The third on the top is my fav...

[Stella]

I think Carton would actually work well too.
Otherwise I like #1 and #3 on top but I also like #1 on the second row. Looks like a fun color!

I love to paint! I'm trying to pick colors as well and I bought samples and foam board and painted each foam board a different color. I'll have to start a thread of my own.... Agh, picking color is difficult!

I love your moldings. They look fabulous with the new paint color. Your boys are just adorable!

Stellava, foam board is a great idea! I used poster board for samples and the paint just made it curl up.

all right ... I chose #1. It will be painted Monday / Tuesday I think. I agree w/all of you #3 is really cool, but it's too close to the color we just had painted in the hallway.

I'm hopeful .... I'll keep you posted. Thanks for your input.

[SueC]

Hey, I dig that paint color! Also, I do like what you picked for your living room. It does make your molding stand out more.

[Meenah]

I like your choice,




BUT

















I like your boys more.





They are gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!!