When deciding to paint the bedroom I consulted my all time go to guide - The Pottery Barn Catalog - which is where I stumbled across the photo to the left and the Benjamin Moore paint called Olive Branch. I fell in love. It was a beaut! I put all types of swatches up on the wall but kept coming back to that color...not on a swatch but on my computer screen. It was the ONLY color I didn't have an actual swatch for. I did a little research and found a coupon for 30% off at Sherwin Williams which just happened to be right down the street in our new hood. Off I went with my top 3 color swatches and Olive Branch still stuck in my head. It had taken me the better part of the day to pick a color in my house and once I was there I pondered for another hour. Yes, an hour. I finally decided, sans swatch, to go for it! Olive Branch was my match meant to be. My mate, my partner in crime, the Clyde to my Bonnie.
I know, I know. I could have had the guy make me a little tiny tester color. I know I could have gotten off my arse and made it to Benjamin Moore a mere 20 minutes away. I know I could have done a lot of things including considering the nice rich Olive Branch color in a small room with a lot of furnishings. I did none of those things, my friends. Instead I went all out and grabbed myself a gallon of expensive (though not too expensive with 30% off) No Voc paint in Olive Branch which they specially mixed for me. Ho Ho Home I went...is it too late for a Santa reference?
Welllll...as most can imagine things did not turn out as planned. The paint was too dark in our little room - especially at the end of the day since I took so much time to decide. I finger painted it up on the wall straight from the gallon and tried out every wall with a little dabble. Yes - I am too cheap to use a brush for just a tester spot. My fingers are available - I have 10! - and easy to clean. They are also FREEE! So finger painting works goood for me. I am a professional people! Once it was up I quickly realized this was not the way to go. It was like an army barracks in there. It did not look as warm and inviting as the nice Pottery Barn bedroom above. I am VERY grateful I did not waste the whole gallon of paint to figure this one out! So back to Sherwin Williams I go...to get paint choice number 2 - Afternoon Shade. I cant find a swatch online but it is available at Home Depot or you can have another paint store mix it which is what I did...I had another 30% off coupon people!!
Back with paint color #2 I can say I have now found the Peanut Butter to my Jelly! She is gorgeous and spa like. Just the right tint of blue with the right mix of green. Here is a pic of it quite literally in the afternoon shade...
Though that isn't the best quality or lighting for a really good shot it was the best I could do at the time since I had no lighting in there...we can talk about that in the next post! Looks pretty good with our newly stained floors!
Lessons learned....
-Everything looks better in a Pottery Barn catalog!!
-When you have a small room or even if you have too much furniture in a big room you should always choose a lighter color.
-Spring for the little test colors if you can afford them. It will save you time and money if you decide the gallon you just bought is not going to work for the space! The only way to REALLY tell is when it is on YOUR wall and on EVERY wall in the room. Colors change with lighting and when you have windows on some walls and not others it will make a difference from every angle.
Ta ta for now - off to work on the office...still...
Bianca
Top photo courtesy of Pottery Barn Catalog - the rest are mine, I swear!
