In search of the perfect paint

While Steve was consumed by a myriad of fix-up projects with his dad, I was equally obsessed with the search for the perfect interior paint color. Steve and I thought it would be ideal if we could paint the house before we put the flooring down so we wouldn't have to worry about protecting our brand-new hardwood floors. Since having the floors in before we moved in at the end of October was one of our non-negotiables, the pressure was ON to find the perfect paint, and fast.

We had to pick one room to start with, and I chose our guest room. I've always had at least one yellow room in my house in the past, so our furnishings lend themselves to a buttery room. In my last apartment, I used Bavarian Cream (from Behr?). It was a soft gold that I loved. I didn't want to go so yellow this time, though, so I selected a lighter shade and the first room's decision was made.

Then came the hard part. Steve's mom and I had collected approximately 200 paint chips at Lowe's as I searched for an interesting yet light paint that I could use in the hall, living room, and kitchen (which all flow together). The perfect paint wouldn't make our north-facing living room and kitchen look too dreary, but I couldn't resign myself to a Linen White existence either. I was torn between painting the walls a light neutral or a warming the rooms with a color with more pop. With so many paint chips, my eyes had started to glaze over. Yikes! I had to narrow it down. I began googling paint colors to see if more experienced renovators could help me narrow down my array of options. I was already partial to a few of Restoration Hardware's colors, namely, Latte, Flax, and the ubiquitous Silver Sage...and if I chose to stay wih yellow, Butter or potentially Windham Cream, a Benjamin Moore color recommended in a New York Times column on the very subject of finding a foolproof paint. (Silver Sage was also suggested by the column's readers. Yup, ubiquitous.)

Steve didn't like the Windham Cream, so that was out. I was hesitant to use Silver Sage because I thought it had been overused and it is so strongly identified with RH, but I drove up to RH anyway and bought several 1 oz sample cans of paint to help me make up my mind. After striping the walls with a variety of shades, I decided to use Silver Sage in the dining room, which gets a lot of light. I may be a cliche, but I love it! Instead of driving back to RH, I went to our local Benjamin Moore store with my paint chip. (I had read online that BM makes RH's paint.) They actually already had the color formula on file, so I was ready to go! Second decision down...plus a bonus: Steve's mom had the idea of using the rest of my sample cans on the inside of our cabinets. So, I can review my choices again if needed!

Steve actually made the third decision. Since I was in charge of all other color selections (with his input, of course), he got sole ownership of the office color. He gathered his own extensive collection of paint chips in the blue-gray-green spectrum and ended up selecting a color called Sea Pine from Lowe's. It ended up coordinating really well with the Silver Sage. Nice work, Steve! Third decision down, and with minimal back-and-forth by me!

After all that research, I actually made a snap decision. I went back to the paint store to get Latte paint for our bedroom (which has a red accent wall). I almost bought enough for the rest of the house, but while I was there, the paint store guy told me I was too "vibrant" for an all tan house. He suggested Butter instead. I fell for it - and I'm still not sure if it was because I secretly wanted yellow all along, or I just couldn't resist his charms! Steve and his parents gamely tackled the painting while I was at work the next week, and despite his parents' less-than-love for yellow paint, they did an amazing job! Our little house is warm and cheery...for now. Believe it or not, after all that back-and-forth, I am still considering repainting the living room and kitchen. So stay tuned...

(And for those of you keeping track, we just finished the flooring. On January 13. Almost three months after our move-in date. So much for non-negotiables...we know much better now!)