Paint can be a valuable tool for restoring a room. This attic loft we remodeled last summer had nicotine stained walls.
Here’s what a fresh coat of paint can do…
Loft After
Paint, however, can be quite fickle. Many people have found the perfect paint swatch only to discover, once it was on the walls, that it was NOT the perfect color. Paint can “turn” when it is exposed to different light. It’s almost like it has a mind of its own.
The worst example of unfortunate paint choices for me was during our latest rehab. We had a very dark, upstairs hallway that we wanted to lighten and brighten. The photo below was taken with a flash, so you don’t get a feel for how dark the hall was. Trust me, it was dimly lit.
Hall Closet door before rehab
My paint consultant from Sherwin Williams and I thought a soft, cheerful yellow would work well. However, the 2”x3” paint swatch we used to choose the color was NOT a big enough paint sample to accurately preview the color. When we painted it on the walls, it looked like a Preschool playroom. The kind of playroom where the kids scream all day long.
I rushed to the Sherwin Williams nearest the property. I grabbed a bunch of paint chips, went back to the house, and narrowed down my choices. Then I went back to the paint store and bought a quart of the color I thought might work. I painted a wide swath of color on the wall to make sure I really liked the paint. Here is the result…
Hall without closet door.
I have been working with Heather, my Sherwin Williams consultant, for years and have never needed to repaint a room. Normally, I love our paint choices. Wrangling the colors in this hall, however, taught me a good lesson. I need to preview a large sample of paint on the walls of a room before I make a final color decision. One quart of paint is waaaaaaay less expensive that having painters re-paint a property.
Linked to:
Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage
Before/After Party at Thrifty Decor Chic
Power of Paint at Domestically Speaking
Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest
looks AMAZING!!!
Thanks, Ashley.
I love that color thinking about painting my bedroom that color!
Amanda
Blog Designer
I like both the neutral and the Grey colors, but I think I prefer the Grey from the attic.
Yikes! That was one scary yellow. The muted colors you’ve picked turned out great. Nice and soft, yet still colorful and far from boring.
The yellow was even more neon in person. Complete fail… except that I got to blog about it.
Ivy and Craig, thank you very much for allowing us to take one last look at my childhood home. We have many, many memories about this house and our family living there. You have done such an excellent job in remodeling. I love, love the “new” kitchen and bath. I do have 2 questions; what type of countertop did you use in the kitchen and did you remove the tile in the bathroom before installing the tub surround and the beadboard?
We are so glad you were able to say “goodbye” to your house. We thoroughly enjoyed spending time with you. The kitchen counters are new laminate. We did remove the tile in the bathroom. It’s easier to install surrounds and beadboard on a smooth surface.
I’m also a family member of this house, and wonder what you installed on the kitchen floor and bathroom floor. Is it tile, lino, the pictures don’t bring that out. The kitchen and bathroom look fabulous except we can’t see floors.
Both the kitchen and bathroom floors have new linoleum. It is sometimes difficult to take pictures in tight spaces like a bathroom, so I don’t know if I have any shots of the floor. I’ll check!
I LOVE this! Its FAB!!! Come on ‘ova and share this at my Linky Par-Tay!
*ENTER LINKY PAR-TAY Here! *
xoxokara
This is beautiful. This would be fun to decorate.
This would be fun to decorate. I always wonder what the buyers of our properties will do with the blank slate we give them.
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