My Own Before and After - Part I

Today was the piece de resistance of my interior decorating skills and perhaps my evolution into adulthood in some strange metaphoric way.  Leading up to today,  I decided that after 13 years, I was tired of the Behr's Butter Touch yellow of the living room and adjoining hallway.  So tired of it that I no longer found it pleasant to look at even when the sun streaming in through the west window.

In April, I decided to do a bit of repainting with the week off of work that I had scheduled in early May.  I've always liked other people's living room colors who had the 'mushroom' wall color with the white trim and ceiling so when I headed to Home Depot, that was my plan.  Somehow though, I got sidetracked with Behr's Coconut Shell color.  I knew I didn't want to paint a relatively small living room completely in a dark color so I grabbed some other lighter beiges and researched the term 'accent wall' when I got home just to make sure it's not cheesey or passe.  Sure, people commented that it's for people who lack commitment to color but seeing as that I once had a red bedroom, I didn't feel like they were referring to me and I still stuck with my original thought that a small room didn't need to be made to feel even smaller.

Later that weekend, after originally intending on going to the furniture store to look at computer chairs and patio furniture, I got waylaid by this amazing microfiber couch.  On one end - the chaise lounge.  On the other - this curved piece of pillowy cushyness called 'the snuggler'.  In the middle, two regular couch seats.  As we meandered around, I couldn't get this piece of furniture out of my head.  It was stuck in Big A's craw too.  When we both saw it, we knew it was exactly what we were looking for for the living room.   In the end, with the sale price and the additional 20% off that was going on that weekend, we went for it.  Now the hard part - what color?  The floor piece was brown with a tan edging.  Nice but after 13 years with a navy blue couch, I wasn't keen on going for something dark again even with a dog that is allowed on the furniture.  Another piece they had there was a forest green.  Also nice but my next door neighbors have the 3 seater couch companion piece in that.  After perusing the samples and after I thought I was leaning toward a light beige color, I surprised myself and did a complete 180.  "Let's go with the Pear."  While I didn't have my paper paint swatches with me, I thought it would go with the coconut shell color.  As luck would have it, with a $10 down payment, I could take the fabric sample with me (when returned, the $10 would be taken off of the amount still owed on the couch).

I ran to Home Depot on the way home and went through their paint colors and before settling officially on the Coconut Shell for one wall and the Natural Almond for the other three walls as well as the hallway and starred at the trifecta of colors all weekend while also getting a third and forth opinion by a couple of family members.  That next week, I officially purchased the paints and stocked up on all the supplies I would need (including Frog Tape which is so much better than the crappy blue stuff).

I couldn't wait for May 6 to arrive so that I could start while part of me did have a twinge about it.  I remember when my mom was dying, lying in bed next to her and talking to her about what I would do with the house and I had always wanted a butter yellow living room and she liked that idea as well.  Even though she wasn't around the spring of 2000 when I had my interior painting lesson with my cousin who had much more practice, I knew she knew...but yet, she doesn't know this coconut shell.  It has been awhile since I had one of those 'She/he doesn't know this' (referring to my mom or dad or both) when something changes.  I think the last thought like that I had was when the street was repaved a handful of years ago.  It can happen at random moments like that. 

Next up:  The solo painting experience!