You know how we got crown moulding this past spring? Well, when we painted it, we got paint on our khaki walls, so we were going to have to paint them anyway.
I got the bright idea to change the color, just for something different and I thought a nice silvery blue would look good. So, we bought two teensy sample jars of paint to try them out a few colors, and I’m glad we did, because I’ve decided that both the shades we tried were too dark, too blue, and not silvery enough.
Nuts.
It’s back to the drawing board for now. I’m going to get two more little jars, and hopefully one of the other two colors I’m considering will be THE ONE.
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
My favorite colors of paint come from Restoration Hardware’s and Pottery Barn’s paint chips. You don’t have to buy the paint from them, just match it. I know Pottery Barn has a french silvery blue that you might be looking for. I can’t remember the name of it, but you should be able to request chips. The nice thing about these two stores’ paint selection is that they don’t have so many that it’s overwhelming. And I’ve used so many of those colors and have never had a bad one. It also helps that you can look at the catalog (or the store if you are close enough) and see the colors on the walls in their model rooms.
I hope that helps. Good luck!
Oddly enough, my inspiration for this color change came from looking in a Pottery Barn store. Hee.
Aw the link to this post is broken from your regular blog post Kristen! Or so it says. I had to get here by clicking your Frugal Girl 365 link at the top
I really do like the color on the left. It’ll be interesting to see which you end up with! We went with a silvery blue (very light!) gray for the bedroom. Love it
I’m now sort of worried about the color in the dining room, as I think theres too much! So…I might be painting more this week ;p
Oh, whoops! I think I fixed the link now.
Nope, I just tried it and got the gnarly dude message! The paint looks great – I know you’ll find the right one. I like putting the paint on the wall – you can test it the different light in various parts of the room. When I painted the outside of my house a year ago last summer, I put 6 or seven colors on two different sides. It gave the neighbors fair warning – the final color choice is called Movie Star and it is this aging woman’s version of a snazzy little red convertible.
I just tried it, too, and it was still broken.
I used EIGHT, yes, eight, sample jars before deciding on our kitchen paint.. Save them for craft projects!!
Oh I really like the two colors you tried! Maybe I’m just loving every colored wall these days because we can’t paint our apartment walls and they’re all WHITE!
Keep us in the loop, I like hearing about your decorating projects.
Kristen,
I am chuckling because I am trying to find the right color of blue for my bathroom! And we have the same wall clock! and the same kitchen table! and we are both piano teachers!
Blue is a hard color to nail down as it really takes on a different personality on the wall as opposed to in the can. Try looking in the grays instead of the blues: for example look for a gray thats heading towards blue instead of a blue heading towards gray or maybe try leaning towards the lilac tones (not much) and you may get the slivery tone you are looking for.
and the khaki that you are painting over is the color we painted our downstairs family room! tee-hee!
I agree, both of those colors would be much too dark for me! Great that you tried a small sample first, and didn’t paint the whole room!
Will you have to do something fancy to the failed blues, before you can use your final choice?
WilliamB, who has had one non-white-ish room in my whole life
Well, I think I’ll probably just put primer on that wall since I’m planning to go lighter with the new color.
Kristen, who has hardly any white-ish rooms in her house (kitchen and one bathroom are it, not counting hallways!)
If you go to the Oops Aisle in Home Depot or Lowe’s you may find some returned paint which is, of course, cheaper. Maybe the right color will be waiting for you there.
I think I spent more on paint samples than I did on the actual paint when I painted my living room a few year ago. I have found that the owner of my Benjamin Moore store is very helpful in choosing colors. My first try is usually way off and when I go back he has just the right sugestion. The paint is certainly more expensive but the advice is worth it.
I haven’t commented on all the craziness lately but this post is an example of why I can identify with you and why I keep reading the Frugal Girl. I’ve made some different choices in my life but I’m happy with them in the same way that you are happy with your choices. I like reading about how you try to live your life in the best possible way for you and your family. I admire your committment and I’m also inspired by reading about how you address the challenges in your life. We may not have the same challenges or priorities but I do make an effort to focus on the things that are important to me and to work toward my goals. In that way I think we are very alike. I look forward to reading your blog every day just the way it is!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoy my blog despite being different than me. That’s awesome.
I have been married almost 39 years and have tried getting the color paint I want my using paint swatches, sample paints etc. … but the most effective and cheapest way I have found to get the color I really want is by using those little containers of acrylic craft paint … I go to Walmart and search for the color I think I want (most times bringing a fabric swatch with me to match it) I paint a sample … or samples … of the acrylic paint on my wall until I find what I want … did that with my family room … I wanted a golden taupe/tan color but could not find the right shade with the paint stores samples (much like Maria ) … so when I was at Walmart purchasing paint for my crafts, I saw the color I thought I wanted … brought it home and loved it … I painted a large area on an index card and took it to my local Benjamin Moore store where they color matched in perfectly! it was spot on!
Do you mind sharing the names of those blues……I actually LOVE them!
you might want to look at some of the benjamin moore colors…my parents’ kitchen/family room area is painted in van courtland blue and it is a lovely blue/gray. the benjamin moore website has a page on best selling blues with some fantastic colors on it. also, home depot paints paint very well and the aura from benjamin moore is a bit thick to paint with (it covers well if you’re going lighter without priming and is great in bathrooms, but isn’t worth it for regular rooms). I hope you enjoy your ‘new’ room!