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I knew it was going to be hard to pick a color.

While I’ve done my fair share of paint-color-picking, I’ve never been in the position of having to get two children to agree on a color.

It is not the easiest thing ever.

7 cans of sample paint

Yes. This is how things are going.

Sonia and Zoe, having never been responsible for picking out paint colors before, were naturally drawn to some very loud, saturated shades of blue.

That is NOT MY THING AT ALL, but since I try really, really hard to let my kids have a big say in decorating their spaces, we trotted off to Home Depot yesterday and brought home three bright blue samples.

I thought they would look sort of…Caribbean.   Which is not my thing, but whatever.

Instead, it was worse.

It looked like I slapped painter’s tape up all over the walls.

blue looks like painters tape

Totally looks like painter’s tape, right?

No, just no.

Plus, we could tell that the saturated, dark nature of the colors was going to make their space feel small.

(And this was after I talked them down a shade or two from their initial chosen colors!)

So.

We went back to Home Depot and came home with two shades of light greenish blue, which were a marked improvement.

However, one kid felt that they were really TOO green.

Cue sad trombone, because at this point, I’d already spent half my day on this and gotten nowhere.

So.

We went back to Home Depot for a third time that day.

 ColorSmart by Behr

When we got there, the color machine was being reimaged and updated.   Because of course.

I was not having a super good attitude by this time.

I mean, I knew it was silly to get upset about this because hello, it’s a very first world problem.

“Waaah! I’m having to get in my car multiple times to drive to a nice, modern store where I will get small jars of custom mixed paint to use in a not-at-all-necessary-for-survival project in my safe, insulated, heated, and cooled home.   My life is obviously full of pain.”

But even after I thought about that, I still felt crabby.

(Keepin’ it real, here.)

Anyhoo, we bought two additional cans of sample paint, this time in a more turquoise shade.

All Of The Paint Samples

Why yes, I DID start running out of places to sample colors.   Why do you ask?

So now we are down to two paint colors, and neither kiddo wants to budge at the moment.

Colors are difficult to represent accurately, especially when you take photos at the end of the day, but here you go.

This one is Aspiring Blue, which is a slightly gray/green shade, and is more subtle.

subdued shade

And the other is this turquoise color, which is more saturated.

turquoisee

Actually, a better contrast between the two is here.   Look to the right of the fish tank…the lower color there is the Aspiring Blue, while the one right above is is the turquoise.

all of the paint samples

While none of us other four household members would pick any of these colors, Mr. FG, Joshua, Lisey and I all prefer the more subtle shade.

So, now we have to figure out what to do.   The two colors obviously do not match well enough for a compromise (two walls in one, two walls in the other!), so I think we have to just make a decision.

The problem is that one kid wants BRIGHT AND COLORFUL and the other thinks that a more subtle color will be more classy and sophisticated.

I do think that the subtle shade is something that they would still love in their teen years, and since 5/6 of us prefer it, I’m inclined to go with that.   Also, it looks far more colorful and fun when it’s not right next to the bright turquoise.

Aaaand it matches the rest of the house better.

But I do feel bad for the 1/6 of us who likes the turquoise so I hesitate to make a decision.

Oof.

So, um, I guess stay tuned to find out what happens!

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Lisa

Thursday 23rd of July 2015

I agree that you can't have the "loser" hating her bedroom for the next five years. I am all for mixing the two paints together. If it's too crazy a color, tell them to live with it for a year. Then if they they choose another color TOGETHER you will consider it.. When they are older they will realize this isn't a life-changing decision. But they will always remember how it went down and who got what she wanted and who didn't.

Linda

Thursday 23rd of July 2015

We're going through the same thing right now. (My 2 are teenagers on top of it). Got them to agree on a blue-gray theme and sent the one off to camp for 4 weeks! The one at home chose 2 colors with my guidance and we got samples and surprisingly we liked the darker one. That will make the one at camp happy. The key now is having it completely finished before she gets back.

Beth

Thursday 23rd of July 2015

My soon to be 18 year old daughter selected a very loud shade of blue for her bedroom 5 years ago- I never liked it and thought it made her room feel like an ugly cave. This past spring she fell in love with a lavender bedspread which obviously wouldn't look great with the blue walls so we agreed to paint (although her Dad wasn't thrilled with this decision). She selected a gray paint and we painted her room- the gray looks awesome with her black platform bed and bookshelves. I can't imagine trying to get 2 girls to agree on a color- best of luck to you!!

Kristen

Thursday 23rd of July 2015

I really, really love the way gray makes a neutral background for whatever else you want to put in the room. I painted Joshua's room gray last summer at his request and it just looks great!

Polly

Wednesday 22nd of July 2015

I'd suggest painting the walls the lighter colour and then painting the door to their room the bright colour. Or you could paint the bed the brighter blue :)

Our neighbours just repainted their house with grey walls and it looks really awesome. I saw someone mentioned that idea. If you then did the furniture in the shades of blue, the room will stay neutral and modern and the furniture will be fun and youthful. If you choose the shades of blue from the same strip, you know they will be complimentary in the room.

All the best! Attempting to paint my kids' furniture these holidays.

Daisy

Wednesday 22nd of July 2015

Forgive me for not reading the first 50 comments before making mine. Did you consider giving the 1/6 a furniture piece in turquoise?

Kristen

Wednesday 22nd of July 2015

I haven't offered up that option yet...but we do have a nightstand I could paint that color.

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