Paint
I think I’m going to give myself an anxiety attack over what colors to paint our new place. I’ve been playing with the color selector at Sherwin-Williams and I just don’t know what to do! None of their “scenes” look anything like my reality. My reality is much smaller with more eclectic furniture. I’ve tried the same colors on various scenes and somehow it always looks totally different. And that’s on a monitor that doesn’t do color justice. How am I ever going to pick out decent colors? My mom is a terrible color picker outer and I’m afraid of going down the same path. I don’t want to pay a shitload of money to have the place painted, and walk in and cry when I see my new neon blue home. It really is amazing the difference color can make.
I had two different paint guys over to give me an estimate. It was enlightening, to say the least.
The first guy called to confirm the address and make sure I was going to be there. He arrived just on time and was very personable and friendly. He was in the house over an hour, taking all kinds of measurements. He explained a lot about the different kinds of paints and how, exactly, he would achieve a good look for the house. He agreed that the red had to go and listened to my concerns and needs. In a word, he was fantastic. His quote was less than I expected but it was still an amount that would make any sane man run for his own paint brushes. Except I suck at painting and Mike is a perfectionist so I think he is willing to hire this guy.
The next guy was a total asshole. He came at 5, so Mike was able to be there as well. He clearly wanted to talk to Mike but I am the one planning the painting so he had to talk to me. I think he is from a culture where women don’t talk to the worker guys.
He immediately told me that the red living room doesn’t need to be painted. True. It doesn’t need to be painted. The paint job is nice. However, I am not going to live in a red living room. Just not going to happen.
So then he told me that all the baseboards and wainscoting has to be painted white. I repeated it back to him several times and he kept saying he would only paint it white. Ummmmm. What the hell? You are a painter man. You paint the colors I tell you to paint. That’s why you’re making the big bucks. My friend was over looking at the house and she thought he must have some kind of spray gun that he uses on new construction so he only wanted to use white in it. I don’t know, but I can guarantee you that I will not be using his services no matter how low his quote is. I’d rather pay more for someone I can work with, than have the whole experience turn into an ordeal with an asshole contractor. Obviously he didn’t want the job very much. Who tells their painting client that their house doesn’t need to be painted?
Ok, so the first guy did point out a couple of rooms that didn’t need paint if I was happy with the color, but that was because we were discussing which rooms, exactly needed paint as a refresher. I think we are only leaving the two upstairs bathrooms alone. If we are in a new house it is so much better to paint before we move in. The closing was quite a bit less than we were originally told, so that should cover most of the painting. SCORE!
I guess I better run. Time for BSG: The Most Depressing Show Ever Made.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Congrats on the new house. That’s so exciting. I hate painting too (and we did it ourselves) but it does make a big difference in making your house feel like your own.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
I hate when people give me unsolicited advice, but…. When choosing paint, my brother-in-law painter gave me a helpful tip. When you pick out a paint swatch or two at the store that you think you like, rather than taking just 1 swatch, take 4-6 of that color, then cut and tape them to make a bigger swatch. Then you can hold that up against the walls in different lighting at different times of day to be sure you will like the color. Plus, it’s cheaper than even buying the paint samples to put on the wall, at least until you narrow it down to one or two samples!
January 31st, 2009 at 9:47 am
Since you are comfortable in the fabric world, maybe you could find colors that you like and that go together in a fabric you like and pick those? That’s a tip I saw on HGTV once (when I could watch it without feeling guilty for all the homey stuff I don’t do!)
Apparently, paint places can even match colors exactly from something like a throw pillow (or quilt).
We have repainted three rooms in our house, and I hate 2 of them now, so maybe I’m not the best person to ask, tho…
(I’ve heard from people I know in construction that business is really horrible for anyone working on houses from the economy, so if you can afford to hire a pro and give someone a job, that might be another benefit.)
Mommyprof’s last blog post..Comp teachers, you have my sympathy
January 31st, 2009 at 9:12 pm
When we bought our house in Portland, OR, it was a sea of acoustic white. I am just as color challenged as you are. I hired a color consultant to come and pick out colors for me. It was $100 about 8 years ago. She spent 1 hr in the house looking at all of the furniture and my clothes and ended up giving me a great palette of colors. We did the painting ourselves and ended up using the majority of her selections. My husband nuked the idea of painting the living room lavendar, but everything else turned out smashing. I thought it was worth the $$. In our new house, we have been going one room at a time and repainting. I’m already planning to go back this summer and repaint our first bathroom. I tend to go too light on color and should pick a shade or two darker.