I spent virtually every waking minute this weekend painting, or getting ready to paint, or cleaning up after a painting project. But you know what (aside from my sore muscles from going up and down the ladder) it feels *so* good! To say that room needed a fresh coat of paint is the under statement of the century. Wow…what a difference! And the best part is this: unlike my window cleaning project from a couple of weeks ago, this project will stay looking nice for much, much longer (though this time I will not be stretching the paint job for twelve years!)
I ended up choosing a nice shade of green. (Well, I think it’s a nice shade of green, anyway.) Green seems to be my new favorite color. It has always been my Dad’s favorite color…so maybe I grew up with so much green that green feels like home to me.
Anyway, it’s Castleton Mist or HC-11 from Benjamin Moore. I used their new Eco Spec paint which is Zero VOC and minimal odor. Oh my heavens, I seriously love this paint! It was the best. Literally it didn’t smell bad at all and it covered so well it was amazing! I have 1-1/2 gallons of paint left, it covered so well, so I’m going to be painting our master bathroom the same color. That room really needs a fresh coat, too, so no worries—it’s one less decision to make. First, though, I have to strip the wall paper border and figure out how to cover the discolored spots on the ceiling. That should be fun. Painting ceilings is always a laugh-riot, if you know what I mean.
I’m down now to one more paint choice to make…the hallway. Any suggestions? (The hall is that long narrow strip in the floor plan photo that connects one green room, to a pink one, a blue one, and another room in a different shade of green.) I’m thinking a neutral is a must…but which neutral? There are so many to choose from… Any ideas?
So that’s what I finished this weekend. How about you? Did you do anything fun, long over due, or in any other way completely rewarding? Hope you had a great weekend…I’d love to hear what you’ve been up to.
Okay, that’s it for now. Enjoy the rest of your Monday.
P.S. Many thanks to my friend Stacey for helping me paint this weekend. I’d for sure still be up on a ladder if it weren’t for you. 🙂
I’m so glad you’re getting ready to open the registration for Get Organized for the Holidays. I just checked this morning to see if it was up yet. Since we’re staying home this year, and it’s the last of just the two of us, I want to get organized!
I’m so glad you’re glad, Alissa! It will be fun spending the holidays with you. 🙂 — Aby
I always paint my hallways a neutral shade of tan. My last two houses have been more on the gold side but I’m into fall colors right now. I think a good khaki or beige would go with all the colors you have going on.
I {heart} Benjamin Moore’s Brandon Beige. Good luck!
So glad it worked out well for you, Aby. G’luck with the aches and pains (painting always seems easy until we undertake it, right?).
And I”m SO glad you like Castleton Mist. One of my favorite BM colors. It’s on my kitchen walls, with white painted cabinets. Took forever to pick it out (it looks like sage on the card) but in my kitchen it looks like pear, which is exactly what I wanted. I also love that the color changes with the changing light over the course of the day. Hope you love it, too!
Hi Aby, an idea that I have for your hallway is how about several shades lighter in the same color family as your great room? It looks like a neutral khaki?? My thought is then it would easily flow from that open room to the open hallway without getting too dark???
I am new to your blog, but love your Finish it Friday idea. This long weekend (in West Oz) I finished sewing the curtains for the wall of wardrobe in our bedroom. Thanks for the inspiration.
Mx
Hi Aby, Love the color! I would go with maybe a sand color beige. My husband just painted the kitchen/dining room a sand color. Just love it! I did a kahki in the living room and hallway. So you can’t go wrong with either color. If your hallway is darker go a little lighter. A fresh coat of paint has just made the biggest difference in out rooms.
1. I worked on my closet this weekend:
a. I used those slim line hangers and it’s the best decision I made. So neat and organzied.
b. Purged the dress clothes from when I worked and knew I wouldn’t use. Also purged a bunch of things I thought maybe I might wear and haven’t. Time for them to go. Also got rid of a bunch of heels and shoes.
c. Labeled my shoe boxes.
2. Then I did my husbands small closet and cedar chest.
3. Finished the auto/home insurance paperwork along with the health insurance stuff that was pending. Glad that’s done!
4. Made my Halloween cards.
It’s so nice to have that closet done and it wasn’t in bad shape becasue I’m good at keeping it organzied but I needed to make that final decision to let go of the work clothes. I’m so glad I did. Along with all that I did get in some reading and finished a good book. Hope you have a great day!
I think you should do the hall the same color as your family room – or whatever room that is at the top right of your diagram.
We’re looking for a hallway color too! We have Behr Gobi Desert (a good tan) in the living room and master bedroom, and a lighter tan + brick red on one wall in my sons room, and in my husbands office, and pink & purple in my daughters room. And the kids bathroom is yellow and dark blue (duck theme). All of those rooms come off the (long & narrow & dark) hallway.
The walls still have builder grade flat white on them, and we’ve had kids the whole time we’ve lived here…..they are UGLY.
Have been thinking about semi-gloss white, to keep it as light as possible, but be washable too, since there’s hands all over it all the time! But, would like a little color, to make the white trim “pop” like it does in all the other rooms!
Hallway: I vote for a light taupe. It is warmer than gray, but not your typical beige.
Thanks for all the paint ideas! (Keep ’em coming!) I’m going to paint my bathroom first…so…I have time to ponder this. I’ll keep you posted. 🙂
Ceiling stains – first try a mixture of water and bleach in a spray bottle – just be careful because you know, it is bleach.
Second there is a paint called Kilzs – I guess because it kills stains, you use it as a primer. Good luck.
I found a simple solution for touch ups on celings. If you have an unpanted ceiling that is basically dry wall mud with a texture, you can get drywall mud pre mixed in a tub and grab a paint brush (I used a 1/2″ sized artist brush I had on hand) and paint it with thin coats. When it dries you never know the difference:)
An older home may have discolored, and the dry wall mud color may be off.
That’s a cool way of laying out the colors for the entire house.