Back in 1992 after treatment for breast cancer, my husband and I decided to update our home and get rid of the floral wallpaper and ugly carpet that was there when we purchased the house a few years before. Wallpaper was still in, so we went with a tone on tone texture, with carpet in a similar color. When we went to sell the house a few years later, a couple had come by a few times and we figured they were going to make an offer; we were selling by owner. After measuring rooms and such, the husband asked what color the walls were; I replied peach. He then told us he didnāt like peach, and they left, never to be seen again How is it he liked the wallpaper until I told him the color? If I had called it something else, would they have purchased the house? I actually wondered if maybe he was colored blind and truly didnāt know what color it was.
I went to an event at the design center of our new community last night. One of the talks was about colors and finishing coming into style. The speaker said believe it or not, Minion (yes, like the minion character) yellow was going to be big; most of us there thought she was crazy! That said, the kitchen of my rental house is painter a similar color, but it is a small kitchen.
When I worked for an interior designer we used to work with color boards. Weād have wood, paint and fabric samples all together making sure they looked good together. We put together a board for one room with a lovely yellow wall. When we actually put that color on the walls of the room it was a horrible putrid green. Very frustrating!
Our entire house was bubble gum pink when we bought it. Carpets, walls, curtains and the bathroom tiles. We got a great price for it as it had languished on the market for over a year. One wall (which wasnāt pink - it was that horrible fake panelling) had a 1950s Harlequin pattern wallpaper under it. It was so bad it was almost good.
As someone above said, I like to ask what to nuts are added to the white. I can do this at the local BM or SW store, when they are not crowded.
After the hurricane, I was waiting weeks for my carpet to arrive at HD. A friend suggested I go to a local store and order. I picked out a karaston blue Berber (sonās room). Three days later it was installed. After that, use the mom and pop stores.
I absolutely understand. The irony is that youāre looking at a neutral pallet that changes.
Could you paint one wall in the color youāre leaning towards in order to experience how the space feels different as the light changes? Or, paint a large-ish piece of primed sheet rock to move around, that was my painterās recommendation.
What I like about Timid White, which I wouldnāt have fully appreciated when selecting it, is that room feels different in a good way as the natural light changes. And, where shadows are cast, it becomes, as expected, a shade darker, which I like. And, for some unknown reason, in the late afternoon, because of the light & those walls, it brings back memories of quiet moments on the West Coast or by the beach.
I would have no problem at all justifying the expense. Your home is your sanctuary. If you āhateā something about it, and you have the funds to change it, thatās not something to feel bad about.
A powder room is small, it should be possible to do a refresh without too much expense. In fact, it was the first part of my house that I updated. Three coats of Kilz over the wallpaper, pretty new color on the walls, new mirror and light fixture, new hardware, totally new look for under $200.
I am browsing bedding and pillows for my freshly painted bedroom (in cream, almost like the color @notrichenough posted). I think I will get a bluish-grey-steel-whatever bed cover and some teal pillows to throw on the bed. We have a cozy lounger to put by the fireplace, I will need to get a colorful throw for that, too.
I hated the oak mirror frame of the medicine cabinet in the powder room for years. One day, I thought, I have all this paint that I use for painting oil portraits I bet I could just paint it the darn thing maroon to match the tile border. It was about 15 minutes work and what a difference it made! A lot less expensive then getting a new medicine cabinet. I just wish all the changes were so cheap. We spent a good $30,000 rebuilding a garage we donāt even park in!
In some large test areas on the foyer walls, I hung some artwork with the sorts of (accent) colors I want there and like the Pearl very much. Helps weāve had two days of good sunshine. Itās lighter in the test area up the stairs. But I think when that full wall is done, good chance that wonāt bug me. Whew.
But right now, Iām getting that āYeah, got itā feeling I wanted. Will buy the paint soon.
@tx5athome - we installed a solar tube in our house 20 years ago and itās been problem free. We have an internal bathroom with no windows and before we put in the solar tube even in daytime it was pitch black. With the solar tube I sometimes think that someone left the light on. Our situation was new construction and I donāt even notice the bubble on the roof.
I really want a dutch door for our front door. Anyone know anything about dutch doors? Do you buy a dutch door or do you make a regular door into a dutch door? I kind of like the traditional dutch doors, but my husband is worried that a future dog (current dog is not a jumper) would jump out so he thinks a 2/3 or 3/4 dutch door would be better.
We have a dutch door on our back door. It was already here when we bought the house. Itās lovely, except for the fact that we also have a storm door which isnāt ādutch.ā So unless we bother to take out the window from the storm door and replace it with the screen ā which we never bother to do ā itās really not worth the bother.
The break occurs 40" off the ground, so youād need a pretty athletic dog to jump it.
I have two athletic and one not so athletic cat, all jumpers, and Iād love to put a Dutch door leading from the kitchen to my BBQ pad. I have been researching it and I think a custom bug screen will keep the cats in.
You buy a dutch door. The make screen doors where you just slide the storm and screen parts which easier. I do think a screen would be a good way to stop wayward dogs. My family had a dog that had no problem with a four foot fence, but he could get a good running start. Thatās less likely when you are going from indoors to outdoors.
Yes to the running start. Cats donāt need it, dogs do. Our dog never tried to run through a bug screen on our slider, so it is possible that a screen might work as a good anti-jumping device.
I think I found my door. It has a large slider window. Much better than the typical barn door setup.
What a fun thread. Love reading about everyoneās projects and challenges.
However, I need to ventā¦we hired a structural engineer to do the drawings for an exterior second floor deck. He first said heād be done July 12, the July 20 then last Thursday and now, here it is, August 3 and neither our architect nor I have his final designs. He did finally respond when I had an urgent question about a door size (order was being placedātook 3 days to respond to my email) and then about 10 days ago when he sent something preliminary to our architect.
While I have a contractor and weāve agreed to an estimated price, I canāt sign a contract until the contractor has the drawings so he knows whatās involved. The architect canāt submit our project to our city for permitting without it. I timed the order of our panoramic door system with the time weāre supposed to start this project and Iām bumping up against the expected start date/turnaround time for permitting, etc.
The structural engineer is terrible about responding to emails and phone calls are answered by someone who consistently says heās not in the office and all she can do is take a message and pass it along.
Everyoneās so busy here that, even though the thought of finding someone else floats through my mind (illogical because heās already submitted part of the work, Iāve made an initial payment to him, etc.), Iād have to wait weeks to get someone. Weāre hosting Thanksgiving and my goal was to be doneā¦really questioning whether thatās going to happen now and whether I might lose my contractor because our original timing may slip.
Iām so frustrated that this guy is so non-communicative and, clearly, canāt meet deadlines he was the one to set. And, yes, he came highly recommended by a good friend.
How is it he liked the wallpaper until I told him the color? If I had called it something else, would they have purchased the house? I actually wondered if maybe he was colored blind and truly didnāt know what color it was.
