Every morning this week while the boys are in camp, I wake up and think this will be the day I paint the kitchen. When I’m standing on the counter, holding my breath as I carefully paint around the molding above the cabinets, my concentration won’t be broken with, “Mom! I’m hungry!”
I won’t have to climb down, put my last good paintbrush in water, wash my hands, grab the first aid kit from somewhere in the bathroom vanity, and apply a tourniquet again for my kid who’s practicing knife juggling in the living room. I tell him, “Not in the same room as the white couch,” till I have tears in my eyes, but he doesn’t listen.
I even have the paint. Months ago, when Sherwin Williams was having a sale, I bought five gallons of white zero-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint. It contains less solvents and no VOCs, so what is emitted into the air is more environmentally friendly.
That’s important, living in a valley with two boys with allergies and one with asthma. I figure a co-pay at the doctor’s office for a sinus infection or mystery respiratory illness compared to how much extra I pay for each gallon, they pay for themselves. Last winter neither child had any respiratory complaints, not even asthma. It was our first asthma-free winter.
But it’s raining today. Should you paint when it’s raining outside? The Old Farmer’s Almanac says today is a good day to breed animals, plant aboveground crops, slaughter livestock. I think “not a good day to paint the kitchen” is implied.
Besides, it will take some therapy to settle on a color to mix into the white paint, but I’m willing to peel back the layers of paint traumatic stress and find long-term peace in my paint-color decisions.
I’m still not over “The Purple Mistake of 2008″. I was trying to find a complimentary color to go with our 1950s god-awful pale yellow toilet, sink and tub. The purple in the paint sample seemed okay when I held it up to the toilet but when it was all over the walls it was a backdrop for a freak show.
I put the lid on the paint after covering half a wall, drove back to Sherwin Williams hyperventilating and said, “Hook me up with a can of light blue. Stat!”
I held up my hand with the purple paint on it and said, “Barney exploded in my bathroom.”
The paint store guy winced, nodded knowingly, picked out a soothing blue, mixed it, dabbed a sample of the color on the lid and slid it across the counter for me. He was there for me. But he’s not at Sherwin Williams anymore. I think he’s bartending now.
If only these lunar phase charts could be more specific. There must be another lunar phase chart somewhere on the internet that says, “Today is a good day to paint coneflower blue in your kitchen but tomorrow is better.” A chart that not only tells you when to paint, but what color and offers a 24-hour procrastination window so I can ramp up to the idea. Because that two years since we had the kitchen renovated isn’t enough ramp up time. I don’t want this to be a rush job.
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I’ve been painting up a storm these past few days and I have become an expert at paint colours and being brave. I have a black hall way…trust me its dramatic and brilliant, my sitting room is an elegant grey, my little snug is summer pudding pink and has a large modern red leather sofa, the contrast is cool. I have a totally white bedroom, its like sleeping in moonlight and my downstair loo is papered with old maps even the ceiling…being brave is good for the soul Amy. Go on, give that kitchen what for!!! xx
I have a deep crimson wall in my present kichen. Just one wall, so it won’t make the already small room feel smaller. The other walls are a soothing pale blue, but I’d rather they were turquoise. (My husband doesn’t like green. Darn.) I love turquoise and dark red together. Mermaids and roses. They used the two colors together a lot in fifties advertising and I always think it looks so cool.
My single gal apartment in Los Angeles had crazy colors. I had a bright aqua vinyl couch pushed up against a wall I’d painted a dark Spanish orange called “Barcelona.” I still love that color. I painted a wall across the apartment the exact shade of aqua as the couch. It looked so cool.
I get a sage green and cream, soothing, light-and-pretty-but-still-earthy vibe from you. And I think you have peacock blue with brown accents in your aura, if that doesn’t make me sound too hippie.
I can’t wait to see what color you paint the kitchen. Be sure to take pictures. I’m excited for you! xoxo.
Will you show me all the pics of your bachelorette pad when you drive out here with the little boy and help me pick out colors???? Oklahoma isn’t THAT far!
Ooooh, I would love that! We really need to invent the magical instantaneous body transporting time machine soon so we can hang out whenever we want.
Hey there Amy.
I loved your phrase “The Purple Mistake of 2008″. I had a an “Orange Disaster of 2000″ that still haunts my parents to this day. I decorated one of their bedrooms and painted the walls a bright orange pumpkin colour. You’re probably thinking’YUK’ and you’d be right. The ‘decorating police’ are still looking for me to this day.
Hey if you really want to paint the kitchen …then just go for it and have fun. Take Leslie up on her offer of help and enjoy it together. Be Bold ;0)
i have never painted in my entire life….
Thanks for stopping by my blog few times,,,we appreciate your continued support…April and I plan to update every monday!
I suffer, I do… I have been looking at blank bathroom walls for months. I refuse to let any one use that RR until I pick a color and paint the walls. A chart to tell us when and what color is an good idea!
Aim,
Do you need help? Painting is not one of most favorite things to do, but I do have LOTS of really, really good experience. I’m almost a professional painter. I’m at least as good as one. We could crank that kitchen out in no time. Seriously. I know you’d be there for me. Dang. I bet the boys come home tomorrow. Oh well, it might be even better if I’m there. That way, you could tend to the guys, and I can keep on painting. Let me know.
We’ve painted when it was raining out before without any problems. We’ve had color regret too, but it was better than all the scrapes on the wall.
I painted one room in my house deep red. It’s the first wall you see when you walk into the house. The rest of the room is a cocoa brown and then, wham, crimson. It felt good.
Be bold, honey. Be bold.
There’s too much trim to be bold and then have “bold regret” and have to do it all over. I’m scared. Hold me.
Haven’t I warned you about a blue kitchen?
You have, Amy. Come over! Quick! Help me choose!
Any day is a good day to paint! I hope it turns out beautifully.