Wednesday, October 1, 2014

let's talk...

...paint. I can't believe I'm being so indecisive about our color schemes in our new house. I usually have such a clear idea of what I want, but I'm struggling. Trying to remember that I can always change it. But the reality is that I have little patience and like for things to be perfect the first time. So there's that. This is where my thought process is...

What we do know is that we like gray. But should it be a warm gray or a cool gray ...light or dark? I don't know! All I know is that gray is hard. It picks up tones. I don't want our home to look to cool, but I don't want it to be beige either. I can't decide how light or dark to go and if I want more of a green gray or a blue gray. Green gray is so earthy and warm. Blue Gray is soothing and southern. Light gray is open, crisp, and airy. Darker grays are welcoming and cozy. You see my struggle? So naturally, I've been scouring Pinterest like a mad woman. Here are some inspiration photos and colors I've been considering.

 Repose Gray is not purple. It's not blue. It's not green. It's just gray and I really love it.

And then there's Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter, which reminds me a lot of Repose Gray (above). We used to have this in our condo in a half tint and I loved it. It's not too cool, not too warm, which is exactly what I'm after. This color is weighing heavy in my mind, probably because it's familiar. 

Sherwin Williams Dovetail is a gorgeous gray/brown. Definitely on the dark end of the spectrum, but I love how rich it is and even though it's dark, it's warm and inviting. I feel like it would have to be paired with this much white to have such a crisp effect. I wouldn't use this color in big spaces, but I think it would be lovely in the powder bath.


Leaning towards the lighter, cooler end of things is Benjamin Moore Wickham Gray. After doing some research on this color, it seems to be a green-blue shade in bright light and a soft gray in dimmer lighting.

Perhaps a big front runner is Benjamin Moore Moonshine. It's got that slight earthy tone I really love.

And then there's Benjamin Moore Horizon. A true gray that's super soft and subtle. Uh! You feel my pain? They are all beautiful!

Oy. And BM Abalone.

And BM Balboa Mist. See, between the last two...here I go going all beige on us.

I'm calling it quits. The options are endless and I've only nicked the surface of two paint brands! My brain can't take this.

12 comments:

  1. It makes such a big difference to see it in your actual room. We always end up buying a ton of samples and choosing them that way. Good luck can't wait to see what you decide!

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  2. I have BM Grey Owl in my kitchen/great room...It is a great color...depending on the light, it can look like a grey, soft green or light blue...I just LOVE it...so soft and pretty. The exterior of our house is SW Dovetail Grey. I love it also...but I think it would be too dark for the interior of a house. My son's bedroom is Revere Pewter. I don't think you can go wrong with that color. Our basement is SW Agreeable Grey. A great nuetral...It looks more greige in our basement since it doesn't have a lot of natural light down there. Good luck with your decisions! :)

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  3. I wish I could help more. Photos of the space you will be painting would be helpful. How much light are these rooms getting? How wide is your trim/baseboard? Is your trim white? What color is the flooring? A lot of factors go in to how a paint color will look in a room.

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  4. Girl you have such great taste that I just know it will come out great! Best advice is to narrow down the paint selection to four or five colors that you like. Get the samples and paint the samples on the wall in like 12 x12 blocks. I would paint a couple different walls so you can see how the lighting effects it from different angles. My best advice is do not rush! Rome wasn't built in a day and great design choices take time. If you buy nice, you only have to buy once, meaning that if you put thought into each purchase you make as far as furniture goes, it will last you a lifetime. My husband and I built our house 2 years ago and I still have rooms unfurnished. I know that sounds discouraging, but we are buying high quality pieces that will last us forever...or at least until my tastes change ;)

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  5. I love the BM moonshine and BM wickham grey. Agree with Emily that you should test out a bunch on your walls. Tough choice!

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  6. I totally feel your pain with trying to pick the perfect gray. Honestly, there are way too many choices out there. We tried sooooo many samples when we were painting our house because we knew we had to have the perfect color. We were painting every room in the house the same color including the ceilings!! So, I will tell you that our walls are SW Repose Gray. You can see it in our house tour photos on my blog if that helps you. We love it and our so happy with our choice.

    www.homeofmalones.blogspot.com

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  7. I love BM Wickham Gray! Not to add to your struggles, but I painted my bedroom BM Hazy Skies, which is a warmer, beige-y gray and I love it. I'm sure whatever color you choose you'll be able to make it look amazing!

    Emily
    www.cooperthames.com

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  8. I bought a foreclosed property a few years ago, it was a complete remodel. The first thing I did upon closing was select paint samples. Like you, I like grey and the versatility that it offers furniture and decor. As a first pass, I selected numerous greys from Lowes and purchased them in smaller sample cans. In order to keep things simple, I limited myself to a light, medium and dark tone so that I could paint each room according to the amount of sunlight it received and keep my palette minimal.

    Upon painting swatches of the Lowes paints on the walls and allowing them to dry, I wasn't pleased. What passes for a "true" grey on a paint chip is not a "true" grey on walls. From there, I immediately went to Sherwin Williams and never looked back. I was able to find the truest of greys in light, medium and dark tones. If I wasn't altogether sold on a paint color, they would custom mix it for me! I would highly recommend purchasing all of your paints from Sherwin Williams, they also have great sales.

    Good luck, I hope this helps!

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  9. Had to comment because oh my word, do I feel your pain! We are building and even though our builder doesn't need paint colors for a few more weeks, I finally sent them all over to him Monday because I was tired of staying up way past my bed time scouring Pinterest and second guessing myself!!! I said "Here. I'm done. No turning back". We went with SW Worldly Gray, one shade lighter than Amazing Gray which is a lot like BM Revere Pewter, to off set our dark hardwood floors. It's a light, warm gray. There really are so many...too many...to choose from. Gives a whole new meaning to 50 Shades of Gray, right? HA! Hope you make some decisions (and get some sleep like me) soon!

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  10. Hey,
    I really like your lovely Blog. Do you want to follow each other via GFC?
    If yes tell me and i follow you back, honey :)

    Greetings from Germany
    www.sophias-fashion.blogspot.com

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  11. I love the Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter Gray! That's such a beautiful color!

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  12. Abalone! It's in my living room and we love it.

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