lyban: The Mount Sainte Anne also looks very nice; but seems I did not pull a card for it when I was at BM--even though I pulled almost all the blues grays and greenish colors. I find so many times posters will recommend a color and it's not out in the racks and I need to request it; wonder why that is? Next time I go in I will ask for it, though, as it also looks a good possibility. DS is resereving judgment until I put the sample boards up as he felt the colors looked different between my computer monitor and the paint chips. I'm taking DS out this evening to finalize the mattress--there is a Friends and Family additional 10% off sale at Sears and the associate I was working with suggested I'd get a better price then.

The cabinets I think were Cypress. I live in Louisiana & I have the remodel plans from the person that built the pool house addition & they call for cypress. That is a wood that is native to here but, the grain is much like an oak so maybe it is cypress or maybe it is oak. Anyway, there is definitely a grain to it. DH and i argued about the primer coats & how many to put. I won that won (not that it got me anything) because the ones I did don't show any graining with 2 coats of primer. The ones he did do. So if you have thick coat of stain and/or any top coat on oak, you have to sand really well first. Then 2 coats of primer are a must - IMHO. I can see the grain in the ones that DH did and it drives me nutso. Like the underneath of the upper cabs for example. If he had sanded better & done 2 coats of primer, I don't think you would see it since I don't see the grain on the other surfaces. Who knows though because they were custom cabs, the cabinet guy could have used other woods too. They are 8 years old. Don't be afraid though. It is a lot of work but, if you follow the advice on this forum, the result is worth it. The cabs are not that shiny, it's just the lighting in the pool house is not great. They are very pretty. To the poster that asked about DIY cabs, there are some, mostly though people rip out old and put in new. I think that totally depends on the age of the cabs and the condition. If you can save what you have you are technically "going green". How in vogue is that? If they are nasty and have no character to them, then you have to start over. I have seen several posts for people that re-did therofoil or whatever it is called. It is more detailed what needs to be done but, nonetheless, less than new cabs are. I have friends and have seen many posters whose cabinets were $75k. Wow, that's a ton of money. So if you can figure it out, use what you have! Go for it. A little at a time is fine too. If you hate your cabinets, paint them. There are many posters here that have black, blue, brown or white cabinets. All look good. If you can use what you have then a little paint is so cheap compared to new. To be honest, I have the same types of cabinets in my kitchen, laundry, DD bath in my 1950s/remodeled in 2000 house that are 8 years old. All of those cabinets, I will either paint or have painted professionally, the wood is not really nice enough to restain. The ones in my Master bath & guest bath that are original to the house and then painted from 1950, they are out. They are just flat front wood nothing cabinets. There is no saving those. Anything in the last 20 years thougth might be savagable. There are so many options for colors. I can post some colored cabinets from my inspiration file if you would like to see them. that will show you paint grade cabs that are just beautiful.

Try picking up a quart of plain white and a quart of the Weimaraner color in the finish you want for your trim (sheen can alter color perception), along with some dixie cups, plastic teaspoons, cheap foam brushes and something to sample on. Mix some different dilutions and sample until you like the color, keeping track of how much white and how much gray is in each sample. The paint store should be able to mix dilutions of different percentages, like 10%, 25%, etc. or you can mix them yourself: if a 20% mix works you can mix 1 part color with 4 parts white - 4 quarts is one gallon, so 1 gallon white + 1 quart color. 10% would be 1 part color and 9 parts white (1/2 quart color to 1 gallon + 1/2 quart white). 25% would be 1 part color + 3 parts white. Just make sure to mix up more than you think you need because subsequent mixes may be just the teeniest but off, but that happens with professionally mixed paints too which is why "boxing" paint (mixing multiple gallons together) is often recommended. Sometimes adding just a dab of a color to take the edge off the white can work wonders. Some people use this method for ceilings, too. Worst that happens is you're out $20 and a couple of hours fooling around with paint. :-)

Hello dixiedo!! How are you? It is so nice to see you back on the boards. Hope all is well with you and the family. I heard Wheel of Fortune on the TV the other day and was wondering how you were doing. I don't have any pics but there was a thread a few months ago on blue-greys. These might be a little light for you so hopefully some others will chime in with darker ones. Hope you stick around. You have great taste/style and I would love to see how your sexy, sophisticated room turns out. Here is a link that might be useful: Grey Blue thread