Hubby thinks I'm nuts, so may you, but I had to re-paint! (pics)

15 years ago

We're in a new house that we've been in for several months now, and the color of blue I picked for my boys' rooms has bugged me since I saw the painters first putting it up. At the time I just couldn't bear to put everything on hold and take the time to select another color. Every night when we were putting the boys to bed, I would look at it and think - ugh. I originally wanted a nice blue that wasn't too powder-y or baby-ish, but more faded-denim-y and could do some growing up with the boys. My choice was WAY off though. It was just TOO much somehow - it was screaming at me! I told hubby I wanted to re-paint it, and he thought I was nutty, but said if I wanted to do it (read: he wasn't getting involved - LOL) then whatever. So I did, and I'm much happier (I think the babes will sleep easier too!). Anyway, at the risk of seeming like a nut-job, I'm posting the before and after pics. First 2 before pics, then 2 afters. They just show a small section of one of the rooms, and I also painted the slanted ceiling in this room(but not the rest of the flat ceiling, which there isn't much of in the pics) to match the walls. Before color is SW Down Pour - pretty color just not bedroom-y, more playroom-y - and after is SW Bracing Blue at 75%. Let me know what you think, even if it's that I am indeed nutty. :-)

before pic#1

From Pot Rack

before pic#2

From Pot Rack

after pic #1

From Pot Rack

after pic #2

From Pot Rack

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Comments (38)

bellaflora
15 years ago
I would've done the same thing. The 1st blue is too intense. The after is much better. More mellow & quiet.

don't worry -- you aren't crazy. We all did this before. :-D
ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
15 years ago
You're not the least nuts; that first color was not restful! The second is soo much better. Of course it was more work but I suspect you're not going to regret it for a single minute. I'm going through the same thing right now. I picked the color and thought it would look great but it was just not right for me. Went back today and had them retint it. I put it on and it looked just the same as before. Another trip tomorrow to try again. Husband just a little tense about the whole thing. (He's the one who did the painting.) Yours however is a great improvement and I'm glad you had the courage to prevail.
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happytobehome
15 years ago
I thought you were nuts until I scrolled down to the after pics -- definitely much better than before! Good job!
palimpsest
15 years ago
Much better.
deborahnj
15 years ago
Much much better and I bet more peaceful for the boys.
oceanna
15 years ago
I like the new softer look. But I also think the darker blue would have softened up a great deal with furniture in there, drapes, etc. You are not "nutty." Many of us repaint. Wall color is very tricky. Even the experts can have problems with it. The important thing is you are happier. I do like that you painted the ceiling, too.
optionalnecessity
15 years ago
How does that go??? Nutty is as nutty does?? ha!!! Besides you can't be initiated into the club unless you've had to repaint!!!! ;) I just repainted my entire 1 1/2 story living room and the kitchen after less than a year of the old color and just before Christmas, I had to repaint my sewing room after 3 days because I couldn't stand the color! Needless to say, I'm getting better with the paint chips!
The room looks great!! Love the new color!! Definately will grow with them :)
ctlane
15 years ago
No you aren't nuts! It looks much nicer especially with the slant of the ceiling painted. It looks fresh.
nan_nc
15 years ago
No, you're definitely not nuts. The new color is MUCH better, IMHO. It will work more easily with whatever other colors you put in the room, and whatever you change to later.

DH and I drive each other crazy about painting. He just wants to "get the d*** paint and put it on!" while I bring home chip after chip (the biggest I can find) and look at them in different light for days.

BTW, the end result is usually pretty good, if unexpected.
gldnfan
15 years ago
Love the new color - definitely the right decision to paint the slant wall.

If you are nutty so am I ;-) My painters have repainted my master twice - fortunately only one coat - and the second mistake was DH fault ;-) if I had gone with my gut it only would have been one change. I also just changed the master bath paint and my ds room I had them change.

I have Lyme's Disease - late diagnosis with lots of muscle tremors so I cannot re-paint myself right now. Bummed because I really love to paint and originally planned to do all the 9 foot high rooms myself and just leave the cathedral walls to the painters. I used to repaint after work before dh got home - he never knew what color he would walk in to!
southernheart
15 years ago
The new color is very nice, and your instincts were correct.

Don't feel bad, either. I'm another one who would often repaint (or rearrange) when DH was out-of-town. I've repainted so many times that my son once joked that a psychologist could have a field day with a "layer study" of my walls. :)
ronbre
15 years ago
very nice
Cyndi Charney
15 years ago
I think you made a good choice with the second color. The first blue was so dark that it created a stark contrast between the ceiling and the walls. The result is a lot of geometric shapes going on with the dormer and the pitched ceiling. Now the walls transition much more nicely at the ceiling and dormer. Oh, and I have repainted several times when I was unhappy with my choices. DH will paint a room once, but after that if I don't like it, its up to me. You are SO not alone!
juddgirl2
15 years ago
I like both blues very much, but the new color does seem to be a more restful color for a bedroom. It looks much better with the ceiling painted also, since there was a lot of contrast between the slanted ceiling and wall before.
crashboombang
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for all of the responses! I think the Y chromosome crowd just doesn't get the color thing or something. When I was trying to decide which color to re-paint with, I had more samples than I'll admit to painted on large foam boards to look at in different light. I'd ask hubby which he liked & he'd say "aren't they all blue?" I really think he didn't see the difference. I'm sure if I had 2 pictures, one of Heidi Klum and one of Bea Arthur he wouldn't say "aren't they both women?" LOL
arleneb
15 years ago
I love the new color -- well, I should! Bracing Blue is on my favorite SW paddle. In my last house, I used Distance as the base coat, then Upward, Bracing Blue, and finally Naval in a faux finish that my professional painter watched me do with sceptical interest, saying he'd never seen a faux finish done well by an amateur. When I was done he offered me a job! It was lovely.

I used Distance again in my new house -- dining room and master bedroom.

I love your new paint job!! Glad you stuck to your guns.
mahatmacat1
15 years ago
Definitely the right choice. Maybe you can educate the boys while they're still young so they develop their paint-appreciating chromosomes :)

And hostagrams, you know people will want to see a pic of that faux finish, if you have one...
susan209
15 years ago
Great color and great choice. Men will be men, when my husband was alive he couldn't care less about what color I bought, no opinion, he'd just paint whatever I wanted the room to be, fortunately! Your boy's room looks wonderful.
brutuses
15 years ago
Both were pretty, but the second is more my taste.
pluckymama
15 years ago
I can relate to being nutty especially about paint decisions! But the great thing w/paint is you can repaint. Great choice on the redo. Masculine, but mellow. Perfect for a bedroom.
jjam
15 years ago
Join the club! I guess we're all a bit nuts when it comes to color, but when it's right, it's right. Beautiful choice and definitely worth the effort. I'll bet you have a smile on your face every time you look at it.
cooperbailey
15 years ago
You nailed it with the second paint color!
bigdoglover
15 years ago
So much better, and especially to paint the low slanted ceiling.
kyshine3
15 years ago
Love the color you got it!
amysrq
15 years ago
Good job! That would have made you crazy....leaving the room the "wrong" color. I think it is always best to repaint. So glad round two was a success!
sis3
15 years ago
Good decision! I love the new color!
dilly_dally
15 years ago
The first one may have looked "OK" in a boy's room once the furniture and accessories were in place, but the second one is PERFECT.

I think painting the slanted ceiling blue instead of white made a big difference too. Much better.
andrea5150
15 years ago
I honestly like both colors for a boys' room but if it was bothering you every day you definitely did the right thing by repainting. :)
kden71
15 years ago
I like the after pictures better. I just painted my son's bedroom cabin red a few months ago. He has slanted walls and I painted them the same color as the ceiling (just as you did in your before pictures). I wasn't sure how to treat the slanted walls and the painted suggested I go with the ceiling color to break up that red, and now you have me rethinking whether I should go back and paint his slanted walls. I really like the way yours turned out in the after picture. My husband will think I'm nuts too.
crashboombang
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks again for all of the responses!

hostagrams - I would also love to see pics of your faux finish you described

flyleft - I'm going to first concentrate on overcoming the leave-the-toilet-seat-up section of the Y chromosome, if I'm so lucky as to accomplish this, I may move on to paint appreciation ;-)

kden - would also love to see pics of your son's red room
les917
15 years ago
No, you are not crazy - if it was bothering you every day, it needed to be redone. I really like that you painted the slanted ceiling to the wall color - really lifts the wall space.

Personally, I prefer the first color for a boy's room, but both are nice, and YOU are the one that has to live with the choice.
trishann
15 years ago
Beautiful color choice and thanks for posting! I'm currently trying to decide on a color for my 5 year old boys room. My instincts were telling me I should go with something like what you repainted with and now that I see it I'm pretty sure. What color accessories or bedding do you have?
ttodd
15 years ago
Excellent decision to repaint! Looks really good!
kden71
15 years ago
Here's a glimpse of my 10 y/o son's room. It needs help. After seeing your before and after pictures and actually seeing my uploaded picture, I'm strongly considering painting the slanted walls in his room. We recently replaced his carpet with the hardwood, removed popcorn texture, painted his room, and put up that ceiling fan that "he" picked out. I have not got to the accessorizing part yet, so there is not much to see (except red walls and those slanted walls that now really seem to stick out like a sore thumb). Whenever I get to that point, I will post more pictures. Again I love the color of your son's room, and I hope you will post it again after it is decorated. BTW I don't think you're nuts:)
Irish2
15 years ago
Second color is perfect for the room...1st was a little
intense for my taste...but still not "offensive" ...and
you are definitely not nuts because that would be admitting that I am too!!!
nappyhairbigteeth
15 years ago
I hope you're not nutty because I am too then. I painted my family room twice within a couple months recently. Picking the right blue can be tough. I like both colors, but I agree the second is better.
monicakm_gw
15 years ago
I don't know if you're nutty or not (g) but I agree with everyone elese, the new paint choice is MUCHO better :) Good job! I've (well, the painter) has painted the newly remodeled master bedroom twice and I still didn't nail the color :( I'm hoping third time is the charm.
eliza_824
15 years ago
The 2nd paint job is MUCH better-- Looks GREAT!!!! Good job following your nudging on that one!

Hubby thinks I'm nuts, so may you, but I had to re-paint! (pics)

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