Red dear - have you forgotten your meds again?

Honestly, I can't believe I'm reading this from you - SWITQOPANGSIBAH - She Who Is The Queen Of Practicality And Never Gets Sucked In By Advertising Hype! To remain schmuckless, have the French Gray (and you know at least HALF the reason you want that color is because of the name!) made up in one of your tried and true paint brands and paint away. What will make you feel like a schmuck (and noticably poorer) is if you succumb and then feel the need to repaint previously satisfactory rooms with F&B. But that's just my opinion and worth every penny you paid for it - says SWAPWBMWIHCAIOJASIBHAY - She Who Always Paints With Ben Moore Which Is Hardly Cheap And Is Obviously Just As Sucked In By Hype As You. Maybe we'll even hear from SWKPLTBOHH - She Who Knows Plants Like The Back Of Her Hand because as you surely remember, she knows quite a bit about paint, too and was the Baby Turtle guru for many of us.

Do not colour match!!!! Get the real deal!!!! I was a Ben moore fanatic (bought the colour decks and all), but I used f & b in my living room and hall and it is amazing. I have a gallon of card room green waiting upstairs for me to get it on my bedroom wall. I did up a sample board of the ben moore colour I was looking at and one of the f & b colour and DH (the money scrimping miser) said it was no contest. The f and b was worth the extra money.

Also, if you do your own painting (and I'm guessing from the camera set up that you are a diy kinda gal) it goes on better than buttah.

Oh dear, Red, you've had quite a rough day. I say soothe your pain by treating yourself to a $90 gallon of F&B paint :) You'll enjoy the lovely play of light on the velvety French Grey and have a laugh over a good anecdote when friends ask you what moved you to buy such expensive but fabulous paint (besides your good tastes): "Well, it all started when I dropped my camera..."

will the added time & expense of getting the color actually made up in Farrow & Ball paint be worth it?

Probably not, but you must find this out for yourself.

if it IS worth it, will that one room then make all my other rooms suck?

No

Should I just have the colormatched paint be made up into a local gallon and go for it?

No

Should I go to the camera store and see if they can repair my digital?

No, get a new one. (Don't ask how I know the answer to this question.)

Should I bandage my busted digit?

You should have had ice on it a long time ago. Bandages are to stop blood.
Does anyone out there still think I'm not ridiculous?

I don't think you are ridiculous. Been there, done that, as they say, but I would never, ever admit to it. Putting it in writing on an internet forum is the equivalent of what the nuns used to call your Permanent Record.

I tried to color matched the f&B color in my DD's room (middleton pink) w/ SW & did not work. (I ran out of paint in the middle of the job). I ended up having to drive 3h up & 3h back to get the right paint. I wasted 50$ for the gallon of SW cashmere.

My SIL color matched F&B from my sample pots (light stone & vdt) and I can tell right away it's not the real deal.

It's totally worth it (Imo). The only problem is that once you try it, you may get addicted to it and nothing else would do. :-D

(ps: check your email--I'm sending you a note).

You are not a sch****. (Graywings, I went to Catholic School and I don't want any "bad" words on my Permanent Record!)
I'm going to agree with most of the other posters that you should go ahead and splurge.
It's not 900$, it's 90$ and you could probably find something to sell on craigslist to make up the cost.
You have such a desire to try this paint---and it's not going to go away any time soon!
And besides, we want to enjoy it with you :)

After the day you've had...go for it.

I am here to say that I have done it all.

I have Farrow & Ball matched by Ellen Kennon. It is beautiful and satisfying in its full spectrum loveliness, but it is not F&B, and that is because the finish is different.

I also have Farrow& Ball matched in Aura. That was because I was in a hurry and I knew I wanted that green but didn't have the time to wait...builder's painters and all that stuff. It is beautiful and the room works, but the finish isn't quite it. Of course. But, that room is small and gets a bit of wear and tear and maybe Aura is the right finish for durability's sake...a bit tougher than the Estate Emulsion. Well...maybe a lot.

Now, I am getting ready to paint my kitchen and I want to try Ball Green in Modern Emulsion. I am worried that it will be too shiny. I really love the Estate Emulsion. The finish is what sets it apart. If I don't like the ME sheen, will I color match? Maybe...

Last house, I had a mix of mostly Ellen Kennon, some Farrow & Ball (which truly does go on like buttah!) and a tiny bit of BM Aquapearl, or some such thing, in a few bathrooms. Even being the fussy paint person that I am, I did not have any issue with the different brands/finishes. I still think there is a call for any of the above-mentioned brands in different rooms, for different reasons.

So, I say, plunk down that money so you can know for yourself. I do not think it will lead you down the road to ruin, any more than your love of color or change will.

Oh, and put some Arnica gel on that digit.

Here is a link that might be useful: Best for bruises

Well, you guys are just like my real friends. Every one of you has a different point of view and each one of you is entirely persuasive. And my paint issue is complicated by the fact that it is the kitchen I'm painting, and I've been following the whole Estate Emulsion saga......will I need Modern if I do it? Also, DD came home from work at 6 and doesn't think Either the Dry Sage or the French Grey will do the trick. She totally nixed the Sag Harbor I was trying, and said that she thinks I need either something with more blue.......(Pigeon?) or a silver grey green. I still think the French Grey may be it. I wanted to do the deed this coming weekend, but I don't have drapes made yet anyway, and I've promised myself that this time......I'm going to do the repaint right. I'm making the drapes, getting the rod, and acquiring the accessories before painting. That way, I can have a big reveal. At least to the family.

I think I am going to price digital cameras. And my finger isn't that bad. At least not compared to my hugely swollen knee. And I ran full speed into the median after I wrote my post. I had to return videos and my eye twitched. I glanced in the rearview and just that fast---hit the curb hard.

You know what? I'm re-reading all of you. Deb knows I am freaked out right now and is trying to keep me calm. but I think I am going to send for a sample pot from F&B. Then, I can test it's tastiness and check for color. I can do this thing next week, right?

Red

Oh dear. There are days - sometimes weeks - when it would be better to just stay in bed. You seem to be having one of them. Is there any way to spend Friday lounging and getting someone to step and fetch for you until this little cloud moves on?
Buy the Farrow and Ball paint - just because you want to.

Digial technology moves so fast that it's almost certainly better to buy a new camera.

The modern emulsion, currently going up in my kitchen in Stony Ground, looks like Aura. If you like that surface, you will like Mod Emu.

The Estate Emu, which is matte and has a velvety texture, is unique -- you're paying for that and the color complexity/shift which the color match doesn't provide. Build up three coats of that and it's like having a great concealer in addition to great color.

I have two rooms painted in EK and love those colors-- I don't think I could love a color more than the Luminaire in my bedroom. The EK rooms are open and adjacent to the F&B rooms and few would notice the difference. However, my neighbor, who's a cop, could see the difference. Depends what you like and what is pleasing to your eye.

Color matching doesn't totally work with F&B -- it does work but not completely IMO. It's approximate.

Red, no one needs high performance paint IYKWIM. For me, it's a little luxury that makes me happy when I look at it. For others it's an eye roller.

Allison has French Gray in her kitchen. You might ask her about it and how much color shift she gets. Some of their colors have more than others. My Pavilion Gray doesn't budge. The Shaded White in my hallway OTOH either looks coffee, gray, green or gray-lavender depending on the time of day which I really like.

Emu...chuckle, chuckle, Rococo!

Red, if you don't have a sample pot, you don't know the color. No brand translates less well from chip to pot to wall than F&B. I assumed you had a sample pot already...

Okay, Red....you need to stop & make yourself the pitcher of sangria. Drink the whole pitcher yourself - ice the injured parts of your body, order your sample pots & order a new camera on line ( can't risk you driving after the sangria!). I know nothing about F&B paint but getting drunk helps:)

Smiles:)

Red - you HAVE to be my long lost twin. You simply must be.

Nuff - said.

I'm making that pitcher of Sangria and drinking it for ya here in PA. Go w/ Ruby's suggestion. If you don't get the real deal in a sample to at least see (you can color match it from that if you like it) you will always having that nagging voice in the back of your head. If you don;t have that voice I will have it for you!

I had London Stone matched in Aura, and it's lovely. In my old house, I'd had F & B in the dining room, and I liked it, but I had far more wall space to cover now, and I wasn't going to spend that much money. I used two coats of Aura, covering a light blue, and I have lots of northern light--no streaks, no patchiness, and frankly, I can't tell the difference.

I haven't tried the EK, but I did have Fine Paints of Europe a while back, and I think the F& B was better, but I'm past being paint obsessed.

If I was in your shoes, I'd color match in Aura, get a Flip camera, and go out to dinner.

amy -- yes, emu is one step beyond emo. I applaud idee for having moved past paint obsession as I fear I will never be a high achiever in that regard.

One word to red about the finger -- I crushed my left index placing a stone sculpture in front and it's still black over a month later. They say it can take up to 3 months to completely heal, depending on the severity of the injury. Ice and some Chinese herbs helped a lot.

My vote is to order the sample pot(s) in the colors you are considering and stop torturing yourself! Don't make any decisions until you've tried them on the walls (even the "faux" ones side by side) and lived with it for at least a couple of days. Then make your choice with NO regrets. If you can't see the difference, don't spend the extra. If you feel you can, then there's your answer.

This is your home, your sanctuary. You're worth it. (just my opinion and worth what you paid for it)

ROFLMAO!!!!! Red, I love ya and always enjoy every post of yours . . . but this one takes the cake! Are you sure you didn't knock h your head when you dropped your camera? To save myself some time (because it's now 1:14PM here and I'm dying of hunger for lunch), please just go reread Graywings answer. I totally agree 100%. Now go and get an icepack for your poor finger!
Lynn

Hmmmmm.......

So, my finger is fine. My camera is not. I have looked at everything 20 times. I pulled out my entire set of F&B paint cards, the big ones, and tacked each one that Might work up on the kitchen wall--first, near the fabric I'm using, then, next to cabinets. I pulled out some more Ben Moore possibilities and tacked them up also, although they are not on big chips. Today, my lighting is a little overcast, but there's no one home but me and I can really think this out. I do think I MUST order at least two sample pots. I need to try that paint. I wish I could post the photos of the big painted boards I did with the fabric, but they are in the camera, of course. Right now, I'm looking at the French Grey and the Blue Grey. I'm walking away from the Pigeon...........although I want it too.

So, to all of you who are yelling at me to just order some samples, I'm going to do it. That way, I can stop this craziness. I'm also going to get a couple more samples of Ben Moore paint. I am thinking I may need Gray Mirage and Gray Horse. I don't want blue in the kitchen, but might be willing to try something with a little blue pitch if it's super subtle. And I'm even vaguely considering a white, if it's muddy and muted enough.

Isn't this just the most insane thing......for a grown woman to get so twisted up over paint? I wish I could stop myself, but it happens every blasted time I need to choose a new color. I need the right color, the right texture and the right sheen. It's not just paint, no matter what anyone says.

Red

Isn't this just the most insane thing......for a grown woman to get so twisted up over paint?
Good heavens, woman, is that a serious question? Personally, I'd give my eye teeth, and a molar if necessary, to have an excuse to use Pigeon.

What Deb said LOL, I always agree with her sound advice!

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Lori but I think our dear, ever practical Red is already lost to us :-(

She seems to be entranced by those voices whispering in her ear; "do it.....do it....do it....."

I suppose the only thing left for us to do is pray for her ;-)

Deb, I swear, one of these days, when I really need to throw something out there, I'm going to Make Sure you are on vacation Before I post!! Or maybe I just need a new screen name? I hate to even give you the satisfaction, but I am listening to you.......I actually thought I would order some F&B paint by this past weekend, but after looking at every possible right color chip over and over and over, going to the Pratt & Lambert display, bringing home a dozen of their chips, two sample jars (*Moth Gray and Meerscham, neither of which was at all what I need) going back over all my Ben Moore possibilities, deciding on a white, then, changing my mind again and Re-looking at French Grey........I am back to almost Square One. I actually feel more ridiculous than I did when I started this thread, and believe me, I didn't think that was possible.

I may have to go back to the Ben Moore dealer to get a sample of Grey Mirage. I am right now/even as I type, putting in an order for the F&B samples. I may even need to go back to Sherwin Wms and see if I'm missing something there. I've pulled up all of Jockewing's old blue green threads, hoping to see something I haven't seen before. And I'm seriously considering Antique White.

By the way, did I mention that I am working within the confines of my oak cabinets, tumbled stone backsplash, warm brown/gold floor tiles, and Bosporus Flax for drapes?
{{!gwi}}

Don't get sidetracked by the fact that I posted a shot of the Flax on custom bedding....I'm doing drapes. But the rustic look in this photo, the wall that isn't blue or green is the "look" I want. Probably not the look I'll get the way I'm going.......

Red

Just call me SWDBICMBTRHNLLTRTEWICTSW (She who doesn't believe in color matching because the result has never looked like the real thing especially when it comes to Sherwin Williams).

If we have managed to drag you over to the dark side, just want to remind you to do two coats on those sample boards. I found quite a change after two coats of the f and b - and also let them dry well.

Red,

Did I mention to you that I tried Meerschaum the other week in my LR? How crazy is that?! Ended up w/ BM Porcelain Ivory. I really do like the Moth Gray. I picked that chip up to at P&L.

Hey - if you like that rustic chic look in the pic w/o a blue, green or grey wall and you're headed to SW - might I suggest grabbing the color strip w/ Wool Skein on it? Very pretty rich neutral. Doesn't scream 'Color - I'm here' but def. has a weighty presence. I haven't held it up to the Bosp to know how well it may or may not go.

Another thought that popped into my head was BM Cream Fleece. Again - haven't held the chip up to the swatch to know how well it goes and I don't know how well it goes w/ warmer tones of brown but it's just a thought.

Currently I'm torn in my DR between BM Winter Wheat (got a gallon and tried a corner in my DR - it is also the wall and future trim color in my upstairs hall as well as the proposed ceiling color for Jonesboro Cream office) or Cream Fleece for a bit of a 'crustier' color. I was too embarassed to post here for thoughts about which one.

LOL Kitchendetective. And thanks, Budge. I just threw another coat of my (cheated with SW sample) French Grey on a color board, and even 2 coats of the imposter looked better. I need to stop cutting corners.
Ttodd.....I will try the Wool Skein chip. And I AM usually too embarassed to post for thoughts--almost wish I had been this time around too. The only thing keeping me from losing it this time, is knowing that this "process" of elimination, asking for advice, checking out other's choices and opinions, has always eventually paid off. I either end up with something I would have never found by myself, or I feel that I have given every suggestion my consideration and know I didn't just pick something without really looking at the choices out there.

It's going to be my choice ultimately, but can someone tell me why........every flippin' time I think I have what I want, walk into the room and smile again at the sample, get my keys in hand to go buy the paint, my DD has to walk in the door and say........"Oh, not that! Too bluck!"???

Why?

Red

Wow Red, it's fun yankin' your chain! Yes, you get get suggestions for things you might never have looked at in your frenetic process. But you also CREATE your frenetic process - just sayin.....

And as for knowing in the end that you've given every suggestion consideration and didn't just pick something without really looking at the choices out there - if that's what lets you sleep well at night then go for it! You KNOW, there area lots of colors that will work in your kitchen and work well, be scrumptious and make you tingle all over. It's not the paint, it's the sum of ALL the parts that you're putting together that will make you swoon and make the old stuff that you have to work with feel like new stuff. It always happens, you always pull that rabbit out of a hat and it will happen in your kitchen - again.

Let me get this straight - you're looking at that smidgen of wall with the 2 pictures on it that shows on the far right of the bedding picture above? That's the color you want?

As for The Daughter - the reason she does what she does is because she can - and it's fun watching you twist! That's why they ALL do what they do!

kd - I love how you joined the club!

What are you trying to paint, Red? Walls or cabinets? I reread your post, and I think you are talking about walls. I have F&B French Grey on my island cabinets. But, the cabinet man said that cabinets are painted with lacquer.
So, I bought a can of the FB French Grey for him to match in lacquer. I don't think you can buy lacquer in paint stores. The cabinet man matched the FB French Grey with no problem. I cannot see any difference, and I am color sensitive.

My favorite paint is Donald Kaufmann, and I have tried them all, many times. At times, they (they meaning DK) have sent me a pigment and they specify it to be mixed into Pratt and Lambert paint. So, for paint you can pick up locally, I prefer Pratt and Lambert. I would have them mix the FB match for me if I were not to get the real FB.

Walls, gabeach. Do you have a photo of your island cabinets? I would love to see and I am sure there are at least 34 other people here who would love to see too. Thanks for the tip on P&L.
To clarify, no, I am not specifically looking for the wall color in my embedded bedroom shot........it's more of a Feel if you know what I mean? Not pastel, more aged.

Red

redbazel, French Grey is the perfect color to use if that is the feeling you are trying to evoke. Forget the color-match and go for the real thing. FG is subtle and interesting; regardless of opinion, I don't think you can replicate the same complexity in a shop. You'd need your painters to identify close to the 16 or so colourants that F&B uses - not the 2 or 3 that most paints use that can be reverse-engineered.

For an example of F&B-FG on Allison's island, take a look at the pics of the island in this link to her kitchen on Atticmag .

Alright Red,
I'd remebered saving these F&B palette awhile ago. One of the colors is French Grey. Any of these would go w/ Bosp Flax and give your room that Rustic Elegant Look.

Given that many of your rms. already have such pretty color on the walls maybe the kitchen could be the one place where you use that rich neutral (say Old White from the palette) that would really suck all of the other rms. in and be a seamless flow.

Just a thought!

Do you have a piece of furniture that you could paint French Grey to put in the kitchen?

PS I think that SW Wool Skein may lean towards the Old White direction.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

Here is my french grey island, I hope:
[IMG]http://i30.tinypic.com/v7beih.jpg[/IMG]

Ttodd..............LOL. Wow. Are you and I on the same page or what?

And gabeach........

That is entirely gorgeous!

Red

[IMG]http://i30.tinypic.com/v7beih.jpg[/IMG]
Georgia Beach's French Grey Island

Here is a link that might be useful: island

Red....that IS what daughter's do-
it's like "you wore THAT to work???"
LOL.....

So are you painting this weekend or what?

Hi all, posting from Peru -- mainly lurking these days but this kind of thread is the reason I stay on this board! Red, you tormented soul, you... I don't mean to complicate your life, and surely the paint I'm going to recommend can't compare to the mystical wonder that Farrow and Ball seems to be. But if you're getting tired of complexity and want to opt for easy, a great, complicated dark off-white/pale stone color (changes from pale beige to faded grey to deep ivory throughout the day) is Valspar/Lowe's Hotel St. Francis Clay Angel. Ridiculous name, great color. Warm enough to complement your Flax drapes. Looks great w/wood trim, so it'll do good things for your cabinets.

just to toss a spanner into the works! you poor dear!

Red,
I wanted to mention, my photo of the French Grey is bluer than the color actually is. It just photographs that way. The blue in the photos is seen often with this color,not just in my photo above. I would say the color actually has more celadon than you would expect from the name "French Grey." I love the color on my cabinetry, but I don't think I would ever consider using it on my walls as I live in a subtropical area under heavy shade.