Hurray for found objects! I like everything.

How do you manage to find time to paint with kids? I tried my tiny bathroom, and after 2 months, I only managed to get a coat of primer and about half of the trim done. I finally gave up and hired a painter to finish. And I only have one kid! :)

Those look really nice together. What's the blue?

Bungalow, DS2 takes a 2 1/2-3hr nap every day, DS2 has quiet time/nap for 2hrs during the same time and I almost have the baby on nap schedule at 8/9AM & 2PM for 2 1/2-3hrs each day so they all coincide. it takes me about 15-30 per wall. I don't primer & I have a pretty steady hand so I rarely have to tape things off. That said - once I settle on a paint scheme I always promise DH that THIS is the last time, I promise - will you help me? :) And it can take awhile as I dart from one thing to another to get a whole rm. done. I'm sort of schizophrenic that way. Given a day to myself I could probably knock out 2 rms. but I'd find something else to scrub or clean.

Thaks pbrisjar - I think (& I'm not 100% that the large blue board is a color match (as close as one could get) to Farrow and Ball Green Blue. I think - I never wrote it down.

The small blue board is from the old MS line by SW and is called Garden Clogs. A 'crisper', 'cleaner' version of the other blue.

The real test of any decorative scheme is when you can throw together a bunch of stuff from different areas the way Ttodd's done and still have it all look good. When you get to that point, it really doesn't matter what color you paint your walls, because, as Ttodd discovered, it still all works.

That's the best part about going with your own inner taste (even if nobody else happens to like it) rather than following popular trends: you can't make a mistake. And knowing that makes the whole process less stressful. After all, if you're guaranteed success, there's no reason to worry. Ever. At least, not about decorating.

I've used exactly the same furniture in the various rooms of whatever place I've been living for over 3O years now, and in whatever room it ends up in & whatever colors said rooms happen to have been painted--in order: pearl gray, cornmeal yellow, spruce green, paper bag brown, duck egg blue, mouse gray, black, off-white, pecan-shell brown & my current color, Canned Spinach--it all works out. Makes my life a whole lot simpler.

And, really, isn't that all most people want? After all, I mean, life's hard enough as it is without having to worry about stuff like undertones.

At any rate, Ttodd, you've got a really good look going on there. Congratulations. M.

"High praise indeed, ttodd", parma42 smugly thinks as she recalls saying that you and red have my favorite designs.

Nice to here M chime in and confirm. :) Really, you just always have such a nice look, and the fact that you're on a budget makes it all the more special.

WOW! Thank you all so much! I can't wait o get started! I'm having a porch sale on Sat. to begin unloading much of the boys infant clothing and w/ that money I will treat myself to a can of Restrained Gold & new paint brush and then tuck the rest away in savings.

It is all looking fabulous together, you do have an 'eye' for what you're doing! You can use some of your porch $$ for accessories when you're done. (you deserve it as you're working so hard to make it look nice & juggling kids besides which is stressful in itself) Good Luck !!!!

ttodd, I am currently obsessing about a new color for my living room and your pic of Restrained Gold looks a lot like what I want... but when I have seen other pics of this color, it looks more beige/tan. Would you say it is more gold-ish, or tan-ish, in real life? I have dark wood trim like you do, and I love the way the color looks in your picture. And p.s., every time I see a picture of your house I want to move right in!

Sue,

RG & Blonde would have driven me insane if I had not read so many comments here on how the color changes so much w/ different light.

In the pic above the color is represented close to how it actually appears on my wall. I noticed though that in the pic all of the colors seemed to have taken on the slightest 'pasteliness' if that is a word. IRL on this wall it is a bit more camel colored.

I must tell you that I've had a sample jug of RG & Blonde that I literally tried in every rm. in my downstairs for over 1 year! I just kept pulling them out over and over again and trying new rms. In some rms. it was really yellow. In others it took on quite a green cast that some posters have mentioned. It wasn't until I pulled it out one last time & swatched it in this rm. did it take on such a nice glowing camel color for me.

This rm. doesn't ever get direct sunlight but it has 2 very, very large windows that let in the indirect late afternoon sun so while it is filled w/ natural light it is always very soft.