Take deep breaths.

Is it even dry yet? What light did you see it in? It might be fine!

And if it is not, it isnt like you need to cover scarlet with white. You may just need to move down a shade --- maybe one coat?? Prep work is (or should be) the hard part, another coat should cost less

Yes... Once upon a time, a few houses ago, I believe I used SW Baby Poo. Or maybe it was SW Calf Sh*t. Can't remember. But to top it all of, they accidently mixed it in a semi-gloss.

I would wait at least a couple days. If you still dislike, change the color but do as mtnrdredux suggested and move down (or up) a shade. Maybe you could do a large spot on the wall yourself in this new color before you take the plunge and hire out painters?

We have all been there. I redid 3 colors in our recent reno. Luckily, it was me who had painted 2 of them so I still had the prep done and supplies out when I repainted. Our kitchen walls, which were the only ones hired out because they go too high for me, were a half shade too dark. Dh told me not to bother, but when I redid it, he said it really was worth it in the end.I was able to repaint and the upper parts of the wall were so high and so close in color I did not have to truly cut in up there. OTOH our bedroom ceiling was too wishy washy, so I went darker which was a real pain to cut in again near the walls that were pale. It stretched my limits of reach with the cathedral ceilings on the taller parts of the room.

If you have leftover paint, maybe you can add a new can in a different shade to that and adjust the color that way by doing 1 more coat. I have done that countless times to great success. Just make sure you have more than enough to finish and for touch ups.

I think you will see this thread expand with many other "oops" stories.

I thought I hated a color -- HATED it! But, once all the furniture was back and the rooms were decorated, it looked lovely. It was BM Palisades Blue, if I recall. It looked shockingly bright on the walls when it was an undone room. When it was all together, it looked wonderful.

Good luck!

Tiny, you crack me up!!! Betsy, I'd bite the bullet and have it re-painted. That's one of the reasons I don't care for most green paint. It's beautiful on a sample but in a whole room, it's the opposite for me.

If you don't like it at first glance then it's a DUD.

I have a green dining room table though and I love it! But not on walls.

In fact, our builder tried to get me to use Safari also, and I put my foot down.

Just did this with SW Softer Tan. It looked beige on my samples, but once up on all walls it turned greeny-yellow and even more so at night. I painted the walls myself, but had painters doing the trim in the house and they had painted the high staircase wall for me. I was in a bit of a rush to pick another color while the painters were still in the house. Repainted with BM Manchester Tan, which is better, but still doesn't match the vision in my head!! Living with it for now, but I might just repaint if I get the energy to test some samples again. Probably not for few months!!

Thanks guys. You've all pretty much echoed what my inner voice is saying but I'm afraid it's like Oakleyok said "...first glance..." That usually decides it for me. Tinycastles, I THOUGHT I had weeded out the dreaded calf s*** in all my samples but baby poo is just as bad, I fear.

I've made a deal with myself to live it through the weekend and will go ahead and hang the drapes to get an even better idea. I have a great painter and a great relationship with him so I know he'll give me a good deal on repainting if that's what I decide.

Thanks again for your words of encouragement!

I've said it before and I'll say it again...CHANGE THE LIGHTBULBS! It is amazing how much difference the color of the bulbs makes. Try it. It is cheap and easy and may be all you need to do. Good luck to you!

Paint takes time to cure, and the color will change a bit. Lighting does matter, so how many lamps and things are in place right now? Is your furniture in the room? As you said, the drapery isn't up. You aren't really seeing the finished room, just one layer.

I am glad you are going to live with it, but be sure you get everything in place while you do. Otherwise, it is just a bare room with color on the walls, not the room you see in your mind's eye.

I have found that light bulbs make the biggest difference like sherrmann said. I prefer the reveal bulbs myself. Hopefully when all is back in place, it will look totally different!.

Well, this morning I took my coffee into the study and sat and stared for about 15 minutes. Suddenly I was overcome with a huge desire for split pea soup!! The green didn't really look that different this morning than it did from 4-midnight yesterday, but I did notice that it looks greener around the lamps. On that note, I'll get new bulbs today and try that as a possible (and lot less expensive) solution.

Re the dining room, the only light I was going by is the chandelier. I will say that the color in there was less offensive this morning than yesterday but unfortunately we don't host a lot of brunches so ... Right now, I'm in the process of restoring the room with drapes and buffet lamps and am going to check it at different times throughout the day.

Thanks everyone for your helpful suggestions!

I just painted my entire living room 4 times in 6 days. A complete no-no, I've heard- but I really felt if I didn't finally get it right I was going to lose my mind! So far, no problems with the paint, but I am a little worried! It is amazing how different the swatches look. What finally saved me was looking on the internet for pictures of actual rooms painted in the colors I wanted. There are a lot of home decorating blogs out there. The color I ended up choosing was the one that I found the most examples of.

I understand your pain 110%. My living room was a patchwork quilt for 3 months. I could not decide on a color, but I knew it had to be neutral. So after searching and searching I found Valspar paint color Antique. The color was lovely inside the built in cabinets...the shelves are painted Retro White also by Valspar. Then we began to paint the walls...all was ok but as the sun when down so did the color. Even with lamps on you can't tell the walls are painted. I guess in hindsight it's neutral LOL Just a little too light and too neutral. Now this weekend I have to find a replacement color. We are new homeowners and money is tight...DH is not happy.

There were similar stories on this board and I took the advice. We waited and even placed some of the furniture back in the room...but nothing. My dining room is painted Behr Earthtone and I wanted another warm color in the living room...just wanted to let you know you have PLENTY of company.

My opinion is if you don't like it, paint it. Yes it is more money, but I am spending more in wine and asprin just to deal with the color in the living room.

I feel your pain. I have lived with a bluish/green in our dining room for over a year, and I never liked it to begin with. I tried decorating around it, and my DH would not let me touch it for at least a year. Over a year later, I still don't like it, and I'm going to start over. I just don't know where....

I went to the paint store today and there was a new girl working and I spelled out my dilemma. She looked at the samples I was considering and looked at my drapery fabric against my current color and said she liked it best of all. She gave me some of the same advice you've given me about different lighting (lightbulbs and natural light), getting the room put back together, etc. I so appreciated the fact that she didn't try to push a sale of even 2 more sample pots. When I came home, the study is still too green but the DR might be coming around just a little anyway!

Adrienne, try giving your husband the wine instead. I always tease my husband and tell him that I know not to ask for anything until he's had his toddy. Two bourbon and waters and he'll say yes to anything!

LOL Betsy I might do that. I hope everything works out for you...post some pictures when you are done

@tinycastles "Yes... Once upon a time, a few houses ago, I believe I used SW Baby Poo. Or maybe it was SW Calf Sh*t. Can't remember."
They've given me that same color too! My husband started painting our living room - I came in a gasped!!! It was awful.

Betsy - don't freak out. As you can see from all of the responses, it really does happen to all of us. Since I've experienced the same thing, I now paint a big piece of cardboard or plywood the color I'm thinking of. My average for paint samples has gone from 10 per shade down to about 6 ;) It is always a struggle, but when you find the right one you will be so happy.

I am totally loving the paint names here. I can't decide which one I like the most, but Macaroni and Cheese on acid made me laugh out loud.

Been there. Done that. I think I am visually impaired, because it just does NOT look like it looks on the chip, on the splotch, on the sample board once it is on the wall. I could swear they tinted it wrong, until I put the sample up and it disappears into the walls... I must be a very wishful thinker and just envision things totally delusionally.

I really feel I am paint-impaired. Which is a problem, given the perfect shade matters a lot to me...

Betsy...Did the same thing here....took over a year to pick a color for my very large, vaulted ceiling FR, hired painters (NOY CHEAP), came home...almost died. Called them back the next day...paid another large sum of money for a re-paint and haven't been happier since. DEFINITELY RE-PAINT!

Thank you, everyone, for your encouraging words! Knowing that others have "been there and done that" has helped tremendously. I've painted rooms before and decided I didn't love the color like I thought I would but never have I had this sick OMG feeling like last week. As it turns out, though, once I got the DR put back together things really did take on a different light. I think I can live with it. And if I can live with the DR, I'll make myself live with the study even though it continues to look greenish. My husband, wonderful man that he is but totally decorator clueless, really surprised me a couple of nights ago. I had told him nothing of my posts here and the advice I was getting--mainly because I was leaning toward repainting and just didn't want to broach that subject with him. Out of the blue he said, "maybe we just need different lightbulbs and everything back in place before you decide it's green and you hate it." I nearly fell down laughing. Who knew? (He still doesn't know what was so funny!)

Betsy, give that man a hug for his optimism as well as for his common sense :)

I think someone has been secretly reading the Home Dec forum...

Betsy, my DH jokes that his name is Paint and mine is Repaint. Five years into our new house I think we're finally finished! But I'm glad you're doing the common-sense thing and seeing what other changes will make before you go with a paint change. Good luck!

We have all been there at some point. For whatever reason, I wanted a red dining room....Got the 1st coat on and hated it (I didn't want to rethink it either). It was just too dark. Over lots of years of choosing colors, WHEN I stay with warm, earthy colors, I've never wanted to do a repaint. I can live with those colors for years. Looking at rooms online is a great way to determine if you really want a color.

Don't judge till you get other things in the room. Also what type of lighting do you have? Do you use flourescent or incandescent lighting? Reveal bulbs will make colors look a lot cleaner. Make sure all the corners of the room are lit properly . Good lighting can make a room and change your feelings about a paint color. Good luck

I hear your pain. I was so berserk choosing paint colours that I ended up calling a colour consultant for advice. She actually asked me if I was OK, "You look a little anxious". Darn right. Anyway, it was very helpful and worth every cent. One of the take aways for me was that clashing undertones can bring out the worst in a colour. A greenish beige paired with a pinkish undertone beige will make the green-beige look greener and the pink-beige look pinker and muddier. So you may want to take a look at the undertones of the other elements in the room to see if the problem lies there. Maybe a pinkish beige carpet? Or upholstery? Take a look at Maria Killams colour blog for a nice summary on undertones. I found it very helpful. FWIW also completely agree with others that you need to dress the room to really be able to assess where you're at.

I've just spent a lot of money on SHERWIN WILLIAMS exterior paint. I too,bought the top of the line. And I could not HATE it more!!!! I had my cupola painted with the Roycroft Mist Gray and it seemed to be THE perfect gray!!! I then painted samples on several outside walls. One looked green, one looked yellow, one looked pinky beige. I was not happy. I talked to the sales clerk who informed me that it could not be returned and that they could try to tweak it for me. Well, I was afraid that would lead to even more HATE for this paint than I now feel. I opted to go with what I had and hope that once the entire house was painted, it would all blend together and be "the perfect paint"again!!!! Well that did NOT happen!!! It is absolutely hideous!!! I'm,looking at the cupola right now and it is perfect but the rest of the house looks like COCKA-DOODLE-DOO-DOO!!------ VERY GREEN!!! NOT AT ALL WHAT THE CUPOLA LOOKS LIKE!!!! Has anyone ever been able to get a refund on their deceptive paint? My husband is about to have a heart attack!!! We have been living in a construction site for almost three months now and now THIS!!!! He is NOT A HAPPY CAMPER AND NEITHER AM I. I JUST KNEW THAT GOING WITH THE SW PAINT

AND PAYING THE BIG BUCKS WOULD BE A SURE WAY TO GET GREAT RESULTS!!!!........._NOT!!!!!........GOTTA RUN THROW UP!!! sorry about that,but I am truly , sick about this!!!! I cannot afford to repaint!!

Angie, I'm so sorry, I can only imagine how upset you and your DH must be. I'm not a SW paint fan either, have had my own set of problems with it on some interior rooms and am now preparing to repaint.

Can you post pictures of the issue? Maybe, there are other things you can do to sort of counter act it. I dunno...but people here seem to have good advise in situations like this.

Oh, I'm so sorry. I think even if you could get SW to admit there was something wrong with the color (does it match the paint strip?) and provide a new color, I can't imagine, short of suing them (maybe you'd win, but maybe you'd lose in court), I don't think they'll cover the labor for repainting. Can you post pics here? People might have some ideas to lessen its impact. Hopefully, it will fade after a while :-(

Wow, looking at it online, I can't quite imagine if they have mixed it properly how it could possibly look so bright. It looks like a great color if it would have been true to what I'm seeing.

I understand that this is very disappointing; however, if "One looked green, one looked yellow, one looked pinky beige," it's not the paint's fault. It sounds like the paint looks different in different light conditions. I'm assuming, of course, that each sample came from the same can.

I have used Agreeable Gray, which looks quite different depending on the light, but I wouldn't consider it deceptive or defective paint.

With that much invested, just wait. Try some of these strategies like lighting, adding accent colors and stuff to the room. Live with it a while. If it doesn't grow on you, then decide. Money is too tight for me to hire a repaint. I've had three experiences to relate. One day while I was at work, my dad painted a room for me in my new home with a color I had carefully chosen beforehand. Got home, saw pepto bismol but no way was I ever going to be able to repaint right away due to dad's pride and happiness. I actually joined this board way back then posting for advice on how to tone it down. You can tone down a color you hate by matching it with similar colors close in tone. That's what I did with my room. I never loved it, but it became tolerable, maybe even pleasant.

Second instance, my landlady went paint shopping with me and helped me paint my back bedroom. She bought what I thought was a baby poo color for her own bedroom. Even after painting it, I wasn't in love with it, but once she got all the furniture and the matching bedspread, and art in there, I must say it looked FABULOUS. Like a total different reaction from me from when I saw the paint chip and sample on the wall. It related so well to everything else in the room it was a fabulous choice.

As for myself and my back bedroom, I LOVE my color on the walls, but my carpet makes it skew blue and I wanted more grey. I'm also not in love with it with my furniture. I like it though, I can live without perfection. It is so much better than the wall color was before, and it is adequate for what I want it to do. In fact, I wanted the color to do so much that the perfect color may not even be out there. My expectations were a tad high.

I say, make do and then if after a while it just makes you unhappy all the time, then if you have the time and money, repaint. I lived with carpet and wall color and wallpaper in my master bedroom for 12 years that I hated. We called the master bedroom "the aquarium" because the teal carpet and trim was so cloying. But we had so many other projects to do at the house that room never got its makeover. Part of the reason was the previous owners painted all the trim a teal color and it had a LOT of trim, including a bay window and seat and folding closet doors, all teal. I worked with it as best I could. I had a "Miami Vice" bedroom, lol!

lpm...this old 2011 thread about hating paint was revived by Angie about her exterior paint problems. Confusing!

Hah, I wonder what she did with the living room?

I am so glad I'm not alone on this. We just had the entire house painted by professionals ($5000). Everything feels wrong now. I haven't slept well in the past couple of weeks because it keeps me up at night thinking about how I am going to change this. I went from a warm, sunny comfortable house to a bunch of cold looking blues. I feel awful in it. I spent hours agonizing over colors and even hired a color consultant. Everyone says its fine and I will just learn to live with it. I thought about buying some more art to liven things up, but why spend money on that when I should just repaint. I'm too embarrassed to ask the professionals to redo it and I'm not so great at painting myself.

Pictures?