I've been lurking on here for months now (usually hang out in the Texas Gardening Forum), so I guess now is as good a time as any to jump in! (Jump in before I start asking for help of my own) Anyway...Liz, I feel your pain! I went through the same thing with my DR. Tried SW Mannered Gold, Gallant Gold, Restrained Gold and a slew of others. While I LOVED the colors, I just didn't like them in MY DR. I ended up using SW Baguette. I felt like I was settling, just wanting to get it finished, but when the painting was complete, it was EXACTLY what I was looking for! A nice warm gold, a touch of "mustard" along with a little tan. It really surprised me. Don't let the swatch card fool you, give it a try! Michelle

Yes, the info is outdated. Also, clerks in paint stores will still recommend painting one wall at a time by cutting it in and then rolling it out while the cut-ins are still wet. They are outdated too. I'm a fast painter. If I cut in a 12 foot wall, some of those cuts are too dry to roll over by the time I get about halfway done with rolling the wall. Honestly, I think you have about 3 minutes before they are too dry. If you can cut-in a whole wall and roll it out in 3 minutes, you are good and fast! Of course this depends on humidity, temperature, etc., and adding Floetrol will always give you more open time, but that's just the general idea. Most paints used to be a vinyl and acrylic mix. Those didn't dry as fast as the paints we are seeing all over now that are 100 percent acrylic. The hatbanding effect can also come from rolling over a dry cut-in line, but I have not seen that happen for some time. It probably only happens with certain products and I guess I stay away from them and use what I know works. Usually if I cut-in a whole room, the cut-ins are ready to be painted over within an hour or so after. Just make sure they are not tacky at all. You can do both coats in one day easily. The best thing to do is read the can to find out what the manufacturer recommends for recoat time and again make sure the walls are not tacky at all before recoating...usually most brands can be recoated in 4-6 hours. My normal pole for rolling normal walls is the 2' to 4'. You want to spread the paint on and then on your final pass roll from ceiling to floor. Don't stop in the center of the wall and change directions.

I just had my kitchen/dining/living area painted SW Alabaster and love it. I thought it might be too much white, but it isn't a real bright white.

There are so many different whites. The first question is whether you want a cool white or a warm white, and then whether you want one with any undertones (the paint looks white but also has another color to it in certain lights). Some whites look very plain in the can or at the paint store, but when you paint with them, you see a bit of yellow or gray or another color. Picking a white can be very confusing, as there are so many. And what kind of lighting you have can change how the white looks. Are you deciding on these colors and materials from a distance? Are your choices limited? Do the cabinets only come in certain colors and you have to pick from those colors, or do you get to pick the exact white paint you want? If you are using this porcelain on the floor and the walls, I think granite counters might clash. Personally, I would not use a floor and wall tile with swirls and then use a counter material with swirls. But that is just my opinion. I tend to like plainer counters and walls. There are lots of people here who combine patterns.