I've been following your post because this past month, hubby has been preparing me for the dreaded "R" word (relocation). We'd just finally finished our basement and I used COLOR for the first time and I love it. I also just painted our front LR-turned-"library" (light sage). We had all blandish light smoke gray walls throughout, but I was adding in sages, pumpkin "spice", and SW Blonde. I think I'll hold up on my other paint projects in the main living areas and let them remain neutral. Now that I know how to paint, I don't think I'd let one or two bright rooms scare me (if/when house-hunting), but I wouldn't want to have to paint a large area--like several rooms/halls that flow together--soon after moving in, so if there are other houses in the market that would be other than this scenario, they'd have the edge. I just saw in your last post that you live in Durham. Small world--it's the RTP area that we would be relocating to from central IL. I think your area has higher home prices, so that scares me. I'm in my dream home now, I can't stand the thought of leaving.... :-( Ah well. If you have any links to good realtor sites that have pics, etc., in your area, please share! Thanks. Good luck with your upcoming relocation. When it's what you want, things usually go better. Like someone mentioned above, it's time to stop thinking of the current home as "yours" and to distance yourself from it--changing color back to neutral will help with that. When you do this, something about the "energy" of the home changes (weird, I know). I like the LR after Lindy photoshopped it. I also think I would do the kitchen cabinets all the same (not light on top, dark on bottom). What about some "antiquing" of them--in the cracks? Can the kitchen be a different color from the rest of the "fun space"? I have a friend who did her cabinets cream with some glaze in the cracks to antique them and then painted her walls a ruddy color (terra cotta-like). It was gorgeous and did well with the neutral colors of the rest of her rooms, but still gave her some "pop". A good muted orange (since you like that color) is Laura Ashley 'Spice' (at Lowes)--I'm not an orange person but fell in love with this and used it in a basement area and planned on it for my kitchen. I love how wrought iron looks against it. It seems very popular right now. Good luck and have fun! Tracey

amysrq, before you make any choices on your decorating, I'd like to suggest you take a look at some of the threads on the Buying and Selling Homes forum. Not only those on decorating but also on the status of the current housing market. Also you can post your home as it stands now on that forum and get some excellent advice from the folks on that forum on what changes could be made to your home to make it more saleable. I have no idea where you live or what your housing market is, but many markets are facing very very slow sales and very stiff competition. If you want to sell your home then you want to appeal to the greatest percentage of buyers which increases your odds of selling your home for the highest price possible in the shortest length of time. What someone likes to see in decorating and what they will buy may be two different things. Generally real estate agents say if the decorating is too bold the buyers look at the decorating and not at the home - you want the buyers to focus on the home not the beautiful decorating. Wallpaper is generally considered a turnoff to about 90% of buyers. There are ways to decorate homes with neutral backgrounds and accessorize with color that can satisfy your need to make your home beautiful but still accomplish your goal of selling the home. Remember, if you have decided to sell your home, then you are decorating for the buyers. The fact that you are packing is a good first step because that is one thing mentioned by real estate agents, decluttering your home and reducing those personal objects in your home so buyers can "picture" themselves living in your home. I know moving can be very stressful (been through that many times myself) but since you will be moving closer to family that should help. johnmarie has given some excellent advice above. Making your home appeal to as many buyers as possible is foremost, as you don't want your home to languish on the market which can create even more stress. Good luck to you. Here is a link that might be useful: Buying and Selling Homes Forum

https://store.benjaminmoore.com/storefront/shop-by-color/best-selling-paint-colors/best-selling-whites/cndShopByColor-cbestSellingPaintColors-cbestSellingWhites-p1.html There's also a best selling neutrals page on there. The off whites are lighter and brighter. Griege neutrals can look custom or grimy, depending on how much natural light your rooms get and the colors of your upholstered furniture.

If you are keeping the top color, then I would paint it the same color so the whole room is the same. If you are painting the whole room (which I recommend because the existing color is too yellow for most people-probably 2 more hours work total), I would actually paint it the same color as the trim so it is a blank slate. Or a whiter color that works with more bedding and rugs. For a bedroom, whites work better than neutrals. People can move in without having to immediately paint the walls and take their time with picking bedding rugs etc