actually, my living room’s future. But hopefully I’ve got you hooked.
In short: I hate making decisions. I agonize over everything from which tile to use on the fireplace to where to go for dinner to what shoes to wear that day.
After about 7,456 decisions for this living room renovation, I’m spent.
Your help and expert eye is needed.
We decided to go ahead and paint the living room because after everything was installed the walls looked drab, as well as majorly in need of touch-ups. We assumed we’d go with a tan color, such as Rice Grain by Sherwin Williams. I got a sample, put it on the wall, and…
… apparently we’d gotten that color matched at Home Depot when we originally painted the room, because it blended right in. You can’t even tell where I painted it on the wall!
We then tried three other tan colors, and out of those decided on Naturel (spelled that way) from Sherwin Williams.
But it bothered me, because in a room with a light rug, tan tile, tan couches, and brown tables… would that be too dull? It would be like eating a plate of potatoes, rice, and gravy. With a side of oatmeal. Bland!
The only other option that would fit with the room and house is a gray/blue. I found Misty from Sherwin Williams, which I thought had a touch of blue but looking at the formula it doesn’t. I never in a million years thought I’d ever consider painting a room gray. Gray, to me, is cold. But this particular gray, once it was on my walls, seemed… fabulous.
HOWEVER, I still was too scared to choose pure gray. Once I noticed it didn’t have blue in it, I went back and had them add a drop of blue. But then it was too blue, and we didn’t want a true blue in that room. {are you ready to have me certified as “crazy” yet?}
That realization led me to try three additional gray/blues.
Are you losing count? That’s 9 samples so far. One we already had, one we bought and then modified, and six I spent money on that I will never get back. My walls look like this:
You can see how the colors vary according to the location, time of day, and the way I took the photo. Making this decision even harder, I know.
We narrowed it down to the tan that looks the best– Naturel– and the gray, Misty.
Here are some sneak peeks at the living room. Ignore the bare wood on the cabinet doors, those will get painted white on Monday. I’d show you more but it’s such a mess right now!
If this were your living room, what would you choose?
Please help. I need to tell the painter by Sunday night at the latest. Before they certify me as crazy.
panamamama says
Hard choice. I sort of like the exact same ones you did, in that order. I need to paint and have the same craziness. I have paint chips everywhere and samples coming out my ears. ARGH. My neighbor says to paint a 3’x3′ section because the light will change a color completely. Just more stress I’m adding, right?
Andrea says
I am really loving the blue/gray color…with all the neutrals in your room I think that would accent it really nicely!
Wendy says
Id choose the blue just becuase I’m so sick of beige.
Rhiannon says
id go with grey… but im partial, i also have grey walls
Randi says
I vote for the greyish color (Misty), my reasoning is that with the tan looking so close to the tile on the fireplace it may drown out the fireplace that you worked so hard on. Misty will make the accents in the room pop more that the Naturel will. Good luck! My DH likes plain jane white walls, but I have complete control of the kids room, playroom and their bathroom. Hot pink, light blue and poppy orange. LOL!
Angee says
Bless your heart. I just pick a paint chip and go with it. So far I’ve had success. I like the tan. Good luck!
Making It Work Mom says
I like the blue gray. Go for it! If you don’t like it you just paint it again next year – that is the great thing about paint!
Judy says
My daughter was just telling me today that gray is the new brown. LOL. Go Gray.
CK says
I like the Naturel because it seems to match that awesome fireplace you just tiled (I love the color you picked for it)! However, even though I like the Naturel, I think the Misty gray is probably the right pick! You want to try something new and different so you should probably go for it!
-CK
Alba says
Gray power! 🙂
♡
Sherri says
Oh my…My gut is to say the Naturel. I like the contrast with the white trim better and how it would pull from the fireplace colors with all the white there too. But I have also heard that Gray is the new “in”.
Personally, I would probably do the Naturel.
Can’t wait to see what you decide!
nn says
WOW – your room looks FABULOUS!!!! I love it!! I like the gray!
coolkids says
gray. new follower. thecoolkidsblog.com
Life in Rehab says
The grayish one looks like the color I’m painting the living room as we speak, Coastal Mist, and I love it.
Which means you should run away and do the tan. I’m the crazy one.
Julie says
I like grey! Now, do you want to hop over to MY blog and vote on my paint samples for our nursery? 🙂 Seems that everyone is doing the same thing about now! 🙂
Deb says
I am contemplating painting my whole house Misty I want to stay in the gray/blue tone and went through a thousand color samples too. Check out bonniedonahue.com; she’s a blogger and painted her living room and kitchen in Misty and soley based on that I think I’ve made my decision.
Ani says
Me and my lil kid spent the whole afternoon choosing the SW swatches,shopping there for 9 sample quarts and lastly painting those on the walls …to finalise independent of any favourite online influences.Then, I check out cute stories using the tag word “Misty” ending up here while my boy gone to sleep!yay to Misty for our foyer,living and kitchen areas and for good measure included the casual dining too+ pop in some extra colour of accent wall there.Hooray to a decisions which also happens to be many an expert’s choice.
Martha says
I’m on the second set of six blue colors I’ve picked out, trying to decide on something soothing for the master bedroom. My husband, a custom home builder with interior design and architecture degrees, came in the room and immediately chose Misty because, as he explained, it’s a great neutral with just enough hint of color. I can’t wait to get this room painted!
Kelly P. says
Misty for sure!