Fear of Color Commitment

Do you fear your decorating decisions? Are you afraid to change anything about your house because you worry you might not like it…or someone else might not? STOP….RIGHT NOW….and just jump in…with your eyes wide open!!!

I’ve always been fairly brave with my house….I’ve taken apart…put together…and painted probably every color under the sun…..but I have, and sometimes still do….fear my choices.  I know….and you should too…that it’s just paint!!! Seriously how many times have you spent $20,000+ on a car…and kinda secretly wished you would have looked just a tiny bit longer? Am I the only one? Don’t lie…I’m not telling your spouse!!!  Well…the average can of paint runs around $35….REALLY ? I say!!! Maybe a day….if you piddle….two days work on the average room.  Now I have to admit a little secret…..I HATE painting!!! at least this kind…but I LOVE LOVE LOVE the results!!! Paint is probably the cheapest way you can make that kind of difference in your house.

When my kids were still living at home….most of the time I let them make (fairly safe) decisions about their room decor.  But I must admit…I had a lot more inhibitions than I do now…and was scared of  a TOO risky choice!  Sara, I guess when she was about 14 wanted to paint her bedroom black….I almost fell over with fright!!! Now admittedly we were talking about putting the house on the market at the time…and that was part of it…but I was also just petrified of that kind of commitment.  REALLY??!!!! What the heck was I thinking?  It was paint!!!!  Plus….I kinda think I was worried she was turning GOTH or something!!!! hahaha….If you knew her….that would make you fall over laughing.  I just thought it was such a dreary color!!  She begged and begged….and I set my jaw…and refused! I convinced her to go gray…and life went on!

Last year….I got a wild hair up some particular part of my body…and in one day…ran to town….bought two gallons of paint ($50/gallon paint!!!) and took it home and painted my livingroom!!!! No REAL thought…no hesitation…just dove in HEAD FIRST!!!! The lady at the paint counter almost fell over when I told her what I was doing with the paint I chose!!!  At one point I told my sister what I did….and I think she thought I needed to go to a counselor!!! My husband asked me if I was depressed!!!  lol (I’ll tell you a funny story about that in a different post).  I had gone….and painted my living room BLACK!!!!!!

I know!!! Sara was MAD!!!! She was like….REALLY mom….after I begged you for months…and all that crap you gave me about what a horrible color it was…blah blah blah!!!!!!!

I had to admit when I did it…I was scared to death…(seriously).  I know $100 isn’t cheap…but really in the whole scheme of things…it’s not that much either!  I wouldn’t tell anyone that I was nervous…because I made up my mind…and argued with myself all the way to town.  I didn’t want anyone to know…because I was afraid SOMEONE would talk me out of it pretty easily!!! lol  When it started going on the wall….I really think I almost cried…black right next to the near white color that my walls were….was sooooo drastic!!! THIS is where I know a lot of folks go back to the paint counter and go with something safer!!!  Don’t….do what I did!  Finish….the WHOLE room!!!! Hang your stuff back up and arrange your furniture…..then live with it for the next week….AT LEAST!!!!  Or, better yet….spend a little extra and PAY someone to do it for you while you’re gone…so you don’t see it till it’s all put back together and pretty!!!!  ONE day….I’m just gonna do that!!!!  ANYHOO….I really didn’t like it while I was painting it, and was pretty sure I’d go back to something lighter!  I rushed and put everything back.  Now I had two reasons for that.  One was what I said…I had decided I wanted to commit and live with it for just a bit…and Dave was gonna be home in a day….and I didn’t want him to see it UNFINISHED….because…although he is sooooo awesome about my projects…and never complains (not even when I went through an all pink phase)  He does try to reason with me!  He is a thinker…..well…honestly…he’s all thinker!!! He tastes…tests…pros…cons…and rolls it around for DAYS in his mouth.  And I must admit I wish I could find a happy medium between he and I…..because I don’t think….I jump!!!

The next day I got up…and went in and stared at the room….I turned and turned.  I liked it more.  By the time Dave got home that week-end…I was TOTALLY in love with it…and nothing he said would convince me different.  When my sister saw it….she fell in love too!!!  It makes my living room look soooooo much bigger!!! YES, you did hear that right! BIGGER!!!!  You seriously can not tell where the walls end! They just go on and on!!! AND….the artwork just POPS against them!!!

That has been the BRAVEST decision I’ve ever made about decorating!!!  Now…I know it isn’t much, but it was a huge leap in terms of paint color!!!  I think sometimes the BEST decisions are the bravest.  My point (that took me four paragraphs to say? lol)  STEP UP….BE BRAVE…DON’T hesitate!!!  Be confident in your thoughts and just do it.  Remember….it’s only paint and a little time.  Remember, YOU live in your house….no one else!  Ultimately if you love it….you will make others comfortable and they’ll love it too.  Besides…REALLY how many people’s’ houses do YOU go to and say “EWE….I hate the color she painted her wall….I don’t think I want to be friends with her anymore!” ?  haha….

Live Life!! It’s way too short to worry about what color your walls were last week!!! I promise….no one will put on your tombstone…”Here lies Jane Doe….GEESE her living room walls were ugly in 2012!!!”  REALLY?  If it didn’t happen over the seventies choices….they DANG sure won’t over today’s!!!!

Have a Great Day!!!!

Love Y’all