Dang it. One thing leads to another, every time!

11 years ago

I just had some child-free days I could use to "get things done".

One of those things was painting the downstairs hall. I don't know if previous homeowners painted it white and fireplace use made it grayish over time, or if the original color was a grey-toned white, but the hall also has cool-toned tile on the floor and is poorly lit, so it's been a cold, greyish ugly zone since we moved in.

I chose a color and had my DIY intern (DD's boyfriend) paint it.

The walls look great. The color is very nice, the boy is meticulous. But the hall is full of doorways, and now all the doors and trim look dingy as anything, because the wall color is crisp and fresh and warm and the trim paint is old and cold and grayish looking.

It actually looks worse than before, because now there is a glaring contrast, instead of just a "this is an ignored dingy hallway" look.

So now I'll need him to paint the doors and trim. And of course the trim leads to the walls of the next room, which the POs painted a color (and I am *not* making this up) called "Coral Cliche" but which looks like it should be called "Dollar Store Band-Aid". Clearly, that decade-old paint job isn't going to look any better once the trim is fresh.

Why can't I just have a magic wand?

Comments (18)

chickadee2_gw
11 years ago
Yup. One thing leads to another and the whole house is repainted before you know it. :-)
Oakley
11 years ago
What about a Magic Eraser instead? lol. Seriously, try it on an inconspicious area and see if it spiffs it up.

I used it on my white windowsills last week which had a dirty grime on it from the dirt roads. Looks brand new!
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suero
11 years ago
You're lucky to stop at paint. In my case, a new outdoor umbrella led to a two story addition.
roarah
11 years ago
I call it "The Harrold and the Purple Crayon Effect". Happens everytime I make a change:)"It will be worth it" is my mantra.
bronwynsmom
11 years ago
We went out to buy a lamp and came home with a dining room table. Thank you, Suero, for the umbrella-to-two-story addition story. Makes me feel much better.
TxMarti
11 years ago
Yup, leafy, that's how it always goes with me too, especially with painting.

Suero, sounds like an interesting story. How did that happen?
blfenton
11 years ago
Hopefully you can stop at paint. You might then need new window treatments which may lead to new furniture, then onto... Like suero, new LR carpets led to a down-to-studs-and-plywood whole house reno for us.
outsideplaying_gw
11 years ago
If you give a mouse a cookie....

Or did you all read that book to your kids/grandkids?
stinky-gardener
11 years ago
Yep! That's how the cookie crumbles.

Suero, you made me LOL! Cute.
marcolo
11 years ago
You're lucky to stop at paint. In my case, a new outdoor umbrella led to a two story addition.

LOL! Don't ever replace that umbrella.

Why can't I just have a magic wand?

Um, it kind of sounds like you can. It's called your daughter's boyfriend.
ratherbesewing
11 years ago
It started with a new light fixture in my powder room. Ended up with a new marble counter top, undermount sink, faucet, AND the light fixture. Plus I had to remove the wallpaper and paint. Glad I am not the only one :-)
mclarke
11 years ago
...looks like it should be called "Dollar Store Band-Aid".

Hahahaha... Yeah. In our house, adding a shower stall turned into a full-house gut, cathedral ceilings, and a new deck.
cooperbailey
11 years ago
...He'll want a glass of milk.... ain't it always the way?
tarhlfan
11 years ago
My DH calls it the snowball effect. Most always happens, but I can't beat the addition to the house from the umbrella :)
lyfia
11 years ago
LOL - yeah I've been there too. I think the worst one was the kitchen in my old house that I was just going to remove the countertops and put plywood and tile down and it ended up being a complete gut with new drywall and insulation as well.
outsideplaying_gw
11 years ago
I don't think anything can top the addition to the house that began with a patio umbrella. I'm still giggling over that one. Thanks, suero!
Susan
11 years ago
once upon a time a single lady had a cute little cottage in vermont.
finally her prince came along and offered to replace a window which was leaky.
it's now 2012 and they are almost finished the complete gut and rebuild of the main house. kitchen never got done, though it did get totally torn down and rebuilt almost exactly as before---stupidstupidstupidme.
we are now finishing up long overdue details in order to sell.

i am my mother after all. sigh.
trancegemini_wa
11 years ago
leafy, I say go where it takes you :). The POs of my house painted all of the trim and baseboards in my house a similar color to yours, like a pale insipid salmon-y color. I don't know what they were thinking because I've always thought it looked ghastly. But as I get around to repainting each room I'm sanding and repainting all of the trim in white (I like crisp white trim), and what a difference it makes to get rid of that yuck fest bit by bit.