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otis_proamateur

Toning down yellow paint :(

otis_proamateur
15 years ago

We painted our entry BM Waterbury Cream this weekend and I am really disappointed. When I chose the color I was going off how the paint color looked in someone else's house and I didn't consider that her floor plan is huge and open where my entry walls are only 10 feet apart. The color just BOUNCES of each other and instead of being a soothing beige yellow it is INTENSE and mustard like.

Is there a color out there that I could possibly accent with to tone down the gold where it doesn't appear quite so glaring? If I could find a way to live with it (other than leaving the lights off 24/7) and NOT have to repaint that would be great.

Any other tips?

Comments (8)

  • otis_proamateur
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ha!
    Magnaverde, funny how very insightful and correct you are in your assumptions. I must say, you should look into motivational speaking. I am a perfectionist and very obsessive. I always feel that nothing I do EVER turns out the way I had invisioned it. In my need to always find fault and look for solutions to achieve that "perfect" look, I usually end up causing myself undue stress and irritating all those around me. My poor husband!

    I recognize this about myself but I sometimes lose sight of the obvious. If I were to be honest with myself, I know that NO color would have ever turned out "perfect" in my mind and I could repaint it a dozen times and still never be happy with it. I am going to live with it and learn to love it. Thanks for the honesty, you may have saved us hundreds of dollars in paint, hours and hours of time and labor and maybe even marriage counseling.

    And I very much intend to use the kleenex box from now on ;)

  • magnaverde
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    OP, I'm so happy if what I said helped. Decorating isn't nearly as hard as some people make it. Best wishes to you and your patient husband. M.

    Magnaverde Rule No. 4O: Sometimes, the easiest thing to change is our attitude.

  • vdinli
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    A gem from Magnaverde, as usual! I just love reading your posts. The words just flow together. You are a man of many talents!
    that said, otis, I have been in your position too. We painted paneling in our FR what we thought was a pale brown with a little yellow mixed in. What it turned out to be was this bright yellow that bounced off the walls like crazy! I like it in daytime as the yellow is toned down. Changing the bulbs in our lamps from the CFLs to GE Reveal helped a lot with the night time situation. You might want to try that too!

  • DLM2000-GW
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I once had a client who flipped out - and I mean flipped out - because the paint color looked different from one wall to another as it changed planes in the corner of the room!!! She stood in that corner, looking at the paint and wanted me to fix it so that they looked the same. After that I began figuring in an unseen PITA factor to bids if I got a whiff of future problems!

    Magnaverde, as usual you've combined decorating and life lessons in a most effective manner. We all want homes that feed us, nurture us and represent what we hope is the best us. But life is too short to obsess over perceived imperfection - as you said, repaint if it's truly distressing or move on and live with it. An unexpected color choice may open our eyes to beautiful things for our homes that we might otherwise look past.

  • anele_gw
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks again, MV, for your words of wisdom.

  • elizabethzen
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Do you have a piece of art or furniture that looks beautiful to you against these walls? You may love the way the color sets off a table or a vase. A lovely focal point may draw your attention and allow the paint color to fade into the background. Also consider changing the lighting - different light bulbs or a lamp that creates interesting lights and shadows. Play with the space!

    With all that said, yellows are tricky. They can begin as a lovely glow then become a garish glare. I've repainted yellow walls myself after seeing how the color looked in the room - and been glad I did. If you live with the yellow for a few days and it still disturbs you, then you will probably be happier finding a new color for your entry. Look at the samples at different times of the day and night (always in the space you are using it) and be sure it pleases you in different lights. Also notice how it looks reflected against itself. If the color looks too intense when you bend the chip, then the one shade lighter trick comes into play. Sometimes repainting is the only way!

    Elizabeth

  • ccoombs1
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What a timely thread!! Magnaverde, Thank you so much for your words of wisdom. You have no idea how much you helped me!! My DH and I are building our home ourselves and have been for about the last 5 years. We are finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We put down the hardwood last weekend, and this weekend we are installing the cabinets. Well, yesterday DH painted the kitchen, hall, laundry, pantry and bathroom with Olympic Evening Glow while I was at work. I was thinking I was getting a soft yellow. It's not. It's much brighter than I expected and I am stressed out about it. the ceilings are 13' high on one of the kitchen walls and repaintint it will be a huge chore. After reading your words, I have decided I will live with it and learn to love it. It's not exactly the look I was envisioning, but it is a pretty color and I think I can chose kitchen accents that will look wonderful with it. I have always have boring off-whites in my house and this is the first time I have gotten brave enough to add color, so maybe it will just take some getting used to.

    Cindy

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