Color That Counts

The realtors keep throwing us out of the house. At least Greg is here and it's easier to escape when you have someone with you.

The problem is that you never know when you might be asked to leave. No offers yet, and we hope there won't be any for a few more weeks since we're still looking ourselves. But the feedback we've gotten has been positive.

One wife was nearly in tears because she wanted the house so badly, but the husband wasn't ready to make an offer yet. I find it interesting to see the dynamics of relationships in action. That is not an episode you'd ever see from me and Greg. LOL!

We want each other to be happy, but we're also not shy in stating what we want either.

In the listing remarks, the realtor wrote that the interior was painted in bold designer colors. Well, I am a designer, and occasionally I am considered bold, so I guess that's truth in advertising. *g*

I painted the interior in colors that were inviting and easy on the eye. It's the first thing I did when I moved in. The only room I left in its original white was my studio and that was intentional. I prefer my walls bare and neutral when I paint so I'm not influenced by anything in the room. But I went all out with the rest of the house.

Most of the rooms are in a putty colored tan with white crown molding. The kitchen is a vibrant rust red. It's small and some people might be intimidated to use such dramatic color, but it works beautifully with the cabinets and it gives the room a wonderful flair. The master bed and bath are painted in toasted pumpkin, it's a subtle color that is warm yet elegant against antique brass and rose-veined marble.

While it's the cheapest thing you can do to freshen up a house, you can go backwards if you paint your walls in weird colors. Lilac and chartreuse only work well in the hands of a professional designer. They know the right tint and which walls and rooms to use it on.

Just because you love a color doesn't make it a good reason to paint your walls that color. When in doubt, get a professional opinion before you spend time and money on "unique" colors. If you like quirky, that's fine. But if you want to resell at top dollar, leave quirky in the closet.

The realtor said something that made a lot of sense. She said: Stop thinking of it as your home. You have to divorce yourself from the emotional attachment you created.

I am so heartless, I divorced myself long ago. :o)

I'm ready to move on. And I'm leaving it better than the way I found it. Below, the last of the pictures.


I love the master bathroom. It feels luxurious and relaxing. The color is a little darker than real life because I didn't use a flash. The flash kept bouncing off each mirror, so I had to do without.
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A couple of shots of the kitchen and the little bar vignette Mel put together for me in the corner of the kitchen. Shown: Part of my collection of masks.

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My office. That's the cleanest you'll ever see my desk! The painting above is one I did of Isis and Nacho, my two girls.


Comments

Heather Moore said…
I love the colors on your walls!
Maria Zannini said…
Thanks, Heather. The realtor thought they were a good selling point. Hope so, anyway.
Liane Spicer said…
Your rooms look great, but I'd never have the nerve to use those colours. I'm a pastel palette girl, as boring as you can get. Antique white all over, maybe some light sage, and I'm happy. But it's great to see when a pro gets going with really interesting colours.
Maria Zannini said…
You can do wonderful things with pastels!

I painted the living room in the last home we owned a light salmon color with ivory colored molding.

The master bedroom was a delicate sage green, almost the color of mist with the same ivory molding. It was very subdued and elegant and it fit that house well.

Sage is one of my favorite colors for a bedroom. It's so comforting and calm.

It all depends on the house and the personality of the owner. :o)

Thanks for commenting wordtryst!