Ooops, I Painted Again....

Doesn't that title make you want to start singing some Britney?

OK, so I am just going to throw it out there....

I painted the playroom.  Again.

I know, I know.  I change paint colors more than Jennifer Lopez changes husbands.

And let me just say, it's not easy to admit to you all that I made a bad initial paint choice.  OK, let me rephrase, I LOVED the color.  But it just wasn't right for us or our space.

Let me explain.

If you look at our lower level floor plan, you will notice a couple of things:

• The playroom, family room and studio are all open to one another, creating a U shape around the stairs.
• There are zero windows in the family room or studio, meaning little to no natural light.

Long ago, our entire lower level used to be a pretty, warm green color...

{super old photo alert!}

So when we began renovating it {due to a lower level flood} , I knew it was the chance to make some updates and play with a new color.  I had grown tired of the green and was hoping to make the space a little more current.  I knew without hesitation that I wanted a gray blue.  What I didn't realize until all of the walls were covered and I saw the color in all of the different rooms in different lighting situations, is that what I was getting was more of a blue blue gray...

The hardest part for me to swallow is that I made the first choice far too quickly.  This is what happens when you are under the gun to get a paint job done for some major life events we had happening last summer {nothing major, you know, just HGTV and a vow renewals...}  Yep, we were in a rush, and my walls paid the last minute decision price.  Seriously, shame on me, I know better than that!

And don't get me wrong.  I LOVE the blue in this photo of the playroom, and I know in my heart it would be awesome if it were only in a single room.  But as I mentioned, it flows to the lack of light family room and studio, making those areas even darker and all in all, it is just a lot of blue to look at.  For the last year, I have been struggling with making design choices to go with all of that blue and making everything flow nicely between all of the spaces. 

So I did it.  I just said, enough is enough, I am going to make this right.  I had swatches taped up by the trim for days and watched how they changed tone with the changes of the light throughout the day.  Then, the Mr. and I both weighed in and voted on the one we liked best and took our time selecting the color this time!   This is what should typically happen in the first place.

So, two hours later we went from a blue blue gray room, to a gray slightly blue room!

The new color is Behr's Reflecting Pool.   Love. 

Of course, it's always a challenge to photograph the exact color of a wall, but the photo above is fairly accurate.  Some of you noticed the color when I shared the changes we made to the entertainment center...

The color is a subtle yet a welcome update to the space.  Now, I feel like I can play even more with colorful toys and accents since the walls are much more muted and make for a nice backdrop to the fun that comes with a playroom.

We are Craigslisting one of the white clipcovered chairs and moving the other to our upper level {where we are also saying goodbye to the two brown slipper chairs}.   The playroom seating wasn't ideal for three kidlets or for mom and boys wanting to snuggle up to read.  So now to brainstorm new solutions to that and keep rolling with finally calling the playroom complete.

Here is what is left on our playroom wish list:

• Updated light fixture
• Window treatments
• Seating
• Additional toy storage
• A fun wall treatment
• Photographs/Artwork

So there you have it.  My big giant paint oops and a playroom update.

Who else has made a paint or design "oops" recently?

Posted in: Before and After, Painting, Playroom