doing a happy dance in crazy town

the past two weeks have been non-stop. i'm not sure i've sat down more than 10 minutes since sunday. and next week is more of the same but on crack.

just gotta make it through.

however, the shot of adrenaline keeping me going right now is this:

and this:

oh, and this:

o.m.g.

can you stand it?! ahhhh!!!! how in love am i right now?? that's rhetorical, but seriously ... "so in love" in the right answer.

today i went out to the house all by myself ... the kids were otherwise occupied elsewhere ... with the intention of putting some paint samples on the basment walls to figure out what should go down there. i'd baked cookies in the morning to take to all the guys who have been busting their butts out there this week, but when i got to the house, gone were all the trucks from the siding company. gone were the vans from the cabinet place. gone was the truck of the trim guy and the woodwork guy. there was just a house.

i let myself in and it was quiet. no power generators, no air compressors, no nail guns, no classic rock station. (why is it that all construction-type guys listen to classic rock, regardless of what year they graduated from high school?!) i got to walk through my house in total silence. i smoothed my hands over the cabinets, i touched the mantle, i slid my hand down the stair railing.

it was heavenly.

and i can't get over how perfect it all is.

i'm not sure what comes next, but i know painting has to be around the corner. they have to paint before they can tile and lay flooring, right?

which was the reason for my visit: i've got to figure out what color the basement will be.

i thought i knew, but when i painted a test board, there was pretty much no visible color on it. the color, moonlight white, is supposed to be one shade darker than the white we're using basically everywhere else, but it really didn't look any different than white. so i bought test pots of three other colors: old prairie ...

(which is one shade darker than moonlight white, but a shade lighter than camouflage, which will be the color of the kitchen island)

november rain ...

and revere pewter ...

and what i discovered is this:

revere pewter is too dark, and old prairie and november rain are pretty much the same color.

so i put the sample of our carpet near the colors to see if that helped.

it really didn't.

can you see the sample? no? that was my problem, too. so i tried a different approach.

i think i'm leaning toward november rain (the one in the center). it has a touch less green in it. however, still not sold, i ran out again this afternoon and added one other option: classic gray, which will be the color of henry's room and the master bath cabinetry.

cuz it's WAY different than the others.

ha.

i'll go out tomorrow and see how they all look and go from there. and while i'm at it, i think i'll test the other colors just to be safe. falling in love with a paint chip is way different than loving it on the wall.

Comments

[Jessie Giovenco]

As someone who practically memorized the Benjamin Moore fan deck, I love it! Yes, revere pewter is a bit dark --- my parents have it in their townhouse but they needed the color. My kid's bathroom is Abingdon Putty and is a nice gray/khaki with a hint of green.

Keep the pics coming -- I am living vicariously! xo

[Santo Badenoch]

I also think November Rain is the best choice, since I'm a fan of Guns N Roses, haha. Kidding aside, its a color that will give warmth during the winters and cool you down during the summer. The house is looking great, a few more finishing touches and it will be ready for you guys.

[ginny]

Can I just tell you how much I love those open shelves in your kitchen! I can't wait to see everything finished!

[Kimber-Leigh]

well...i love the shade of november rain...and i really like it's name! is that a good reason to pick a paint color???

the house is looking gorgeous. i really want an in-person tour when it's all said and done. too bad i live too far away!

[Keshet]

I like November Rain too! House looks beautiful!!

[Ursula]

Your house looks positively gorgeous! Truly! I am in love with your kitchen and all the built ins. Envious to be honest!

Is your basement having windows? If it is dark, then any white you choose will look grey. A room with no windows generally looks better with a stronger color than pastels and whites.

[Jen@thecottagenest]

I'm over the moon excited for you. Paint can be tough. Take your time. Go forth and splotch much. Cross your fingers and say and prayer and it will all be fine!