Summer reading cont. (how did it get to be September already):
Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart
Glitter and glue: a memoir by Kelly Corrigan
And the good news is...lessons from the bright side by Dana Perino
Recipes for a beautiful life: a memoir by Rebecca Berry
You're not the boss of me: adventures of a modern mom by Erika Schickel
Tout sweet: hanging up my heels for a new life in France by Karen Wheeler
Getting real by Gretchen Carlson (former Miss America)

Eleven homes = a lot of painting,

but blue gray has prevailed

Nothing can change the look and enhance a room like a fresh coat of paint. Having now lived in 11 homes, I’ve painted more than my share of walls, cupboards, trim and ceilings. I particularly remember the unfortunate green sponged-on paint that I had to cover in one bedroom and the eggplant-colored bathroom cabinets in another. Then there were the layers of unsized wallpaper that I had to peel off before painting a condo dining area.

With each paint job, my technique and patience improved to the point where I’m now pretty confident in even the most challenging rooms, no matter how many windows, doors and other things there are to paint around.

Fortunately, I’ve really made only one major faux pas when it came to paint color and that was during what I can only call my “Swedish” phase – when I thought my kitchen cupboards in a previous home would somehow look more Scandinavian if I painted them barn red. Try to sell that to a prospective buyer. My real estate agent and I ended up repainting everything white in one weekend and it’s a miracle that she’s still speaking to me.   

So, I’ve been spending the past several weeks painting over a color I call boy-brown in my two bedrooms. It was the kind of color that I could live with as I worked on other home improvements but I knew that, one day, it would need to go. It just wasn’t me. The color that is me is a blue gray that I chose for my previous home’s kitchen. I also chose it for my current, previously knotty pine, kitchen. My daughter used it in her half bath and kitchen (with mom doing the painting) and my brother used it for his home as well. So this “comfort color” was the natural choice for my bedroom.

The guest bedroom was also an easy choice because I had nearly a gallon of a nice soft green paint left over from a paint job completed by the home’s previous owners.

I recommend sticking with just a few basic colors if you’ve got a small home, because otherwise the rooms won’t seem to flow and will look choppy. In my case, the living room and sunroom are painted a sort of café mocha color, while the study’s knotty pine walls were transformed with a more neutral ivory. The blue and green are the accent colors and blend with the rest of the house to give it sort of an earthy vibe. It sets a cottagey mood, especially since there are a lot of trees outside and a river across the street.

In both cases, the painting turned out as I had hoped. I am a very slow painter, taking my time in prepping walls one at a time. It’s a necessity in smaller rooms, where furniture can’t be moved very far.

Following are just a few more tips for taking the pain out painting:

- Take advantage of the people who mix your paint. I always tell them what I’m painting and ask for any recommendations on paint finish, brand and tools.

- Invest in good quality paint rollers and brushes. It can make a huge difference in the ease of a paint job and the end result. I now use six-inch rollers for greater control, supplemented with spongy brushes for small areas.

Boy-brown becomes blue gray


- Spend plenty of time with painter’s tape (left). It’s a nuisance to have to run tape along ceilings, windows, doors and floors, but it can really lead to a professional looking paint job instead of amateur smudgy lines and unintended dots of paint where you didn't want them.

- Don’t try to pull tape off before the paint has thoroughly dried or your new paint may be pulled off as well.

- Patch any nail holes or other blemishes.
- Remove electrical plates and any other wall attachments, like cupboard door hinges, instead of trying to paint around them.
- Paint (and tape) in good light. I never paint in low light and prefer natural over artificial light to make sure I’ve covered everything evenly. I also go over the walls with a bright lamp before I finish a room.
- Keep a damp rag or paper towel handy for any drips. I have not yet had any major spills (knock on wood).
- Take your time. I like to do one wall at a time and After I paint one wall, I take a break while it’s drying or start taping another wall.


"Comfort colors" work well in bedrooms. 

- When you’ve finished painting, take time to enjoy the transformation and your “new” room. Give yourself a pat on the back after you’ve washed  the paint off your hands, of course.
(P.S.: If you’ve got room, store any extra paint somewhere in your newly painted space. That way, you’ll know right where it is when it’s time for touchups.)