We wanted a fresh look and having already been down the road of taupe, greens and yellow we thought a blue/grey tone would make a nice change. Several years of rejoicing over the sophisticated yet tranquil colour of a Persephone book cover provided the inspiration for a place to start. We have since discovered that blue/grey is one of the hardest to nail down. There are so many undertones in that spectrum that you could paint your perfect colour one day and walk in the next morning to a lavender whip. A couple of disappointments over the years has taught us to ask the technician which colours are added and in what concentration. You wouldn't think that brown would be in a blue/grey shade but in some cases it is which makes the tone a bit 'muddier' so out goes that choice.
Finally deciding that Behr's, Skyline Steel, was our best bet it was time to get out the rollers. We love it! It's one of those chameleon colours that changes throughout the day depending on light and at night still looks fresh but cosy. If The Heiress ever graces our threshold again I hope she likes what we've done with her room. Now the search is on for drapery....
Oh Darlene, it is beautiful! And I love the linens. I am sure the Heiress will approve. When I moved out, my parents moved into my old room... huge improvement over all the pictures I had taped to the walls and that layer of dust only my mother seemed capable of removing:)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Will you put a shelf in there for your Persephones? I like the idea of coordinating rooms to books, maybe you could have a Virago green accented dining room!
ReplyDeleteHope you are not missing The Heiress too much.
I love it! It's very pretty. And I can just picture you i the home improvement store, a Persephone in hand, comparing with those little paint swatches!
ReplyDeleteLove Verity's idea of a Virago green room as well. I'm currently in my study, where my Viragos are kept, and this room could certainly use a coat of paint. :)
It looks lovely from here.
ReplyDeleteI love the color (and its inspiration!) and the linens are very pretty too. But, oh no! I'm finally going to have a chance to paint a room or two, or maybe a whole apartment, in my beloved dove and pearly greys, and I just hope I get it right. :)
ReplyDeleteIt looks great, my bedroom is a similar colour, but after 7 years is in need of a repaint. I will be bearing your advice about greys in mind when the search begins.
ReplyDeleteI love the color and your inspiration! Hope The Heiress approves, too...
ReplyDeleteStacy, I'm having visions of your parents waiting until you went out for the day and then running into your room with tape measures and paint chips! And how lovely to hear from you, it's been ages!
ReplyDeleteVerity, That is a very tempting idea because then it would free up some shelf space where they are now. I made myself laugh yesterday as my previous lovely border collie's urn matches the wall colour! It just wouldn't be right to use him as a decorative accessory though...
Laura, That's the problem with fresh new walls isn't it? Our bedroom is looking a bit tired now as well. Spring is the perfect time for a new look!
Cornflower, Thank you!
Audrey, Well all the best. We found typing the paint colour into Google brought up several decorating blogs with photos so give that a try. It definitely helped us to eliminate a few choices.
Desperate Reader, It's a tricky shade, sometimes we just had to walk away from the chips when our eyes couldn't decipher colour any more. All the best to you once you decide to get your paintbrushes out!
JoAnn, Thank you! I sent off a photo and phew...she likes it. But if she ever ends up in that room again there is to be NO posters and pins! That just might make the other spare room a bit more appealing...
Darlene, just jumping back on to say thank you for the idea about googling the paint color! I never thought of that, and now I've found lots and lots of pictures and even more paint color names to drive myself batty with! :)
ReplyDeleteAudrey, Oh I'm so glad you gave that a try! And you get the best ideas from seeing what other people have done with a room. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteIt's beautiful, Darlene! I hear you on the difficulty of picking the right blue/grey. I've had to go through the process three times now, for painting rooms in three different houses/apartments (I REALLY like blue), and I always go through so many samples trying to find the right shade. But it is always worth the effort for a stunning end result!
ReplyDeleteWarning: it seems the daughter can alway call the bed, I learned yesterday. And there's no time limit. She's declared she wants it for the third child, about to graduate from crib, so I am left with a bedless guest room.
ReplyDeleteClaire, This colour makes the room feel like a Nantucket getaway! So I'm guessing that if one day you own one of your 'library lust' rooms it will be blue, yes?
ReplyDeleteSusan, Oh dear. Well you are a very nice Mum and she's lucky to have you. Keep your eye out for sales in the flyers!
Oh that is beautiful. Never would have thought of using that colour on a wall.
ReplyDeleteVintage Reading, Thank you! Next time you're in the market for a paint change in a room whip out one of your Persephones and try it on for size. Who knows?!
ReplyDeleteOh it looks gorgeous! But of course you already know how I adore blue-grey :) K x
ReplyDelete