House Paint: First Look

Well, it’s not offensive, I can say that much. Before we go any further, here are two photos. I added a close-up because the light green is so light it’s hard to tell the difference between the white primer and the light green. In reality there is more of a contrast but with this lighting you’d never know it.

The only part not painted on the second story is the front of the Bay Window with the two windows.



I bought this paint 3 years ago (I think I said 2 in another blog entry) and I had feared that maybe the light green was too light but I wasn’t going to pass judgment until it was on the wall. I painted the second story first and after I got it on there I kind of liked it. I mean, I wasn’t jumping up and down about it, but I thought it was a pleasant shade of green. After I got the first story green on I wasn’t so sure.

I did a lot of standing-back-and-let-it-sink-in sort of stuff. You know, looking at it from different angles. I went next door and in the alley to view it from afar. Like I said, it’s not offensive. At the same time, though, I wasn’t saying to myself, “That’s it! I nailed it.”

As I was cleaning up I thought to myself that I should finish painting the front of the bay window and put on some of the trim color and then reevaluate. I still have about 4 gallons of the light green so I have to use it up. That is over $100 worth of paint and 4 gallons is a lot. It’s not like I’m going to paint the entire interior of my upstairs light green. I’ve got to use this stuff up one way or another.

The plan has always been to put on 2 top-coats so I need another coat up there. My feeling now is, if it doesn’t scream to me then it’s not right then I need to change it. Even if it’s not a scream there should at least be low murmur. “It’s not offensive” is not something to shoot for when painting a house.

Neighbor 1: “Did you see that Greg’s painting his house?”

Neighbor 2: “Yes I did, and I’m not vomiting!”

{They high-five each other}

That’s really not what I’m going for. I want a contrast between the first and second floor. I want the second story windows to stand-out and it’s important that the shingles be in a light color. The light color gives more defined shadow lines. If you look at that close-up again you can see how each shingle is clearly defined, and that photo is in shadow. If the second story was the same dark green as the first story you’d almost have to be right on top of it to tell that there were octagon shingles up there. I need a light color……just not that light.

I’ve decided I’m going to go down to Sherwin Williams tomorrow and pick out a different green. It took me two half days (Monday & Tuesday afternoon) to paint that entire wall. If I rush through work tomorrow I think I can repaint those shingles with a darker – yet still light – shade of green. I will then just paint the whole house with the light green first and then a second coat of the darker green.

That’s the plan.