Don't Fear the Painter

You know the old saying: Be careful what you wish for because you might get it.

Well, we've always wanted to add some color to the house, but now that we've got it, we're both having a tiny bit of panic. OMG, what have we done?

At first, they painted the entire house from top to bottom in Wedding Dress white, which was very close to the white color that was on it before. Apart from being fresher and cleaner, the house looked just about the same. So no drama there.

Then, the off-white/beige color went on some of the lower trim. At first, it seemed very dark brown (i.e., not glaring white), so that took a bit of getting used to. But we learned that it only looks dark up close. If you stand on the sidewalk or, better yet, across the street, it looks just fine. Our scheme was starting to come together. Hey, we actually know what we're doing!

But then the blue went on, and we both got nervous. Again, the first area painted was just outside the front door, so it stared you in the face as you walked in/out. It seemed like way too much color. But again, we decided that from a safe distance it looks just fine. And then more blue went on, and more blue, and more... Gulp.

Add to that the brick-red trim, and also a bit of gold. Up close, we were afraid it was turning into a circus tent. It's just so... different than before. But taken as a whole, it looks pretty darned good. All the neighbors have complimented the painters and said how nice it looks now, and I don't think they're just being polite. And when it's all done, the house will still be 90% white, so the purists can't really complain.

Best of all, some of the architectural detail is finally starting to appear. This was the main reason for painting the house in the first place. We wanted to highlight the gingerbread, so much of which was lost or hidden when it was all one color. Now that the painters are picking out some of the little details, stripes, knobs, and fiddly bits, it's really starting to show off the design that was there all along. So it's full speed ahead. Keep on painting!