Choosing Paint Colors and Wood Flooring

 I’ve been busy trying to get rid of this “BEFORE” picture in my great room…..for years now!

 When we bought our house 12 years ago, there was this wonderful, big, square, great room just off the living room…..

Super for parties and big gatherings….We could fit 32 people for sit down Thanksgiving dinners in here….

The only problem was……all this 80s wallpaper……well, and the 80s decor…so yesterday!

That and my blue and mauve 80s color scheme…..lots of cute little ribbons and bow everywhere too….yuck!

I’ve wanted to change it for the longest time…..but I couldn’t face it after remodeling the basement, kitchen,   2 bathrooms….and 4 bedrooms!  It’s one of those things where you need to take a breather before you can face it again!

But a week ago was my Spring Break from school…..so all of a sudden one day….we just started tearing wallpaper off……and then….well it was too late by then. The deed was done!

That wallpaper tearing thing lasted about an hour before we gave up and rented a steamer from Home Depot….it went a lot faster after that…..

Stripping wallpaper….well, if you have ever done it you know….it is HORRIBLE!   don’t wanna go there ever again. I actually went over to Wallpaper Warehouse  to look at some Sherman Williams paint samples? And guess what I saw? Little old ladies over there BUYING WALLPAPER!   Somebody needs to tell them the 80s called and want their wallpaper back….snicker….

Picking paint has been a nightmare….I want a pale aqua…not baby blue, not mint green, not  Tijuana, Mexico colors….

I would narrow it down…..

Then change my mind and add a few back in…..

Then narrow it down again…ask the hubs….not listen to the hubs…..

Then I thought the pointy one to the right was it!  So I bought a sample for the wall….and painted some on….

And there it is….a baby blue nursery color….nope…that was not workin’ for me at all!  Don’t you LOVE all our wires hanging out of our walls…yeah we do things really neatly at our house…

I went to Lowes, Home Depot, looked at Martha Stewart’s and Disney’s colors, looked at Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore, Wallpaper Warehouse….looked online at pictures and read recommendations….and what it all boils down to is this…..

Great Room Redecoration…..or how to lose your mind in 30 days….

You pick your best 2 colors and you buy  $3.00 samples and paint on a section of wall.  I will NEVER, NEVER do it any other way.  It’s the only way to be sure.  And don’t take the hubs with you. They just want you to choose anything so the nightmare can get closer to being finished, you know what I mean, don’t you?  Yeah.  It’s a bummer.

Our poor dog Brucie doesn’t know what all this sanding noise and dust is about, but he’s hiding by  his perch in the window most days, just trying to stay out of everybody’s way, poor doggie.

So it boiled down to choice 1 and 2. And the hubs said, “let’s just get it now” and I caved.  So I have more mint than the aqua I wanted. But at least the green is very light…. and in the grand scheme of things, does this really matter in life? No it doesn’t.  When you’ve had real challenges in life, you learn not to sweat the small stuff.

Here’s what it looked like after the wallpaper was stripped off….very “peachy”!

Here were the sample paints and lots of patching of holes here and there…..

Then lots of sanding….sanding….sanding….thanks Gary!  (I’ve got the greatest son-in-law) 😀

Anyhoo, here are the finished walls. They don’t look bad, they aren’t my favorite, but they definitely ARE an improvement over the 80s groovy floral-and-striped wallpaper from the previous owners.

Here’s the AFTER picture.  So instead of peachy colored on the bottom….we now have white.  And kind of a beachy aqua on top. I painted the bottom half white with white chair rails.  We will have to go over the doors    and ceilings with white in the summer when I have more time.

My daughter Tiff and her hubs Gary came over and helped us get it  painted in a day! Thanks guys!

It made the room so much brighter!  And the carpet looked so much dingier!  Ugh!

Ignore my junk everywhere……

Now I have to get all the carpet ripped up and……

Choose between the wood for the floors….I’ve narrowed it down….again! (HEY! that’s actually the hard part!) We are ordering the  solid wood from Wood Floor Warehouse in Salt Lake (about 4500 South West of the 15 Freeway). They have great deals, they help you by lending you tools and teaching you installation for free on Saturday mornings.

Maple (lightest one), golden oak (darkest one) and white oak, last one….

So those are the 3 finalists….Oh I’m just loving life right now, can’t you just tell?  I hate these hard decisions.  Which one do you like best? The maple floors, golden oak or white oak? Those are your only choices people, now let’s make that decision quickly! Time is a wastin!