9.28.2009

The Red Wall

Ever since we moved into this house a year ago, I've pondered about adding some major color to our living room. Like one or two green walls. Maybe. For whatever reason, I just couldn't nail down a specific color, no matter how much I wanted to get this project done.

But this weekend, I learned why I couldn't make this happen. Because I'm a BUNNY TRAIL kind of gal. I'm not very adept at getting from point A to point B in a direct line. Thanks to this colander brain in my head, I'm easily . . . SQUIRREL!

Anyway, awhile back, we decided to move our plain old brown bookshelf from the living room up to the end of the hallway (just outside my studio) to accommodate homeschool books and such. Then we would stain the unfinished bookshelf with lower cupboards and put it in the living room instead. We bought the stain some time ago and finally got around to that project on Sunday.

We emptied the brown bookshelf and hauled it upstairs. Oh, I guess it actually started back another day. On Saturday, I began cleaning up the studio and getting rid of things. I realized that I desperately need a bookshelf for all the homeschool books, so we needed to get that brown shelf moved and soon.

So, back to staining and moving the shelf. Once that space was vacant along the big wall (aka the "blank slate"), I felt the need to paint it.

school room

While green was the original color of choice, I became concerned that we wouldn't find one that worked with the green curtains, the freshly stained green bookshelf, and the green in the furniture. Never fear, we have all these groovy colors in our rug, so let's go with burgundy. Or more specifically, Deep Garnet by Glidden.

living room rug

The color chip is a dark burgundy with NO hint of pink. But when we opened the can, it was looking rather magenta-ish. This freaked me out just a bit.

Yikes!!
painted tray - LR

Looks much too pink to me!
painted swipe - LR

We painted a square on the wall and it was definitely more pink-magenta than it was supposed to be. This color definitely doesn't cover very well. Two coats will not cut it. So I painted two or three more coats on that square and it began to appear that with drying and probably four coats, we really would have Deep Garnet.

painted edges - LR

After the first coat. Did I say this paint doesn't cover very well?
painted coat 1-LR

Half way through the second coat.
painted coat 2 - LR

My helper, the Comedian.
painted helper - LR

The wall does have a third coat, but no photos yet. I was planning on a fourth coat before bed tonight, but my SI joint said, "No stinkin' way!" So I complied. But I will get some third and fourth coat pix up. Hopefully it doesn't require even more paint. Because that gallon will be empty by then.


8 comments:

Lorraine said...

That's why I much prefer Behr paint (found at home depot) Covers much better, and very little odor.

But the wall looks like it's coming along nicely! *S*

Amber @ Classic Housewife said...

LOVEIT!!

This is nearly the same shade as we used in our dining room - and YES, it took 3 or 4 coats.

I asked the guy at the hardware store about buying a pink-tinted primer to use under it so that it didn't take as many coats and this is what he said:

Since I was painting on a white wall and since the paint I was buying was on sale, it didn't matter. People buy tinted primer because it's cheaper than a gallon paint and it will help use less of the more expensive paint. But my paint was on sale for the same cost of primer, and since I was sharing the primer between two different colored walls, I would have had to buy an extra primer to tint. SO... I just used white primer and at least three coats of paint.

So all that to say,... don't be surprised it's taking several. That's standard for a red color. (If you ever decide to paint with another dark color you can ask about having the primer tinted to save on a coat of the paint.)

I really like it, I can't wait to see it completed! =)

Debo Hobo said...

I love the color! Very vibrant but classy.

I think you are suppose to tent the primer and cover the wall with that before you put your top coats on.

Robin said...

Whoa! You are brave girl! I could never work my careful, serious, neutral shade loving self up to do that - but I'm betting it is going to look great! You are the kind of gal that does things I only wish I could do!
Looking forward to the finished photos.

Sande said...

Looks great already. Nice and warm for your winter.

Anonymous said...

I am in the same situation. I want to paint, but cannot make up my mind what color.

This is definitely ONE of the colors I want, but what room?

I'm thinking of making our bedroom this color.... LOVE it!

Cassie Cannon said...

Do you remember where you purchased that beautiful rug?! I recently painted my walls burgundy wine and have been looking for an area rug similar to yours...

Dianne - Bunny Trails said...

Yep. We got it at Lowe's about three years ago.

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