When we last left off, I was still debating these tiny DIYers on my shoulders. (Sound nuts? It is but go back and read what I’m really talking about here ) I was tired of listening to them argue and state their cases. They both made good points and they’re both probably right… this could be amazing but it’s for sure going to come with a lot of challenges (yep, that is foreshadowing) so I made a little deal with myself. A totally, logical sane deal…
I was going to Lowe’s that day and if there was any good “Oops Paint” that I could use, the project was a go! You see, the room and shelves must be painted. I thought about mixing all my extra paint together and hoping for the best (I wouldn’t really do that, but I seriously thought of everything.) But my sponsors have still not shown up so my only real option was a good can of “oops paint.” I've had luck there, but not this kind of luck. It would be a project miracle if I did in fact find at least a gallon of a color that I loved… and I am picky about colors (but also really good at picking them. It’s kind of my job. Hire me please and thank you)
I walked up to the “Oops” shelf half hopeful, half failing before I even got there. My brain is a lovely place to live. Would you believe that I found not one but TWO contenders. Full gallons, good colors not some random pepto-pink mistake. This was a game changer. I really had a decision to make.
The first one was a solid, works anywhere classic: Tricorn Black. I prefer Iron Ore in my house because it’s more of a soft black, but tricorn is amazing. I really didn’t want to paint it black but a $15 gallon of paint made it suddenly a contender.
But there was another one. By the little thumbprint on the top it was the most perfect color but I’m slow to trust the little dot. I searched the color online went over to the swatches and found it and it was, in fact, beautiful in every way.
So what do you think I did? Did I grab it and go home to paint?
If you said yes, you clearly don’t know me. I left. Empty handed. This was a $0 project. $15 bargain paint is still more than $0. Not to mention this is NOT the way to pick a paint color. There should be thorough testing! There should also be an equal amount of thorough overthinking.
No paint today; not even trusty tricorn black.
But I could not stop thinking about the paint. The color was perfect. I searched for every example of rooms painted this color. I was completely and totally enamored with it. I simply had to go back the next day. It’s a small miracle that there was such a good color available, if it was there the second day it would be divine intervention and meant to be. Yes, I think Jesus cares about all the details and paint colors are a detail.
So I broke my own rule. I’m now $15 invested but the color is amazing. Am I ever even going to tell you what the color is? So far we've eliminated black and pepto-pink. That leaves a few other options but here she is...
It’s Sherwin Williams Courtyard in the real world, but as soon as I showed Tripp we changed the name to “Mr. Benedict’s Suit.” It’s only fitting that a library should be painted a color named for great story with significance. Mr. Benedict’s Suit is a soothing color of green in “The Mysterious Benedict Society,” to keep the narcoleptic calm and from falling asleep. It’s worth noting that Mr. Benedict is also always surrounded by books.
This color is a great green but this particular space needed something a bit brighter. It’s still a saturated, deep green but there is some brightness to it that really works.
I showed the boys and they loved it. They don’t care about paint colors like I do, but something about this color just draws you in. You can feel this color. This color is special enough to write nearly 1,000 words about it.
So we’ve made one giant step toward a library. We have a color. I’m already $15 over budget and there is a lot of work left to do. Are you ready for it?
Budget Check-in:
Paint $15
PS this might not be funny to any one but me, but when I first looked at the paint, the nice gentleman who worked at the Lowe’s paint department was really tying to make a sale by giving me a long explanation about how it was ok to use exterior paint inside, just not vice versa. I would be fine to use this paint I was drooling inside even though it was exterior. He was convinced this was exterior paint I had my eye on. I tried my very best just just “yes sir,” him and take his wisdom but he just kept on and on trying to sell me on this. I finally had to tell him. That word is “Express” not "Exterior.” Bless his heart.
