Wednesday
Feb242010
Colors, colors everywhere
Wednesday, February 24, 2010 at 8:38PM
Colors, colors everywhere
On the wall
And in my hair
Colors, colors everywhere
And not a drop to drink
You like that? I wrote that just for you, because I am a prodigious talent, and because I care about you.
You're welcome.
Colors on the yarn! Last club shipment from our Maryland address heading out this week!
Colors on the wall! Studio painting commenced!
I thought long and hard about the colors I wanted for the walls of the new studio. What would I love seeing every day? What would make me happy? What is fresh and dynamic and pleasing but energetic? My goal was not to soothe myself into a coma, I need fun, I need high impact color. What kind of yarn studio would have beige walls, I beg of you?
So I narrowed it down, and then I went to the paint store and bought no fewer than 25 small paint samples to try out. When I brought in all my swatches, the guy behind the counter stared at me and said, "Well, it's going to be like... a couple of hours for us to make all of these for you." (Translation: I don't want to make all of these for you, it's too much work.)
"That's OK," I said. "I can run my other errands and stop back later." Just to make him feel better, I added, "Once I decide on the colors, I'll be buying at least fifteen gallons of paint." I didn't want him to feel like I was wasting his time so I could do craft projects.
First, I admired the hole in the wall that will connect the two spaces with a French door.
Then I painted 76,000 swatches to approximate the final paint shades I'd chosen.
I had it narrowed down to some combination of turquoise, mallard, grass green, jade, and purple.
I painted the same swatches on the opposing wall, just to see.
I like them all.
I test out the idea of doing a saturated sari-like gold or tangerine color on the back wall.
I love it, but not in this space. The studio is too long and narrow, and the sari effect will be lost, because you won't be able to easily see the colors play with each other.
I sleep on it. I come back in the morning when the paint has dried. With walls that are thirteen feet high and eighty feet long, the walls will not be easy to repaint, and the wrong color will seem really, really, really wrong.
What's it going to be?
The grass or the jade?
Remember that I don't have to match any furniture to these saturated colors, and that helps a lot.
Here's what I ended up deciding on:
For one wall of the studio, the side that will be directly across from my desk:
Jade with a hint of teal.
For the back wall and the front wall (the short ends of a long rectangle), I decide on:
Orchid purple. Because the space is so long, the back wall color really needed to have impact, lest you have to squint to tell what it is.
For the wall behind my desk:
Mermaid Treasure, naturally.
Tomorrow we'll discuss the colors in the other side of the space, the main work room.
But I would like to point out one other small color sample:
What say you? Yay or nay? I am ambivalent about the cut -- it will grow out. But how do you feel about the red?
The paint? It doesn't matter. How do you feel about the color of my hair?
On the wall
And in my hair
Colors, colors everywhere
And not a drop to drink
You like that? I wrote that just for you, because I am a prodigious talent, and because I care about you.
You're welcome.
Colors on the yarn! Last club shipment from our Maryland address heading out this week!
Colors on the wall! Studio painting commenced!
I thought long and hard about the colors I wanted for the walls of the new studio. What would I love seeing every day? What would make me happy? What is fresh and dynamic and pleasing but energetic? My goal was not to soothe myself into a coma, I need fun, I need high impact color. What kind of yarn studio would have beige walls, I beg of you?
So I narrowed it down, and then I went to the paint store and bought no fewer than 25 small paint samples to try out. When I brought in all my swatches, the guy behind the counter stared at me and said, "Well, it's going to be like... a couple of hours for us to make all of these for you." (Translation: I don't want to make all of these for you, it's too much work.)
"That's OK," I said. "I can run my other errands and stop back later." Just to make him feel better, I added, "Once I decide on the colors, I'll be buying at least fifteen gallons of paint." I didn't want him to feel like I was wasting his time so I could do craft projects.
First, I admired the hole in the wall that will connect the two spaces with a French door.
Then I painted 76,000 swatches to approximate the final paint shades I'd chosen.
I had it narrowed down to some combination of turquoise, mallard, grass green, jade, and purple.
I painted the same swatches on the opposing wall, just to see.
I like them all.
I test out the idea of doing a saturated sari-like gold or tangerine color on the back wall.
I love it, but not in this space. The studio is too long and narrow, and the sari effect will be lost, because you won't be able to easily see the colors play with each other.
I sleep on it. I come back in the morning when the paint has dried. With walls that are thirteen feet high and eighty feet long, the walls will not be easy to repaint, and the wrong color will seem really, really, really wrong.
What's it going to be?
The grass or the jade?
Remember that I don't have to match any furniture to these saturated colors, and that helps a lot.
Here's what I ended up deciding on:
For one wall of the studio, the side that will be directly across from my desk:
Jade with a hint of teal.
For the back wall and the front wall (the short ends of a long rectangle), I decide on:
Orchid purple. Because the space is so long, the back wall color really needed to have impact, lest you have to squint to tell what it is.
For the wall behind my desk:
Mermaid Treasure, naturally.
Tomorrow we'll discuss the colors in the other side of the space, the main work room.
But I would like to point out one other small color sample:
What say you? Yay or nay? I am ambivalent about the cut -- it will grow out. But how do you feel about the red?
The paint? It doesn't matter. How do you feel about the color of my hair?
in Chit Chat
Chit Chat 
Reader Comments (31)
How fun is picking out paint?? It's fun to create a whole new space and envision all the fun you'll have there, and how the perfect color will help push you through any humps! LOVE he red hair. It really looks so natural and it brings out your eyes!
I agree with Maureen. Your eyes are definitely more vibrant with the new hair color. An idea for April maybe?
I LOVE the hair! I would even love it a deeper red!! Oh, now I want to dye my hair again (something that hasn't happened in like 3 or 4 yrs).
LOVE LOVE and love the middle-top color in this picture: http://threeirishgirls.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/paintcolors.jpg is something I want to surround myself with, maybe paired with Cian and Bells of Ireland.
We're househunting, so I've been daydreaming about what I would paint things. I love that color (middle-top, that picture) and the Mermaid Treasure you picked for behind your desk. Sigh.
Wow with the paint colors :D How fun :)
I like the new hair color!! Definitely different but very pretty :)
I'm not sure if it's the top you're wearing, or the new hair color, but your eyes appear MUCH more blue than I've noted in previous pics. I think the color is lovely on you!
And the paint colors are fantastic, as well! The three together will be very impactful. I love choosing paint! Such fun.
I love the paint colors - I knew you would choose that jade/teal as soon as I saw it :)
I really like your hair color too. Seeing pictures of happy smiling Sharon is nice. I miss you! Come visit Seattle :)
I love the paint colours you've chosen. Jade was my first choice too....I adore it with purple.
Your hair colour is fabulous. It makes your eyes just glow. I really like the cut too.
Wow! Red hair instead of mushroom colored hair! I agree it makes your skin and eyes look luminous. I can't wait to see it. And it goes well with all that other Irishness you're surrounded by.
Yay! The hair is great. And when the landscape is white and black (hello February in Central NY!!), the wall colors will remind you that spring will happen. Soothing quickly turns into depressing when your surrounded by snow for six months in a row!!!!
Love the hair - both color & cut!
LOVE THE HAIR! It makes your blue eyes pop even more than before, and it accentuates the pink glow in your cheeks and lips and makes you look very healthy.
Now the wall colors? They're great. Very colorful and creative.
I love red hair, and it looks beautiful on you! I hadn't seen your hair before, and thought it was your color-love it! I also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the colors you're going to paint your studio!
Love the hair cut and color. It suits you well. And . . .that picture of you is similar in colors/tones to the paints you have chosen. There it is! You are a part of your new workspace - it is you! perfect :)
Wow and WOW.....both the studio paint colors and the new hair color. It is....dare I say it...the new hair color is ......regal...especially on HRH FTY!
You look so happy it makes my heart smile.
Love the hair! All of it.
Also totally love your paint colors, but somehow I knew you'd pick what I would have picked. How so very exciting!
I love it! Looks great on you!
Love the hair! Very fitting for an Irish girl LOL! :) I love the new colors of the studio, the purple is a favorite of mine. And you can never go wrong with blue or green :) Good luck on the move and good luck with the painting! (I wish I could help, I am an expert wall painter ;) )
Your hair looks tres chic. The Jade is seriously my favorite color of the moment and it's "color of the year". I swear Pantone is seeping it subliminally into our brains. I can't WAIT to see it all come together.
Love the new 'do! And I can't wait to see the studio all painted up! As much as I love all the purples, I think you chose the right one for a wall. . . I really like that whole sari idea with purples and oranges. . . Hmmm. . .
I love your studio paint colors. Très chic!
I have to say, I'm likin' the red on ya! Didn't think I would, but it's nice! :D
Can't wait to see the studio completely painted! It will be beautiful!
LOVE your hair!! It suits you, really brings out your eyes and your lovely skin.
The colors for your studio are fabulous - it will be such a happy, energized space, really feed your creativity and keep your spirits up. Getting your studio ready must be so exciting!
Thanks for sharing this journey with us, and letting us cheer you on!
I'm looking forward to seeing Feb. yarn!
I love your hair! It is the colour I wish mine was. Maybe I will dye it after the wedding? It is just lovely on you.
Agreeing on the hair color love, even if I am biased since I am currently sporting a similar color.
I am late to the party, but wanted to tell you I love, love both the color and the cut.
Love the color. I always wanted red hair, but alas, not me. So I always think others should have it if they can;)