A very fun and dangerous game you can play goes like this, “If you could snap your fingers what would you instantly change about your room?” The answer is worth pursuing. Now, before you actually change anything, play that game over and over, over the course of months and if the answer is still the same thing, then change if/when you can (I’m not sure if this means you “win” or “lose,” but you’ll know the answer). When we chose this paint color I was 80% sure it was the one – not 100% but I felt confident enough to spend the $2,500 and 2 days to get it done (it was that expensive because it was two different sheens and we painted the ceiling, too). But I failed to remind myself of the best and most obvious paint color rule – small swatches show a little bit of the color, a whole room shows a LOT of the color. In other words, whatever color is in the pigment just becomes more when bigger (seems very “duh” right now). I really, really, really like this room, I do. At night, I LOVE this color (Debonair by Sherwin-Williams) and when it’s super cloudy and I’m cozied up in bed I also love it. It’s PERFECT for a room that doesn’t get a lot of natural light and you want it to feel cozy and warm. But this room is sooooo well lit and when the skylights are open and the room is blasted with light it’s just 30% too bold and intense for me (I actually LOVED it with just one coat, but after the second I got nervous but it was too late).
THE TWIST: Why I am Even Considering Repainting?
I was going to wait and just not deal with it (again, it’s not a big enough bummer to prioritize it into my design schedule or budget) but then I painted my brother’s laundry room the most magical color, Eventide by Sherwin-Williams, and I walked in while all the cabinets fronts were hanging, drying in the family room (a room with very similar light to our bedroom) and immediately was like, “oh dear, this is the color, the exact color I was going for in our bedroom.” You see Eventide can look gray or pastel in small doses so when I considered it I was fearful that it would look depressing or even too baby, but once you get it in a full room it becomes much bluer, much happier with ZERO depressing tendencies at all. It’s incredibly soothing, happy, calm, and yet still a color – it’s not a typical neutral (blue is a neutral for me LOL) and once I saw it I wanted it in our bedroom NOW.
But my color confidence is on the mend. I feel like my “picker” was off last year and it’s just finding its way back. So I asked Gretchen to photoshop the color onto the walls, with the hope of feeling 95% confident. Oh and here’s a fun fact, the only way to feel 100% confident about a paint color is if you’ve painted a whole room before in a similar light. There are SO MANY colors that I would have thought were “meh,” until I was in a room on all four walls. Evergreen Fog is another example. Sure it was the color of the year a few years ago but I wasn’t that into it until we painted my brother’s family room that color and MY GOODNESS, every time I go in I’m like “this color is so beautiful and perfect.”
Anyway, here is my bedroom in SW Eventide.
Option #1: Eventide With White Ceiling
Y’all, I KNOW it’s not that much different but it just dials it back a bit and its more soothing. I’m not convinced I love it with the print of the bed, but that bed just looks sooooo much better in person IMHO. But the Eventide does in fact look so much better for the vibes that I want in here. Of course, if we are repainting we have an opportunity to paint the ceiling back to white (and not that cool of a white, a bit warmer). I prefer the skylights on white ceilings but hmmm, not sure…
I like it. A lot. Not sure about the white ceiling still and I want to make sure I love it with the window treatments…
Option #2: Eventide With White Ceiling AND Trim
Here you can see what it would look like if the trim were painted white in addition to the ceiling. I actually really thought that I was going to like this, but it makes the room way busier and it was a solid, immediate NO. Now maybe if the white were a bit warmer or grayer I don’t know… maybe there are just too many windows and doors to trim around. It’s just too much contrast for me for this room.
It’s fine, but…not my fave…
Option #3: Eventide Flooded Everywhere…
There she is. Walls, ceiling, and trim – all Eventide. I’ve even thought about taking it down to 75% (so adding some white to it) but again, I’m nervous about doing anything wrong these days (I feel like I am brave in so many ways, but I’m just so sick of getting paint colors wrong, which now that I think about it was just our white in the living room and the gray/lavender in the family room, no wait and the red front door…).
Now when you look at the pictures next to each other I agree that Debonaire does POP more, but consider this: the photoshopped version on the right doesn’t have the movement of the light on the walls like Debonaire did but is that because it’s not a true photo? Would all those pretty shadows and the spots that are brighter/darker still happen with Eventide? (I think so, right?). So if I had to choose between these two “photos” I’d choose Debonaire, but I promise that living in this room is just too intense so in person I want Eventide.
When I look at this side of the room I do wish I had more of an accent color over here, but in person, I love that it’s restrained and simple – just tones of blue, wood, and some mauves.
BTW I accidentally read a few comments (not here) the other day about me, which I immediately regretted, of course. If you have judgment about my design process including if/when I change things, I totally can see that. I think it’s really helpful to know that literally everybody, no matter how many years of experience someone has, tries and fails in their field (especially when risk-taking) and either has to never admit it out loud or has to redo it and gets to learn from it. For me, the former isn’t an option (my personality doesn’t allow me to keep shit inside), so I choose to publicly do the latter (which is often painful for me, but it’s the path I’m more comfortable taking). But if you are hoping that there is a creative or a designer out there who does everything perfectly the first time, it’s simply not true and is never going to be true. They just probably don’t have the type of platform where they can publicly admit them. 🙂
*Original Photos by Kaitlin Green
I truly appreciate and indeed love that you are candid about your “mistakes,” which frankly to many people would probably be slightly not as wonderful choices. I think it’s admirable and it makes me want to come back over and over to see what you’re changing and why! I love how your style has evolved and I’m a huge fan! Thanks for your frankness.
I keep thinking about Edna Mode from The Incredibles, who went on a tired against capes. When Mr Incredible pointed out that she designed the one he wanted replaced she said: “I never look back darling, it distracts from the NOW.” Can we please stop calling them mistakes?
I agree with Molly’s comment so much! And I think it is an entirely, so-very-helpful message to all of us. Whether we work in design, or not. It’s a really important reminder that mistakes are OK. and beautiful. Thank you Emily!
Absolutely, same same. Love how Emily is so ‘real’. I don’t have to agree with her choices all of the time (and I don’t), but who cares? Not my blog. The process is fascinating and gives all of us an insight we wouldn’t otherwise be privy to. (Also, to Emily: stop reading those comments!!0
I truly love both Debonair and Eventide in there! But I also know the feeling when I’ve already made a decision about a change – I almost always go through with it regardless of the inconvenience because I just need the change to happen! Do your Eventide and love your space even more!
I love posts like these because while yes, I know it’s likely a big cost for you and not one average, non-designy people can do on a whim – it does make me feel like “OH, we can re-do things if we want JUST BECAUSE WE WANT TO?!” You’ve inspired me to re-paint my dining room. I will do it myself (ughhhh) but we can all make changes we want on a variety of budgets and not have to settle for things just because of a sunk-cost (or time) fallacy.
There was a time when I was moved to paint my dining room a bright color because it was north facing, and totally covered in a rhododendrum plant that was glorious when blooming and which made the room dank when not blooming (most of the year). If you’ve ever seen pictures of, or been to Monet’s house and garden in Giverny, you would see the most yellowiest of all yellow colors on his dining room walls. I went there, to that yellow. It was bright, it was glorious, and when I turned around to see how it looked with the hall wall paper (heh, shoulda done that first) I wept, and immediately sent my husband to the paint store (at a quarter to closing time) to get another color, stat. I sent him for red. So, Emily, my point is, you know the existing color is wrong for you, but I would suggest holding off on a full-on paint job and maybe paint some Giant Swatches on large boards you can move around the room (as you tell us to do). Or, hey, maybe you can borrow a painted door or two from your brother to test it in your… Read more »
I LOVE this perspective!! And whole heartedly agree that this is part of what makes design- especially design as Emily teaches us- to be so empowering! It’s just pretty stuff for us to look at! It’s not that serious! Except that if we make it how WE want it… then it can be just absolutely everything. <3 Thank you Patty for pointing this out and thank you Emily for being so open and honest with us!
Thank you for sharing your design ideas. I have found your posts to be informative and extremely helpful to paint color challenged me! Could you please tell me the sheen used for Debonair and Eventide? Also, what is a great white paint color/sheen for walls? Thank you, thank you, thank you for being you!
Go for it. Life’s too short to live and sleep in a room that makes you feel unsettled.
I wish people thought of paint color as an adventure -then, if a color wasn’t making your heart flutter once it was up on the walls, no one would have to bother with their own uncertainties and/or anyone else’s judgements when they decided to choose a different color. Why? Because, ADVENTURE! As you’ve said, there are soooOOO many variables but most of us would agree that how we feel in our space/s is paramount. I trust your instincts (and wholeheartedly agree that the white trim version is almost painfully busy) and am very glad you continue to share your process with us (because Oy Vey! in the pre-approval era of comments there were times I would repeat to myself “I hope she keeps blogging..! I hope she keeps blogging!” while reading the various demoralizing comment threads. Thank you for instituting the new policy aaaaand for continuing to blog -I start every day here : )
Looking forward to seeing what you decide!
Yes! Seconding this!
I think that if the colour really bothers you, you should change it. And if it was my room I would go all in with the ceiling also, I think it will look a bit washed out if the ceiling is white.
However, I do have a feeling that the heart of the issue is that you haven
t really landed on the styling of the room, it feels a bit like its become a melting pot of stuff you didnt quite know where to place. And rooms grow with time, maybe the new paint will spark some inspiration in you and youll see things with new eyes 🙂Yes, I agree with this! Did you ever make a moodboard for this room? I think the problem with the blue, no matter the exact shade of paint, is it’s always going to be the star because there’s just SO much of it. Right now it feels like the blue is fighting with everything else in the room. I personally loved when the room was white because the wood tones in the doors and windows popped so nicely. I wonder if you’d like the room more with pops of blue as opposed to everything being overwhelmed with blue paint.
Agree. Design the entire room, not just the paint.
I agree with this, especially painting the walls, ceiling and trim the same Eventide color, more seamless and smooth so the fireplace and furnishings can be the stars.
I can see why you like Eventide but I am wondering if you will have to paint the fireplace as well, not necessarily in the wall color. It seems a bit too prominent, in my opinion, although that may not be the case in person.
I agree about the fireplace – maybe knock back that color as well? While they are there…?
I like both colors, but would second this comment. What about eventide on the walls and ceiling and debonair on the fireplace? Then a curtain that is more inline with eventide but with a mid-sized pattern that brings in the white of the skylights. I feel like the fireplace and curtains make a bit of a striped effect on the wall that isn’t calming.
Agreed, the fireplace has always stuck out to my eye, and not in a good way… if I were going to paint anything white in there that would be my first pick
Have you considered painting it a warmer color? When I saw the bedroom reveal and read about your mixed feelings, my reading was that this room screamed for something warm – with the Portland skies, skylight, etc. Maybe something like the pink in your guest bedroom or a F&B’s Setting Plaster type of color? When I see the changes suggested here, I agree that it is marginally better, but for me it doesn’t change the overall impression of coldness and grayness that I get – in picture! – of the room.
I agree, it would make all the furniture and beautiful design features pop much more.
I was going to comment on the exact same thing. A warmer color might work better with the bed and the art.
Well we all know she is going to change the bed at some point, haha! She never intended for it to go in this room and is always prefacing any mention of the bed with that information, so I don’t that that bed is making her heart sing in here either.
Same, same, same. I was a bit disappointed that it was another shade of blue initially–and I love blue. Team Warmer Color (pink!) here.
Even a warmer white! A cool white will always remind me of primer and you can’t convince my mind otherwise.
To my eye, Eventide is a warmer (i.e. more yellow-toned) shade of blue!
I agree with these comments and wanted to say that Eventide is a warmer -green color which is probably why Emily is drawn to it.
My bedroom was a really pretty blue but felt so cold in our Northeastern winters. Everything changed when I painted it a warm cream.
Personally I am sort of worn out with all the dusty blues and mauves. I think they have a hard time exuding any warmth in Portland. I would love to see some Neutral Ground or Greek Villa for a change.
I def agree to not paint the frames white! I agree, I feel like both colors feel cold, not warm and inviting. Yes the second is maybe a bit better, but it almost reads to me like, I am sorry to say, a hospital industrial color (almost, but enough that I thought that, etc.)? I feel like it needs a warmer color of blue or green, or maybe a creamy white? I also feel like the styling just on that side of the room is a bit off i& isn’t as good as the fireplace side? The bed frame/style just looks too small or something on that big wall? I think it’s also that I don’t like the bed frame in this room and with that light fixture? To me that light fixture always reads/says ‘light and airy’ to me, and the bed just feels small/short and heavy looking in size, fabric and style? Also agree that if you change the color, the fireplace may need re-painting too? Maybe lean a bit lighter of the color on the fireplace if you change the wall color-the fireplace reads more green to me?
Usually I am very pro color for paint, but I think that both of these choices are too dark for this room. I really think this room needs to be lighter. I am worried you will go through all of the effort and cost to change the color and the difference will be negligible. I don’t have one white wall in my house, but my advice for this room is as light of a paint as possible. 🙂
I like the current color. I think if you can figure out how to add that accent color on the bed side of the room – that would be finishing touch. The room is gorgeous. Also just my option but please don’t do the ceiling white.
More importantly, I love your honesty and design process. I love design but I always judge myself too harshly when I follow people that only show the absolute perfection. Thanks for sharing it all!!
I think your gut knows you want the lighter soothing one. Plus you had that ” there it is” moment seeing it on the cabinets. Trust that ( as long as it will read the same with the light in your room).
At least from the pictures – I think you could better than the pinkish throw on the bed.
Hi Emily, Thanks so much for sharing your house with us and detailing all your design decisions. I have learned a lot from your website over the years and appreciate it very much. I also can imagine how vulnerable you may feel when you share so much of your process and outcomes with us on social media. The one point I would like to add to this discussion around design process is the environmental impact of the decisions we make. I really believe with the serious climate change and environmental challenges that our generation and next ones are facing any decision we make, in any field, need to have an element of environmental impact to it, no matter how big or small that impact is. In that sense, the design decisions should also consider that impact. Then the decision regarding a perfect wall color, which is a very subjective choice, may go in a different way. We need to start considering the environmental cost of us painting/repainting our houses, and remodeling perfectly functional and beautiful houses just because they are not “exactly” what we have in mind. At first, considering the environmental impact may results in fewer renovations and remodels.… Read more »
Ideally we would buy things that can last a lifetime. But we grow, change, have different needs and resources at different stages of our lives. There’s value in giving ourselves love and grace at those various points in life and let ourselves change our homes to match our emotional and physical needs.
I agree so strongly with this comment. We cannot keep throwing things away or discarding them just because they aren’t quite perfect or aren’t exactly what we want right now. We cannot keep replacing perfectly (or for that matter imperfectly) functional items or interiors just because we would quite like something (a bit) different. This approach is unsustainable and it increasingly feels indefensible for me.
I emphatically agree.
Thank you for sharing this post! Understanding your process and how you approach evaluating alternatives is always a value add. Even more, I appreciate your honesty about the design process. Allowing me to be a “fly on the wall” – not just on the end product, but during the process (as agonizing as it can be), has helped me feel like my design experience is normal. We nail some rooms on the first attempt. Others take iteration after iteration after iteration. It’s a struggle to get these rooms to feel “right,” and we can’t help but feel a bit unsettled in these spaces until they come together. For what it’s worth, mistakes are the method by which we learn!
I joke by saying I’ve painted my living room so many times in the past 30+ years, looking for the right color, that I’ve actually made the room smaller.
Ha. Ha.
Still looking.
Actually, that is true! A carpenter accustomed to lifting scenic flats that had been repainted for some 20 years told me that when lifting a newly refaced one almost threw it over his shoulder in over compensation! And peering on the side of the often repainted flats, there is a build up of almost 3/16 inches…
How about: meet halfway and paint the ceiling white before deciding to paint the walls too? I do think having the ceiling white would bring some airiness back to the space, and one thing I’ve heard (probably from you!) is that color drenching – like wallpaper – is frequently best done in darker, moodier spaces, which this space is not (so much beautiful light!).
This is the BEST option!
This would be my choice too – paint the ceiling white, paint the fireplace a lighter colour, and I would also see if the drapes work better in another room. When I cover the drapes and fireplace with my finger the original blue looks lovely. I’ve just painted my bedroom walls a similar depth of colour (a sage green) with a white sloped ceiling and I’m so happy with it! It gives colour, warmth, coziness but that lovely light feeling when the sun shines in too.
I love the pink idea too – warm and glowy in the sunshine and romantic and cosy at night.
I just don’t think it’s big enough of a WIN. Even with the side by side photos, the change doesn’t scream ‘transformation’ loud enough given the hassle of painting + costs. That being said, do whatever makes you the happiest in your space 🙂
I agree–but maybe I don’t ‘see’ variances in color strongly enough. For my style the room strays too far from farmhouse. For once, I’d prefer white walls (but maybe throw in the upward painted trim /doors from upstairs.
Personally the try and fail is why this is the only design site I regularly read. Seeing the process is so much more helpful than just the pretty pictures of the finished product. Because it is more of a map for us to use rather than just showing a photo of the destination and you are left to figure out how to get there on your own. So thanks for being willing to show us the not-quite-rights. I have been thinking about colour-drenching a room with a high ceiling and now I may go back and get a shade lighter to try out.
For as much as your current room is beautiful, I can see why you love Eventide. It’s so soft, it makes me want to rethink it for my own bedroom. I love it when you’re honest with us, it helps me understand we’re all on a journey.
Thank you for your honesty. These are my favorite posts from your blog. I design in a very similar way and it makes me good that other people do as well! Go for the lighter color. It seems like a lot now but in a few years, you will forget to inconvenience and cost.
I used to have a sunny south-facing living room that was painted in F&B Skylight with bookshelves in Hague Blue, which seems really similar to your Eventide with the darker blue fireplace, and I loved it – it looked greyish on the paint sample but a lovely pale but not twee blue when the whole room was done. It glowed in the sunshine, and it changed colours like the sky. Plus, if you look at the light in the darker blue photo, the highlights will be stronger on a lighter shade, so the lovely reflected light below the windows will show up even more than it does on the darker blue. So I would say if this is the similar depth of colour/shade then do it! It will make you love it again. I like the ceiling matching, as the white seems a bit stark, but then you say it would be a slightly warmer white so might not read as stark.
I appreciate you mentioning your mistakes, it encourages the rest of us!
I love the difference Eventide will make in the room, even just in the photoshop version. I say go for it, I see the vision!
I’ve always thought the blue on the ceiling fought with the skylights. To my eye, the one with the white ceiling is a clear winner. Also, I’ve repainted my living room 6 times over the years and still not sure we landed on the winner. I’m a painter who’s job it is to advise people on color and I can’t get my own house right so we hired a designer! Those people who criticize you can pound sand. You are brave enough to show the real process which is super relatable. Interested to see what you decide.
First and foremost, do what makes you feel happy and satisfied. Second, I do like the first color as it feels more calm and relaxing. My eyes feel “rested” when I look at the color you have now, but the new color my eyes “pop” from the slight brightness. Perhaps you could consider a happy medium and try painting the ceiling white with your current color? Or maybe paint just the ceiling the new color or a similar shade that complements the current?? Again, it’s your bedroom, and we spend 1/3 of our lives sleeping. Do what will make you feel like it’s a peaceful space.
Emily – why not paint a large swatch on the wall behind the bed to get a feel for it in real life? If you love it, then you know. If you don’t love it or really feel the difference then you can easily paint it back and not have to worry about painting the rest of the room (particularly the wood, which is more challenging to paint.
Really hard to tell the colours online – on my iPad they both look grey/green. It’s your bedroom and your money. If you want eventide, go for it!!
We always read that we should be bold and take risks with paint because it’s so easy to change, so here’s a chance to demonstrate that.
I agree that your honesty is not only refreshing but makes the rest of us, who also have regrets, feel better.
I think designers who never have regrets are almost always working on other people’s houses! Very different when it’s your own but this whole blog is supposed to be (predominantly) about playing with our own houses!
They’re both gorgeous colors – if it’s continuing to bug you, make the change. I’m a creative in a different field and in my world it ALL ABOUT THE DRAFTS. Iteration is how it gets good. I don’t think your picker is off, it’s just the process.
The Evertide color is really pretty! I agree with other comments – I wonder if you could play around with the styling of the room and see if that sparks calm before paying $$$ for paint. I also think your instinct to add white to Evertide is good, especially if you’re considering color drenching the space.
I think they are so similar that its not worth the expense to change it. (And I really prefer Debonair but I’m sure you have to be in the room to fully understand.) But I totally get the nagging feeling when something just doesn’t feel right in a room. Good luck deciding!
If you look back, every time you’ve written about this room you’ve expressed doubts about the color. Those doubts aren’t going away. I think Eventide looks like a winner and I hope you go for it. And yes, this is such a relatable issue, thanks for your openness.
So I personally would probably live with it for a bit before repainting – I really think the room is lovely as is!! But I don’t live in the house, so ultimately, you should do what brings you joy!! I’m not a professional designer, but I do enjoy decorating my own home and we all make mistakes – sometimes it’s not realizing how a paint color will read in different light – but other times it’s more complicated – you hang curtains with a strong pattern and that affects another previously made choice and you debate if you need to change the rug, etc., it’s truly a process. As you said, you just have the guts to admit it!!
I think sometimes what looks good in the photo is not what feels best in the space. Do what feels best to you.
I appreciate you sharing your design process with us, and the wins and the fails and the mistakes and the fixes! If everything was perfect all the time I wouldn’t be here still. We are here for the journey, Emily. Thanks for continuing to blog so I can read each morning with my coffee!
I’m so sorry to hear that people have been unkind to you about being honest and vulnerable. Your honesty about your process is part of what makes the design process feel accessible and what helps me (and I’m sure other readers) learn about how to use these lessons in my own home. Mean people suck. Thank you for being you and for taking us through this process.
I totally relate to feeling like I’ve made a design mistake. But I live with my mistakes if they are costly. It seems so wasteful to turn right around and repaint an entire room. I understand this is what you do for a living. But honestly, there probably aren’t any scratches in the wall, trim, etc. quite yet. I honestly couldn’t stomach paying someone $2500 AGAIN, to repaint. Wait until it needs repainting. Wouldn’t this be the 3rd repainting job in here? Or, am I thinking of the living room? I would say you need to roll up your sleeves, and do it yourself if you are going to repaint. I just think of all the fun things I could do with that mistake money. All this to say, leave the paint alone. Use the color you like better the next time it needs to be painted.
far be it for us to judge how others choose to spend their money/time. I’m sure there are things that make you happy that might strike others as wasteful.
Please keep posting your “fails”! I wouldn’t even consider them fails but more just learning what you like and why. Nothing you have chosen was “bad” or “wrong”; design is just deeply personal and subjective. I pity the haters. Design isn’t life or death; they probably need to learn to play and experiment more. 🙂
My personal feeling is that, before you invest in new paint, it makes sense to play around with the decor . For instance, I think the room might feel very different with a darker rug. The rug and bench you have at the foot of the bed right now read primary white. I think that it can feel wrong to our brains to have the darkest blocks above and the lightest below. It may simply be that there’s not enough oomph on the bottom to counterbalance the rich color on top. If you have a darker rug you could drag in there, I am super-curious to see how that would look.
I think a darker rug and would ground the room and lock in the cozy. I also prefer darker colors lower to the ground. If you don’t change the decor, I prefer Eventide. But I agree with trying different decor first. I think the abstract pictures between the windows somehow fight with the feeling of the room. So I would shop the house and move in different pictures before painting.
And I have so much gratitude for your honesty and think it is a gift to your readers.
Late to the game but THIS 100%. I think the browns in the room are fighting with the undertones of the blue in the paint and I suspect that will still be the case even if you repaint with Eventide. I think Anna’s and January’s ideas are both excellent and much easier to try out/experiment with before repainting. Thank you for sharing your process with such transparency, vulnerability and humor.
I LOVE the new paint color! I love the baseboards and trim painted the same color. I also LOVE that you share the process! Life and business is not prefect! The only way to figure out if something is going to work is to do it. I think life and business need more play and less judgement, from others and ourselves. Thanks for having this conversion! It defiantly needs to happen more!
I don’t think you can go wrong with either color — they are both beautiful — it’s just down to what you like and can afford to repaint. I agree with you that painting the trim white is too busy for the space, and I’m on the fence about painting the ceiling white. I’m sure you’ll figure it out and it will look lovely!
Just looking at the color in the photoshopped pics and the color of your brother’s cabinets, the paint colors don’t look the same. Did you bring one of the cabinet doors into this room?
If one of the considerations is cost, you can reduce that substantially by painting the room yourself! I know it’s a bear, but I find that when I can save costs this way, it makes the entire decision to move forward much easier, and you can feel good about it. Painting is one of the easiest DIYs…a pain in the butt, but can be SO worth it.
I think I would vote for eventide with white ceilings. I’ve never really “got” color drenching but I definitely see what you mean with the white trim being really busy….. I know its an expense but you bring up how much you want to change the color on the blog a lot, I think that means you should do it! It’s clearly something that’s on your mind. 🙂
Of course, you should do what makes you happy, assuming you can afford it. But I’m wondering if you’re going to love the new color on those cloudy days and cozy evenings as much as you love the current color. Do you spend enough time in the bedroom on bright sunny days that it’s worth making your choice to suit those times?
You actually got me thinking about this when you brought up that saturated colors can be too much in rooms with a lot of natural light. I’ve been thinking about painting my bedroom a rich aubergine so this gave me pause as I’ve got 2 big sliding glass doors that bring in a lot of light. But most of my time in there is around dawn, dusk and after dark. Am I supposed to design for mid-day or the lighting when I’m actually in the space? I guess I should take my advice and do what makes me happy!
Oooo, Eventide is the one!! It’s lovely! I’m bookmarking for my basement re-paint as some point. Thanks Emily!
I’m sorry people say mean stuff. That sucks. You have been the single biggest influence on my own personal interior design style and I absolutely adore you and your work. I also learn so much from what you share about your process and mistakes, and I’m incredibly grateful for your transparency. I know many others in this community feel the same. I hope that offsets any of the negative you read, but I know those comments cut deep and can be hard to shake. (I think it’s just human nature to be way more effected by the bad than the good.) But in any case, I hope you know how awesome you are and how much good you put out in the world. Thanks for all that you do and for opening yourself up. Much love!
Thank you for admitting the design mistakes! I learn so much when reading about the mistakes/corrections, and the thought process involved in both. Also, it makes me feel better to know that even pros make mistakes too.
How about Eventide on the walls and ceiling with white on the trim and recessed sidewalls of the skylights?!
I understand having feelings of unrest about paint colors. It is so hard to pick paint. I just put off doing it.
For the bedroom, I suggest you paint one large part of the wall as a ‘swatch’ and see how it feels in the light your room gets.
But before that, I think you should play around with more color, maybe more contrasting color in the bed pillows, quilts. Your are great at mixing prints how about doin that in some the soft furnishings and accessories. At least in photograph, the room has a lot of white and off-white and gray in the decor and I think maybe aspect could be warmed-up and changed.
I’ll take this opportunity to suggest that the either paint color would look great with more natural wood next to it – either from removing the paint from the trim/windows (or possibly the ceiling? but I think you said that the wood was poplar and chosen with the expectation that it be painted) or adding a wood bed in the room. The craftsman look has such depth to it, in my opinion. Before you decide on whether or not to change the paint color, what if you write and shared a post that includes several blue rooms with your thoughts on what you like for yourself and what you don’t? I would love to know what you think about a wide range of options…
I don’t have anything to say about the paint choice – they are both beautiful. But I came here to say that I DO think that you should flip one of the bedside lamps so that the are mirror images. Like earrings… the asymmetry of an non-mirrored set bums me out! Honestly, it’s all so beautiful that of course who cares. But since we’re perfecting…
Option 1!
Yes! Repaint! With white ceiling! It immediately becomes an Em room of the best sort!
I love the new color with the white ceiling. It just makes the room feel more airy and relaxing to me. Something about the color drenching with Debonair makes me feel overwhelmed or closed in. Not sure what it is about it because I love the color, maybe it’s just too much of it. I agree the trim should stay the wall color for sure though!
Confession time: years ago, you had painted a bedroom in one of your rental LA houses green and white, with some pink tones. I believe the inspiration was the painting of the seated lady in a modigliani-like pose that you had thrifted, she’s wearing green clothes, and you had used a similarly intense shade of green. It was bold! I got the courage to order a similarly bold green grasscloth wallpaper for all the walls in my bedroom. The rich texture and bold color contrast with the silk curtains. I loved it. Years later, I saw that bedroom featured in a blog post about your biggest mistakes!!! LOL!!! My point is: it was a good idea. What if it didn’t work out exactly for you? It worked out for me! So I’m grateful for all the things you tried, and I’m telling you because you should know that there are people who are grateful for all the things you try:)