The Paint Job: Before & After

Have you all just about had enough of my house painting posts???  

Well, this is the last one.

Hopefully.

I couldn't be happier with how it turned out, but the process was UGLY.

Not the painting process, the decision making process.

Thankfully, I had some VERY patient friends (Holly, Keri, neighbors, mailman, et al.) and 

parents and husband b/c it's kind of the only thing I talked about for a good 4 weeks.
So, enough talking.  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...

Here she is.

BEFORE

and AFTER...

Whoa, Nellie, kind of amazing what a little (er, a lot) of paint can do?!

I did learn a thing or two in the process and 

will gladly pass on my new found wisdom to those of you embarking on the same endeavor...

{no. 1} Every single color appeared much lighter on our house than it did on the paint cards.  Even when I painted a large 6x6 foot test section it was still lighter once the whole house was covered.

{no. 2} I changed my mind on the body color after the primer was up.  See point number 1.

{no. 3} You need to love it.  Not your neighbor, not your best friend, but YOU. Trust. Your. Instincts. 

{no. 4} Don't ask for too many opinions.  See point number 3.  Everyone will have a different, albeit well intended, point of view.  You will drive yourself CRAZY trying to please everyone.

{no. 5} You can ask neighbors for their house colors, but they will look different on your own. Shoot.

{no. 6} You need to love it.  Oh wait, did I already say that?!  But it's true.  The old adage, "it's only paint" takes on a new meaning when it is costing thousands of dollars. It is not an easy fix if you mess it up.  I was sooooo afraid I would mess it up. I actually liked the old color and brick, hard to believe now when I look back at the before pictures. There were often times I "liked" a color and tried to convince myself that I would "love" it once the trim and shutter colors were up too.  Nope. Doesn't work that way.  You need to love it all on its own.

And you know what, after all those weeks of craziness, I do.

So much so, we are now posing for pictures in front of it.  ha ha!!
Ok, back to the more important things in life...
xo

The final paint colors are: