Saturday- October 1, 2022

Dear Marion,

 It’s been a bit since I last wrote but you are always on my mind.

Color in all its glory has been my focus this past season. Paint, house projects that are, of course never ending and ‘The List’. For me, that punch list that contains all of the things needing attention was out of control as some items were on that list for more than a decade. Well, we put some real focus on the most important items and happily checked many off rendering a lightness of being. Truly. This time around it required some talented people with serious skills. Drywall, Sheetrock, joint compound, spackle, concrete, glaze, semi gloss, flat, and matte are words that have been used as both nouns and verbs between our walls and windows this past season. I nearly cried when the first room was taking on some serious healing via repair. As I described what we were doing and how it was coming together a friend said how does it feel being taken care of? Darn good!

 Our homes are here to comfort us, shield us from the elements, and keep us safe as we take care of ourselves and possibly family or friends. Color can place a large influence on our moods and general mental health. This might sound over the top but I have experienced a surge of joy as we tackled each room. Our first floor is fairly open and connected with pocket doors but keep in my mind a small and compact space. Previously the walls were shades of white with a lot of color coming from the many paintings wherever windows were not occupying space. The Second floor containing bathrooms, bedrooms, office were primarily white containing hints of color.

  The first room we tackled (a full bath) had 4 color choices each different from one another ranging from light to fairly dark. While each family member had one vote I am ‘The Decider’. Seems fair to me as I am the only one who has taken color theory. Important to note, no one argued with my rationale and by the way I chose the color that was not my original choice. It was bold and fairly dark for that space and it’s natural lighting. We made it work because we considered the amount of white that could be implemented through trim, tile, and fixtures. This room in fact led all parties to be more open to bold color choices. And so the absolute joy in what color can do for a space ignited an excitement even in the family member who didn’t seem to care about any of the process. Color choices from Benjamin Moore included the intense Calypso Orange, the tranquility of Quiet Moments and October Mist, the soothing Natural Linen, the romantic/candle light of Philadelphia Cream, the bold navy of Mysterious and strength of Wolf Gray, uplifting Pale Moon all threaded through with the use of the uplifting shade of white called Chantilly Lace. An added component for us to consider was the naturally stained wood trim and doors that are throughout the home with the exception of the three bathrooms and a kitchen nook. Our one hundred plus year old wood contains honey undertones and beautiful veins shining through which while are uniquely rare definitely sit best with certain hues. Important step in selecting color is to consider every aspect of your space as well as your personality and style.

  Choosing color can be unnerving as one of our painters repeated more than once. From his experience and I concur it’s because you know you will be living with this potential mood influencer for a while as it is expensive and time consuming. Even if you paint yourself, paint and primer will take a chunk of change. A handful of rooms I have tackled with a family member or two and can I say we were not ever able to cut in at the ceiling no matter how hard we tried. One bedroom was so bad it appeared as though we were attempting a tie dye pattern bordering the ceiling. It was truly embarrassing to show our painter when he came to give the estimate. The gentleman, he is, took it in his stride and didn’t laugh much to my relief even though I was laughing. 

 While I still love living at the beach, it does take its toll on everything and thus after 25 years, these painters had their hands full with our home. It’s only been a few days since they finished, I miss them in our home and their gentle way of moving through the space. They were determined and fierce while filling holes, hammering nail heads back into their place, spackle and sanding to a smooth creamy finish, and finally priming and painting multiple coats. They began while it was hot and steamy outside and finished as the cool crisp air of fall or ‘Our Local Summer’ blew into town. They worked together as smooth and melodic as if choreographed and left our home respectfully clean at the end of each day without a miss. Each room was rendered nearly or actually empty before each process took place giving us the opportunity to go through things and purge as needed. It’s amazing how light you can feel after a trip to goodwill. Sometimes it’s difficult letting go but less so when you think someone else may get to enjoy it as you once had and so your memories stick with you as the items move on. 

  I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one hilarious moment. One room was set to be a neutral color when my family collectively voiced their opinion to inject a stronger color statement. They had the color bug and so we injected multiple color choices painted on the surrounding walls. As we struggled, the family member who seemed the most disinterested gave their input. One that I never would have suggested and absolutely loved. Goldenrod by Sherwin Williams. Somehow, I came home to a wall of Goldenrod by Benjamin Moore. Beautiful, but a very different vibe. Maybe a color for another time, at any rate, gave us a good laugh and a valuable lesson. Dad always said measure twice, cut once. This holds true for everything in life and paint too. Always double check and maybe even triple check. Thanks for sharing with me your love of color and instilling a bit of bravery for taking a chance on being uncomfortable with change until you aren’t.

Talk soon,

Forever Yours

Quote:

“It’s worth remembering that it is often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change.”

Queen Elizabeth ll 

April 21, 1926 - September 8, 2022