Do you like to paint?
I do, if it involves a canvas
and an inviting set of paints in tubes...
But, present me with blue tape, rollers,
drop cloths and ladders and I get the hives...
You know how magazines promote a fresh start
to the year in their January issues?
The home section always touts how
a "Fresh coat of paint is a small investment
and an easy way to change up your home..."
P.S.: This is not my home...
Did I mention that I wished it was my home?
Oh well....
I say BUNK! to both of those statements...
First of all, paint is not cheap...
Okay, maybe contractor grade white at Home Depot
is inexpensive, but if you want to find,
say a shade called, "Swiss Coffee",
then it's loads more expensive...
You can pay anywhere from
$30 plus a gallon on up...
For you fancy Farrow and Ball paint customers,
a gallon of "Fowler Pink" will set you back over $100.00.
And, of course, you will need primer, spackle
and all the accoutrements to get the job done....
It's not low cost if you do it yourself,
but sit down when I tell you how pricey
it is to have a painter do the job for you...
A few weeks ago, I had three separate painters
come over and provide estimates to paint our interior,
ceilings, woodwork, the whole enchilada...
$10,000...
That's right, you can almost
buy a Smart car for that!
So, with that being out of the question,
I sighed and set about figuring out
how to paint the house myself...
I believe I can at least paint the rooms
with normal ceiling heights
and all the woodwork...
I can handle that...
The rest I will finesse later...
First order of business is to decide
what color to paint the inside of the house...
We are thinking about renting our home
(another story, another time...)
and the realtor suggested a basic,
whitish, tannish color that won't offend potential renters...
If you have ever chosen paint colors
and have made mistakes
(see my kitchen stools),
you know this is not an easy decision,
especially if you are committing
to many gallons of paint...
I finally picked three hues
and bought pints to test on the wall...
After consulting a trusted friend and asking my husband,
I chose "Navajo White"
(the one in the middle)...
As soon as I get the courage,
I will buy some paint and will get started...
Before that, though, I need to address
the many pockmarks, gouges,
holes and nicks in the walls...
Prep is the killer...
Wow, my house looks like it is covered
in Band Aids of spackle...
You would think my kids play catch
around the house with free weights
or hockey pucks!
It's an old house,
and boy, does the wear and tear show...
As an impatient person,
I'd like to do the "I Dream of Genie Blink"
and have the place painted in a day or two...
Reality says it will take a few weeks,
some spilled paint, some tears
and glasses of wine
before I will see the transformation...
Maybe I can manage to afford having a painter
get to the up-high stuff
while I cover the lower reaches...
I don't care what Martha or Family Circle says...
It is not cheap nor is it easy to paint...
But hopefully it will be worth it!
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