Rid the Red: Paint Project Reveal!

It's a week and a half we don't want to re-live anytime soon.  But seeing the finished product? We're so. much. happier.

This paint project has been on our to-do list since before we ever moved into our home.  Back then, we had even discussed closing, getting the keys, and immediately painting over the red.  Obviously, that was a little ambitious for this pair who had to be out of the rental home in 3 days.

So we waited.  And waited. And finally, right before we hit the one-year mark -- may I present to you: Project "Rid the Red."

Here's a look at the "before."  Red and gold. Not the vibe we hip Onstots were going for.

We actually got three estimates to have it done for us.  All neared the $2k mark.  Then Sherwin Williams had a 40% off sale. We scored all of the paint -- ceiling and walls -- for under $300.  DIY for the win.

But did we feel like winners throughout? Heck no.

Taping off the trim... which, we swear now, we'll never do again.  You'll see why later.

Bear was very weary of our work. He got very protective of "his" rug.

So painting began on a Saturday morning (July 27th, to be exact.)  Had to prime the walls and ceilings, since we were doing a lighter color on top.  Below is evidence of the jackpot we hit when we moved into this home -- neighbors like Cary & Erinn.  They came over, uninvited, with paint clothes on and beers in hand. 

Seriously, jackpot neighbors. 

Again, Bear held tight to "his" areas.  If you look closely, you'll see his new face art from when I dropped the paintbrush on his head from the top of the ladder. Needless to say, he was not loving his mom.

Fast forward a few days, and the priming is done! It took three coats to cover that red.  My brain hurts just thinking about that.

Onto the ceilings! 

We would wake up early every morning before work, paint like fiends, then shower and (sometimes) anchor the news without paint stuck in our hair.  

With the ceilings done, we moved onto the walls! Then this happened.

This, my friends, is why we will never use tape ever again.  When we took it off (yes, it was still wet as advised by the pros) it peeled everything off to the red. I may or may not have had an emotional breakdown in the kitchen. Tears don't mix well with paint, not that I would know or anything.

Eight days later, you'll know why the end (and the photo below) was such a big one for us. The last section of paint. (You'll notice we did the living room sans tape, we ended up just ripping it all down to avoid another musgravemeltdown tape fiasco.)

Happy husband. 

Ecstatic wife.

Delirious couple.

No time for showers. It was immediately wine hour. 

So now, my friends -- if I still have your attention after this much-longer-than-necessary documentation of our paint project -- may I present to you: "the after." 

The paint is Sherwin Williams' Comfort Gray, a grayed-out blue that went on green and looks different every hour of the day. Is it more blue than we had anticipated? Yes. Do we love it anyway? Yes.

View from the front door. 

Looking into the kitchen -- so big! So airy!

Bonus: Comfort Gray made me finally love our copper hardware.  I love how they play off each other.

Hello, would you like to have dinner in my kitchen?

So that's it! An exhausting, exhilarating, exercise in home improvement.  It's not perfect, we still have a few things to do (island paint, anyone?) but we certainly learned a lot.  May I suggest red *accent walls for the future? Please, no one should ever have to deal with that much red ever again. And yes -- we're officially "anti-tape" in this household.

Is there such a thing as a paint-warming party? 'Cause I'm pretty sure Evan and I will be throwing one.  Project Rid the Red is DONE!