Can I Leave the Room Half-Painted?

Here is my fantasy .....


(image via Cote de Texas -Ginger Barber)

HERE is my reality.....




I started painting my kelly green living room two weekends ago.  (I am finally sick of the green after ten long years.)   I spent an entire Saturday afternoon priming and painting ONE-HALF of the room (my husband was on a Boyscout trip - I can only get home projects done when he is out of town).  And yes, I said one-half of the room.   


Why only one-half?  

Well - primarily because this corner is my hang-up...... 



This corner at the ceiling is 11'6" above the floor.  And the large ladder started slipping while I was painting - and the extended rod paint thingy can't make a clean edge - and the other ladder is too short.  Sooo.... I am at the mercy of my husband .....or I can have a kid hold the ladder.  I've decided on the kid option - which is my plan for tonight. 

Did you notice we do not have trim molding in our 160-year-old house?   Very few of the antebellum homes in our historic district have trim molding  - apparently that was a "luxury" that was not affordable in rural Georgia before the Civil War.  We thought about adding it - but prefer to maintain the historical integrity of the home. 

Once the corner is painted - I can shift the humongous computer desk which includes a maze of 304,064 cords connected to it which may never be reattached in the right order if I attempt to move the desk.   Which means I will never be able to surf the internet, again, nor will my daughter be able to take her online HS course, nor will the kids be able to update their facebook statuses (horror upon horrors), nor will we be able to submit any college applications, etc.    But that is the risk I am willing to take to finish this room by Thanksgiving.

Here is the good news!  I am quite pleased with my subtle gray!

 

It is Wickham Gray by Benjamin Moore. 

I worried it was too pale, at first - but now I LOVE it!

So HERE is where I am ....  


No progress since the Boyscout trip 9 days ago. 


Cross your fingers and hope that I can get the computer up and running again, before Christmas.   


Linking up to Metamorphosis Monday - with my butterfly half alive! and Power of Paint party!.

Comments

That is going to look so good and airy once you finish. You can do it. I have painting to do too.
Oh, it is going to look great! What a difference!
Mary said…
oh yes, you will love living with it. as much as i love color, and i do, light walls make such a wonderful backdrop. i live in a 160 yr old house too. my walls are whitewashed and the trim a bennington grey. i want to lighten up both the walls and trim to a cleaner soft white.

can't wait to see the room finished.
It will look beautiful. I am currently in the midst of painting our yellow room a subtle gray as well. I have never used gray before, I usually use bright colors, so I hope I like it. I like your shade alot!
What a difference... the room is looking great. Love your color choice. I look forward to seeing it when it is finished.
I took my paprika red living room to a peaceful dove grey and I LOVE it!!!! Should have done it a long time ago.

Keep painting!

Janet xox
nannykim said…
I very much love the new color--looks like it will be stunning. I am like you--it is best to tackle these jobs when hubby is away!! I like to paint and not eat (much) and keep going into the late hours.

Once when he was away I tackled the stairwell! It was very very scary. I had to bring in my outside extention ladder and bridge it between one of the stairs and a wall that hangs above the air of the stairwell. When my hubby found out how I had done it, he exclaimed, never again! I don't plan on repainting that area ever.......well....at least I hope so!
Olive said…
You can do it and I really like the grey. At our old house which is in Ga. and also pre Civil War we have no trim molding. Our house is in bad shape so I never take pictures of it only of our newer house. I appreciate how hard it is to paint these old houses as I have done it many times but have now given up on our plaster walls. Thirteen foot ceilings just wear me out. I look forward to seeing yours all done so do not fret. hugs♥olive
I say half is better than none at all! And I'm so glad you didn't muscle through when the ladder became unsteady! I love the new color and can't wait to see it when it's all finished!

Kat :)
I like how your room is looking so far and I can't wait to see it when it's finished.

hugs
Sissie
Ha ha ha - I'm not one to advise... I painted my powder room that same color when I was trying to be "artsy" with graphic colorful postcards matted n framed. It lasted two days (but you can still see it behind our comode as I'm a lousy painter)! I can't pull off art, that's why I adore and admire yours! I'm sure you'll make this look amazing. No rush! ;-) I'm a longtime fan but your newest follower.
hugs,
Lesliem
You'll finish, it might just take some time! I'm loving your color!!
XO
Kristin
It is going to be beeeyoootiful. My teenage son said that if you have a computer savvy teen, you might want to let them handle moving all the computer cords. And if it doesn't work out - they can't blame you :)
mimi charmante said…
I am such a "starter" and the WORST "finisher"... It will be fabulous when it is completed - you can do it!!!
i love it and i'm so glad you told us the paint color.
SteFay said…
Love the new color, it'll really expand the room, you can see hints of that already! If you have any before picturs I'd love to see them. I adore Kelly Green but am just now coming to the conclusion that it MIGHT be best as an accent color.
Farmgirl Paints said…
It will all be worth it. Love that color!
What a difference already! Love the gray shade. Have you ever tried using the trim pad with the little rollers on the end? You can screw a long paint stick or broom stick to the end and it give you a good edge and a long reach.
This room is going to be so beautiful when you are done!
It took me 18 days to paint over my daughter's bright apple green room!
So, I know how you feel!
What's my excuse?
Our A/C was out on the third floor (where her room is) and I only pained early or late day.
Can't wait to see yours finished!
Hugs,
~me
"painted", not pained-LOL! But that's sorta what it felt like: a pain.
;)
What a wonderful subtle color, and a complete change of atmosphere!! Our old house (same vintage as yours) never had any sort of crown molding either. It's not that unusual. In fact, we removed the crown molding that was added later, because it just didn't look right. I'm much happier with the rooms now.

When I was working up high in our rooms, my best purchase ever was a set of rolling scaffolding. If I remember correctly, it was only about $150 and it provides a safe surface from which to work. I hate ladders, and I avoid working on them whenever possible, and this scaffolding was a total life-saver for me.