My string of luck with regard to choosing paint colors has come to a screeching halt.

Our kitchen was originally painted a light, non descript blue/gray. It was an OK color but not really fitting (in my opinion) for a kitchen.

I immediately gravitated to green.

Green is not my favorite color, but for a kitchen filled with vibrant fruits and vegetables, with windows that overlook orange trees, grass and shrubs, it felt right.

We have been living with green paint swatches on the kitchen walls for the last eight months while I tried to pick just the right shade. The swatches have moved from time to time as I tested them in different lighting during different times of day.

I thought I had done all I could.

I thought I had done everything right.

I felt confident and excited about my bold non traditional choice.

I had decided on Limon Fresco by Sherwin-Williams. A light yellowish green just a few shades darker than chartreuse. I thought it would be bright and playful and give the room a tropical feel that would compliment the white trim and play off of our white and dark wood kitchen set.

I thought I had the perfect story and had found the perfect shade to tell it.

Then we opened the can.

I was startled by how vibrant-on-the-cusp-of-neon it was.

I tried not to panic.

I have learned that paint in the can looks different than paint on the wall and held out hope that that was the case here. I hit the big wall with the roller and realized quickly that the paint in the can was exactly the same as the paint on the wall.

I quizzed my husband who had picked up the paint if he was sure he had gotten the right color.

He assured me that he had.

I checked the lid of the can to verify.

I swiped a finger of paint over the swatch and watched as it dried to a perfect match.

I was at a loss as to how the reality of this color could be so far off from my vision.

We continued to paint and to be honest, in some areas of the room (mostly shadows and corners) it was not bad and was actually a pretty shade.

I finished my areas (my husband does the high spots that requires the ladder) and went outside to regroup and give myself a pep talk.

“Maybe it will look better when you go back in.” “Maybe once it dries it will be OK.” “Maybe a second coat will help.” “Maybe with art on the walls, or the curtains drawn or the lights dimmed, or turned all the way off…..maybe then you will love it.”

Back inside nothing had changed.

All through dinner, while my heart pounded and I tried to keep a smile on my face, I kept looking at different areas in amazement. In the darkest areas of the room the color seemed to disappear all together leaving those areas an almost gray color. There were a few spots that almost convinced me it was not so bad, while the most well lit areas were comic book neon.

The funny thing is, when I pulled up the example I had saved as inspiration on my phone, it was almost a perfect match. I had gotten what I wanted only to realize too late that it was not the right color for this particular room. Something about the light and the shadow of our room just didn’t play well with the color.

I stayed in the kitchen long after my husband went up to shower and relax. I tried different lighting combinations, held paintings to the wall. Tried to imagine it with different accent pieces. Then finally I had to climb the stairs and say the words no husband wants to hear after spending the day painting, “Honey….it looks like the Incredible Hulk blew his nose all over our kitchen.”

He was not amused.

This morning his frustration had waned a bit while my disappointment had grown. Knowing I was not happy, he took a breath and graciously agreed to help me fix it.

So back to the drawing board, and the paint swatches and the paint store we went. My husband calculated color values and scales. Measured light and balance. Explained patiently about the yellow tones that were bleeding through some and how they too, would veer to neon.

It took hours and a change of course. Still green but a very different shade. We have it narrowed down to two and will check both in the morning light to make the final decision.

It has been a long, long day.

I am hopeful that tomorrow I can report another room a success. And I am thankful tonight for the grace of second chances.