Well….what should have been a one/two day project morphed into three.

You will remember my vision for a tropical, yellowish green kitchen which turned very neon very quickly.

Thankfully I have an understanding husband who was willing to help me come up with a Plan B. We started back at square one, selecting paint swatches and ruling them out based on what we had learned about the lights and shadows of this particular room the first go round.

I continued to gravitate towards the yellowish greens, but all of the rich mossy, avocado shades turned practically gray in the darker areas of the room and flared too bright on the well lit walls.

It was a frustrating process and seemed impossible to find a shade that could hold its own in the shadows but not look ridiculous in the light.

I spotted a small trinket box I had recently unpacked and set on the counter. It’s deep green color was not one I would have originally considered, but since what I had originally wanted wasn’t working, maybe I would have better luck with the opposite side of the spectrum. Searching the internet for more inspiration, I found myself drawn in this darker, more dramatic direction.

Shuffling through the paint swatches I landed on two choices and decided (and then changed my mind and then changed it back) on the darker of the two. I was nervous to go too dark, but go big or go home right?

Green Stem by Sherwin-Williams.

I knew when we opened the can that this was a much better choice, but still held my breath as the first stroke went on.

And….exhale. It was going to be alright.

Is it the perfect shade, the one I dreamed about? No. But it is the perfect shade for this room and all of the quirks it has. It is the color of the leaves on the orange tree out the window by the stove. It draws the outside in. It is a more serious shade than I was after, but it looks fresh and inviting in the morning sun and moody and secretive in the low light of evening.

It is a lesson to be flexible. I tend to get an idea and stick with it not realizing that there may be an alternative that would be a better choice.

In this case, the room knew what it wanted to say, and in the end I am glad I listened.

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