There are certain things which give me comfort. Snuggling with my children is one of them. Watching a good movie with my husband is another. Reading a book always calms me, too. But, when I really want to unwind, I turn to Sherwin Williams. Paint, I have decided, is the ultimate de-stressor.
Many years ago, I paid $20 for a painter’s color chart (referred to as the “color wheel” in the home design industry.) It is one of the best purchases I have made. The color wheel has over 1300 paint samples in categories ranging from standard “essentials” like black, white and gray colors to bolder groups like “energetic brights” with vivid eye-popping hues. Upon finishing graduate school as a history major, I quickly discovered my long-term economic picture would probably not include a six-figure salary. So, paint became an inexpensive design solution as I began to decorate my first apartment. Boring white walls? Nothing that a gallon of semi-gloss can’t fix. Got an old hand-me-down bedroom dresser? Slap on a coat of paint and it’s a brand new day.
Paint has seen me through some major events in my life. As a matter of fact, scanning the color wheel takes me on a sentimental sojourn. As a newlywed, I was in a real jewel-toned frame of mind with our first home. Our master bedroom was bathed in royal blue (called “Denim” on the color chart). The family room was SW 6608 Rave Red. And the guest bedroom beared forest green “Isle of Pines.”
For some strange reason, I broke out of pattern and painted the dining room in a horrific shade of Peptobismole pink (and to make matters worse, this was during my paint sponging phase when design sanity had completely left me). Fortunately, I live by motto “You can always paint over it.”
Colors mark the familial milestones. There’s the bright yellow for the baby’s nursery, a gender-neutral color we chose not knowing if we would have a boy or girl. We had one of each over a four-year period and both used this room for their first beloved space. Seafoam green reminds me of our second home’s master bedroom when we bought our first bed, thrilled to finally have a headboard. The Totally Tan paint chip takes me back when we ordered new family room furniture with matching pillows (the couches are still with us, but the pillows succumbed to years of torture by the resident pets.)
Even today, I fantasize about the next color that will grace a spot in my home. Truly, this chromatic captivation has become a visceral experience. Oh, there’s probably a metaphor or two about life nestled somewhere in between the paint swatches. My color preferences have significantly changed since the unfortunate pink dining room incident. These days, I’m leaning toward soothing colors like Relaxed Khaki and Basket Beige. Even monochromatic variations of white have begun to peak my interest. Yet, hopefully, there will always be a strain of a vivid red woven in between the beige. I just gotta believe there’s still a little Red Rave in my future.
