A Hallway to Remember

Do you ever have one of those weeks when you're DYING to spend hours of uninterrupted time working on a home project?
But then you look ahead at the next few days and realize that unless you stay up until 1am, those hours are simply not going to happen?


....But then you find yourself seriously considering the 1am option??

That's me this week :-)  I started painting my foyer hallway Sunday night after the kids went to bed.  My entry hallway is challenging in many ways.  It is actually two hallways 'diverging' from the front door (Robert Frost fans anyone? :-) and there is not a lot of natural light.  This is view #1 from the front door, with the walls painted what I like to call the "original cocoa color":



...and view #2:

Definitely not a bad original color at all, right?

But one of my goals in this house is to Lighten.  Things.  Up. 
This "original cocoa color" was on EVERYTHING.

Now, I will admit I did have a moment of craziness inspiration back in October prior to hosting my sister's baby shower.
I had seen an amazing living room in House Beautiful with the walls painted Sherwin Williams Besom Broom, a beautiful smoky gray color.
I thought it was amazing.  And bold.  And it just....might....work!

Well, it didn't.  It was WAY too dark.  And the tone just didn't seem to work:



Don't you hate that sick feeling when you know something that time-consuming is just....not...right?
I knew pretty much right away I didn't love it, but I kept thinking I would like it better once the light changed. (In Alaska, the light changing is a HUGE consideration!)

Well, the light changed and I still didn't like it.  But after putting in so much time and effort, I couldn't bear to fix the problem right away.

Three and a half months later I decided I was ready! 

I have really been happy with the color I selected for the back panels of the built-ins in my living room, Farrow and Ball's Green Blue:


so after thinking about it for several weeks,
I decided I would paint the same color in my hallway. 
A "preview," if you will, of what guests will later see in my living room as they walk through the front door. 

I must admit I was a bit nervous considering my gray mistake.
I am also fully aware that just because a little bit of color is good,
that does NOT mean a lot is better! :-)

But I was also considering that you don't spend a lot of time in a hallway,
which is why you can be a bit more bold with your color, right?

So, are you ready to see what it looks like?? :-)

Here is what I have painted so far:





Is it working?  Is it too blue? What do you think?

I've moved a few furnishings back in place for two reasons:  1) Have I mentioned I started this on Sunday night and haven't been back to finish the rest of the walls and the trim?  and 2) The decorator in me is dying to see what it will look like once it's all finished :-)

I think this color has just enough gray in it so it's not too bright. 

I think I may really, really like it. 

Am I loving it?

I won't know until it's completely done, including trim. 

But I will let you know as soon as I decide :-)

But I DO know I have succeeded in making the space feel much happier.  And I have definitely lightened things up.

Mission Accomplished?  Not Yet, but oh, so close!  Now, which night shall I plan to stay up until 1am?

Jaimee

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