Lessons from a Yellow Couch. Or, Why I am a Chicken.

Lessons from a Yellow Couch. Or, Why I am a Chicken.

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So. The paint color for the exterior. Last week I posted on Facebook that I was going to choose a color, paint my house and move on with my life. I spent that morning analyzing colors, bought a couple more sample pots and had a revelation (a revelation which halted any actual choosing of a paint color). 
You guys are great because some of you have told me you're in the same predicament of color paralysis. Others of you have been sending me photos of houses with my shade of brick with color ideas. And some of you are holding my feet to the fire and telling me just to commit already.
There's a story behind my indecision. Ten years ago we were shopping for a couch. This was my first big purchase as a real live grown up and I didn't want to mess it up. I found a couch I liked (and happily still like) and chose a fabric in a color I love (and still love). 

It's a mustard yellow color and it's warm and inviting and just a little different than you'd see on a couch. Although I do appreciate the color, it's been extremely challenging over the years to find a paint color, pillows or rug that goes with this couch. 
In retrospect, I should have chosen a neutral couch and purchased pillows or rugs in colors I love to go with it. You see where I'm going with this right?
I wanted a dark, inky blue for my house.  I tried probably every shade and hue of that color on this house. I have the paint pots in my basement to prove it. But the colors didn't look good with the brick, or with the shingles, or with the pink mortar. Yes, my mortar is pink.
The solution? Neutral trim and a rocking door.
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The good news is that I can paint my door every year for the next 37 years or so (because that's how many paint pots are in my basement) and I can have the color I love but in a small and unoffensive dose.
Boom. Problem solved.
Sorry for the complete letdown. After all this fuss, I'm just choosing a shade of white and cream. How original, right? You can call me a chicken if you like. But I am a wise chicken with a yellow couch.

CONVERSATION

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