I’m painting my first black room…in BM’s Witching Hour

 

(very cute room…but no it’s not mine)

 

Please don’t be shocked.

But this past weekend I grabbed a can of Benjamin Moore’s Witching Hour and started painting my first-ever all black room.

I know what you’re thinking.

If you’re a regular to my blog you already know how fond I am of my creamy white walls… so you might be a tad surprised by my paint choice.

 

But my youngest is back home finishing his last units before he transfers colleges and he’s moved into our upstairs bedroom. Remember this room with its beachy cottage vibe? Well something soon became apparent about my youngest.

It seems that Michael has a definite opinion about his bedroom. 

(Mr. Cute-But-Opinionated)

Unlike his brother who could care less about his room’s decor, Michael soon began staking out his right to decorate his own room. And recently, he ordered a very cool looking black and white print of a favorite musician and began to talk paint colors, “Mom, I’m thinking I want a black room,” he says last week.

Black?! Gulp.

Really?

But instead I tried bringing home some dark alternatives.

Ones I’ve always wanted to use like Farrow and Ball’s Hague Blue.

I’m sure many of you have already seen Hague Blue in this classic looking home. I really wanted to try this color. I really did…ever since I saw this picture, plus it was more like the inspiration photos I had in mind:

 

I like this.

And I like this.

(ah hem, are you noticing a lot of “I” in this post?)

Well even though I slathered it all over a wall and I loved the vibrant, pristine color I had to agree with Michael. It was too blue for what he wanted.

Okay. So I went into Sherwin Williams for Urbane Bronze pictured here:

and (don’t ask me why I switched)

but I came home with Mount Etna seen here:

 

Looks dark right?

But believe it or not in our lighting it had green undertones.

So goodbye to that color.

Okay, at this point I know why I could never be a interior designer. I have a short attention span for following the design whims of others.

However I was warming up to the idea of a darker, classic room more like this one but with a urban, young guy vibe (i.e no equestrian pictures)

 

 

Although I was back to square one and in need of a break.

And by then of course I read Mary Ann’s post about this new store in Newport Beach—only minutes away—and I decided to stop by and take a look, maybe find some pillows that might pop against the navy blue headboard I had already bought (was stuck with) for this bedroom.

via

Walking into the large airy warehouse with it’s industrial-vintage flair was a fun reprieve from thinking about paint colors.

There was lots to look at and almost immediately I found myself in conversations with the friendly co-owners of the place. Both named Kim. Both women who had ten kids between them and were happily juggling this year old business.

And wouldn’t you know it? After I admired a chic looking gallery wall painted in glossy black I got into a conversation with one of the Kims who had just designed a bedroom for a college-aged gal in a smoky blue-black shade called Witching Hour by BM.

“I love color!” she had said as she shared the details of her room.  She was also totally jazzed by the fact that Michael was involved with his paint selection.

Which made this the conversation I needed to have.

It was a quick reminder of the purpose of decorating this room in the first place, which was after all, to create a really special space for the precious time that Michael is home again.

So with this in mind I texted him and told him I’d found the ‘perfect’ shade and without even seeing it …came home with my gallon paint can.

How’s that for decision-making?

Nope, no more samples this was commitment time.

 

 

in the morning light

 

I wish I could convey how warm and enveloping this color feels when you walk into the room. It actually reads more like a smoky deep, charcoal rather than a stark black. Which I’m so happy with.

I get the blue undertones and Michael who says, “It’s lookin’ good Mom,” gets the masculine, dark look.

So far so good, although I’m still not finished but I’ll keep you posted on the progress.

In the meantime our living room wall is being worked on as I type these words.

Sigh, I wish there were design awards for projects that took the longest time because we’d definitely win with this one.

 

 

Oh and one more thing.

Before I go I have to share my humble gratitude for all the kind, uplifting comments on my last post. It was truly touching to hear how other women are experiencing similar feelings about growing and taking risks.

And it really reminds me how very connected we all are.

pretty mind-boggling huh?

 

Peace and love to you

Leslie

 

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