Lighter Floors. Darker Walls. Transitioning Colors.

I had a professional photographer come out and shoot my place yesterday. I told him that these would be "Before" photos that he was taking, and that in a few months - after the renovation - I would have him back out to shoot the "After" photos.

(Mid-morning stop off at the paint store to pick up my Benjamin Moore samples.)

"What are you having done?" he asked.

Everything, I told him. "I am gutting the place."

He looked at the white tiles on the floor, running from the kitchen through the living and dining areas. I noticed.

"I'm putting hardwood floors down throughout the place," I said.

He asked what color. I told him dark, to match the staircase.

He was displeased.

I had mentioned earlier that I was going to be painting the walls a darker color. He said that if the walls were going to be a darker color, I really should think about going lighter with the wood.

I thought about it. And I realized the only reason I was considering dark wood was because of the staircase. But that could be stripped and painted to match the floors.

Jump to this afternoon, after spending part of the morning picking out paint colors from the Benjamin Moore paint supplier, where I have landed at a flooring place in Solana Beach. I am having a discussion about ayahuasca with the guy working there (who was fascinated with my Peruvian experience) and getting his advice on lighter wood flooring.

He showed me this...

It is perfect!

It's hand distressed. So it is fine to get scratches on it. I love the worn look it has. Because, let's be real... I am messy. I am clumsy. I will spill on and scratch this floor. It's the floor equivalent of a pair of Frye boots.

I took a picture and sent it to my contractor, not expecting him to get back to me till Monday. But 30 minutes later he agreed that it was a better option, and that the staircase could be stripped and stained to match the floor.

"The stairs won't have the imperfections in the wood like floor, but it will work well," he said.

This made me all kinds of giddy. The color of the floor was more Bohemian. It would pair nicely with my reclaimed wood table. And the colors of paint I was leaning towards would look great with it.

Since I had finished up To Do list so early, I headed to the house to paint the walls with my sample.

Oh the fun!

Yum. Gorgeous color. A bit daring... Yes?

I started in the living areas downstairs though... Where I tested out Dior Gray by Benjamin Moore.

It's the darker gray on the left. I have been in love with this color for about five years. Maybe six. The lighter blue-gray to the right of it is Beacon Gray. The color below that is called White Dove.

The living room, dining area, and kitchen are all going to be painted Dior Gray. But the walls that are adjacent to the living area in the entry way are causing me a bit of a dilemma.  I am not sure which color to paint them... Beacon Gray or White Dove. 

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS, READER??? (Leave your opinion in the comments!)

I played with the Dior Gray and the White Dove side-by-side on the upstairs landing. I wanted to see how the two colors transition together.

I am leaning towards this combo.

Here is how they would go on the walls...

Thoughts?

And here are all of the colors that are being considered across the various rooms in the place...

Yes. Dark colors. The lighter wood floors are indeed the right way to go.

I do know that while the kitchen will have Dior Gray on most of the walls (along with white subway tile with white grout), I will be painting this column here with blackboard paint...

I think it is the perfect place for a blackboard wall! The stove will be going in the little alcove next to it.

But I bet you are wondering what I am going to do with that bright blue from earlier in this post.. Huh?

Here you go...

I love it.

It's called Brilliant Blue. And it's going in my master bedroom.  Yes. You read that correctly.

Here it is next to the color that will be going in the master suite bathroom...

Yep. I am transitioning from the Brilliant Blue in the bedroom o the Beacon Gray in the bathroom. 

Why such a light color in the bathroom?

Well... Because I have some epic plans for that space. And it's going to need a lighter wall color.

Stay tuned.  :)