THE RED BATH REDO

Sometimes we do our due diligence, we take our time, we do everything the “right” way…but the paint gods still decide to curse us. I did everything my experience taught me I should do when painting my master bathroom red. I compared multiple shades, I swatched them on multiple walls, I chose my finish (sheen) carefully…yet still, I hated the final product. Something about the yellow-toned lighting made my perfect purple red look more like a bright brick red…to reference a comparison used in a previous blog: Heinz Ketchup. And not what I was going for at all!

I tried various strategies to soften the color and make it reflect cooler, but to no avail. Crap. At that point, I knew there was no other option but to go back to the drawing board. At least at that point I knew exactly what was needed: a more purple/brown tone, and maybe even something darker/less shiny so that it did not appear so bright.

Painting my master bathroom twice was not on my bingo card, but here’s what I think sets me (maybe other Interior Designers too) apart from other home DIY-ers… “good enough” is not good enough for me. I am definitely a perfectionist, and once I have a vision in mind, I will stop at nothing to make it into a reality. No shame at all to the people who land on the “good enough” side of the spectrum, there’s a saying that “done is beautiful” and there’s certainly a lot of truth to that.

It’s no fun to redo work, but I have to say, repainting my master bathroom the second time was so worth it. The second color nailed exactly what I was going for the first time. There’s no better feeling than getting something right (and there’s no feeling more irritating than getting something wrong). But I’m happy I persisted and pushed through to get what I wanted all along. Hopefully this blog goes to show, even sometimes with formal training and experience, home renovation work can still be trial and error! Enjoy these photos of my bathroom throughout the trials!

The first color (Sherwin Williams "Rojo Marron") vs. the second color (Sherwin Williams "Turkish Coffee")

The first painted color, looking extra ketchup-y at the vanity I might add!

The second color. A small difference, makes all the difference!