Late nights, This American Life, and Filtered Shade

There comes a time when everything old begins to look, well, too old. As much as I love my house there are certain cosmetic issues that just drive me crazy. Nothing major, it's just that some things are past their prime. Wood stains and fixture choices that were once all the rage (hello, white washed wood and terra cota-ish tile!) are now dated and not really in keeping with our style. Speaking of which, do we even have a "style"? Can we actually refer to our haphazard mixing of random colors, patterns, and design eras as a style? Probably not. But I remember once hearing some famous designer say that if you just put together everything you love, it will somehow work out; that those things will always "go together" well. We're kind of hoping that happens for us over here in the Palmer house. Because if it doesn't, we clearly fall into the "non-style" category of "eclectic", which is the word people use to describe people that don't actually have any real style. "Oh, wow, that giant orange macrame hanging chair mixed with the 1920's curio cabinet and lacquered coffee table is so 'eclectic'". But I digress.

So it was time for a little change. Nothing major. And nothing that would cost over $50. It only took a year to get these walls and this mirror painted, but 3 late nights and many episodes of This American Life later, and the walls are no longer "latte", but rather the calming cool gray shade of "filtered shade". And it's a good thing I am happy (though not necessarily in love with) the color, because there is no way I am painting that room again for a very long time. How is it even possible that it took me an accumulated total of nearly nine hours to paint one room?! And I am not even necessarily finished. Whether the hallway will become shady as well is still up for discussion. Something tells me I'm in for a few more late nights.