The wall is my enemy.
The wall in my bedroom was a dark wood panelling when I moved in. I decided I would paper over it with "linen finish" wallpaper to make it flat. As I live in a cinderblock house, I'm rather short on texture-less walls, so I figured this would be an improvement. It was.
Then I decided to paint it. I used Ralph Lauren's "Oyster," a metallic pearl color. It was HORRIBLE. First, the wallpaper stuff bubbled up, and then the shininess of the paint emphasized every flaw and seam, and I needed at least another coat to cover it, but I was out.
So was Home Depot. So was everyone. Apparently, I had gotten like the LAST bit of "Oyster" in the world.
So I changed tactics. I bought a gallon of flat "Almond Sugar" from Kelly Moore. The flat was an improvement, since it de-emphasized the flaws. But the ceiling and trim didn't match, and I wanted a splash of color anyway. I wanted something that would coordinate with the other three walls (RL's "Citrine," a warm gold). I had a brainstorm.
I would use the color from my favorite piece of stained glass, which is already hanging in the room. It's primary colors are amber and green. I thought, that's what I'll do! I'll get a green to match the green in the stained glass and builed the whole room around the artwork. Anyway, I have 20s furniture, and the piece has a very 20s feel. It's perfect.
I went to Kelly Moore with my carefully wrapped stained glass. I picked out the same color strip that the employee did. We agreed -- the deepest color on the strip was it. I bought a gallon. Someone suggested that maybe I was doing a retro avocado thing. No, I replied stiffly. It was not, avter all, avocado. I was calling it "jade."
Except that it is kind of avocado. And even (I'm angry with myself for even letting the thought slip in) a little Oscar the Grouch.
Still, I think I like it. It will need another coat, for sure, and I'll have to live with it a while to see how I feel. And we need new curtains. I really went back and forth when I was painting, from "well, we can live with this for a while" to "yeah! Damn right it's green!" Then back to "huh, it's really pretty dark," to "wow, this is satisyfying!" Anyway, I've painted this one wall three times now, three different colors, and one wallpaper. Why does the wall torment me?
And now, in homage to Zoombaba (having theived his technique), here is my painting list:
All in Your Mind -- Beck
Tossed -- Frank Black
Danny Boy -- Johnny Cash
Float On -- Modest Mouse
Streets of Gold River -- Las Pesadillas
Hate Me -- The Distillers
Two Jealous Agains -- NOFX
Martha My Dear -- The Beatles
Babylon's Burning -- The Ruts
Santa Monica -- Everclear
People's Parties -- Joni Mitchell
Desire -- U2
I put a Spell on You -- Them
Rushing -- Moby
In the Flesh --- Blondie
Comanche -- Cake
Calistan -- Frank Black
Mr Krinkle -- Primus
Rock the House -- Gorillaz
Man Out of Time -- Elvis Costello
Fourteen Black Paintings -- Peter Gabriel
5 Piece Chicken Dinner -- The Beastie Boys
Disorder and Disarray -- Rancid
Something in the Way -- Nirvana
Before that -- the entire album "Live through this" by Hole
1 comment:
I only recognize about a third of your list. iTunes, here I come!
Unless you count every single song on Live Through This then it's about half.
As for the painting thing, I've been through quite a few painting fiascos. My rule of thumb: you can't tell shit about color in the paint store. You have to bring those chits home, every shade of your color, and then you have to stew about it for a week.
But then, of course, you still screw it up. And then your spouse convinces herself she likes it, she really likes it, and you're just stuck with what might have been.
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