Our Next Project + Our Current White Paint

We are still stalled on the kitchen.  Ugh.  I don't know if I mentioned this in a prior post but I'm too lazy to look - we've decided to hire someone to mud the ceiling where we put up new drywall to cover up that new beam.  Anthony started doing it and he's good at it, but with life right now, progress is snail-pace and we could get someone in here to get it done in a couple of days tops.  Once the ceiling is mudded, we'll be ready to paint the ceiling in the kitchen, breakfast nook, and living room then paint the walls and the list just goes on from there...

SO while we wait, we're going to paint another room.  That's our next project.  It'll be the dining room this time because it was the obvious choice, flowing right off the newly-painted reading room and we're going with China White by Ben Moore (color-matched in Valspar paint).  In my head I've got ideas swirling about going a tad more bold in the dining room but I just can't nail one down until we get the kitchen done since, you know, that whole cohesive thing.  So, neutral we go for now.  It seems counter-productive though, doesn't it?  To just paint a room when you know it might get painted again later?  It does and it is.  But clearly...


...spending $20 on a can of paint is so okay right now for this room.  It's that or bare drywall for who knows how long and so we gladly be out this twenty for a few months of a normal space.


Unfortunately, painting this room isn't that easy - just painting the room.  When we ripped the wallpaper off the walls multiple moons ago, there were a couple of places that the paper pulled the top layer of drywall off.  Anthony spent a few minutes yesterday and today filling and sanding those spots.  We also had to add a bead of caulk between the ceiling and the crown molding to fill a gap thanks to the old popcorn ceilings.  So this morning I went over that dry caulk and the crown with primer in prep for paint.  Next, I'll prime the drywall and the rest of the trim, paint the trim, and then paint the walls.  

Speaking again of paint, let's backtrack.  I mentioned China White above.  It's on every freshly painted wall in this house so far.  And we didn't choose it after mulling over 95759 white swatches...which you know happens when you're trying to decide on a white.  This white was painted in three of the bedrooms in this house by a professional painter right before the house was listed and I kind of fell in love with it.  Usually I'm a Pure White by Sherwin-Williams fan (which we painted in our entire rental) and that's what our ceilings and trim are, but this time we took a chance with this newly discovered white and haven't looked back.  It's a very pale greige (gray + beige) color and a great neutral for laying on color with decor.  I've had it mixed in Valspar paint because I've had the best experience with that brand.  This one is my go-to:

Valspar Simplicity.  (And PS, it's 25% off via rebate at Lowe's until tomorrow!  I grabbed two cans yesterday!)  It covers well for us albeit, the darkest we've painted over is a thin primer layer on bare drywall, so basically it's a one-coat paint over light tan as far as we know.  (But, it's not advertised with a one-coat guarantee.  We've just found it pulls it's weight in that area thus far.)  When we painted the kids' room, I used the most expensive Sherwin-Williams paint at Lowe's and this Valspar covered just as well as that AND is not quite as thick as the SW Infinity, so it covers more.  (The one-coat guarantee paints are usually thicker so that they can achieve that one coat which is what it is but I feel that it's harder to roll on and it doesn't quite go as far.  I used a whole can in the kids' room right down to a few drops but just 3/4 of a can of this in our larger reading room.)

When I was buying those two cans yesterday, I did what I usually do and asked the paint lady to "Please get me this Ben Moore color (handing her the swatch) mixed in Valspar Simplicity."  She did it and then, when she handed me the paint, not only did she dab a little bit of paint onto my swatch card to show me how it was a perfect match but also told me that all I have to do next time is bring in the lid of the can with the barcode and they'll be able to mix me the same stuff.  IN ALL OF MY YEARS AND YEARS OF PAINTING, HOW COME NO ONE HAS EVER TOLD ME THAT?!  I'm planning on emailing the store to tell them how awesome this paint lady was.  

Either way, now YOU also know in case you're a paint brand jumper like us.  AND, in case you want to try this China White for yourself, here's the paint code for ya:

Just screenshot this and take it with you the next time you head to Lowe's for paint.  :)

You are so welcome.

Have a great week!

2 comments

  1. Could be a good thing....if life gets in the way of you going bold sooner than later, at least the room will still be looking great!

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