Paint color choice regret.

[sweetcheeks]

I've always admired rooms with bold color choices and decided to leave my comfort zone and chose bold colors for my bedroom and bath. Painters finished those rooms this week. When I saw the bedroom, my first thought was "Oh my". When I saw the bathroom, my first thought was "Oh no". I know I need to live with them for awhile, to get used to it, and it's only been a few days, but I'm obsessively looking for ways to minimize the "shock".

I chose Fish Pond for the bedroom. www.behr.com/consumer/ColorDetailView/P440-3.

This is the reality:


When I'm in the room, I do like it, but every time I walk in, my initial reaction is still "Oh my".  It's just so much color. 

For the bathroom (the door to the left in the above picture), I wanted coral, and chose Paradise Peach: www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/color-overview/find-your-color/color/011/paradise-peach?color=011

This is the reality:


I don't think there's enough time to get used to this. Again, I like the color, but "Oh no" comes out of my mouth every time I go in there.

Do I just accept that I made a mistake and repaint with lighter colors, or should I attempt to minimize the boldness? I thought of doing wall stenciling, though it's definitely not in my skill set and I'm afraid of making a mess. I also thought of putting beadboard wallpaper in the bathroom, on the bottom half (can't do real beadboard, as it's a windowless bathroom and the moisture will eventually damage the wood). 

[treedimensional]

This is such a personal choice. I love rich colors, and they can't be too dark for me.
However, I absolutely hate aqua, light blue, and peachy pink. I can't speak in favor of getting used to this, but you need to choose what works FOR YOU, and not listen to me or anyone else.

[polarbearfans]

I would get some lighter brighter pillows or something for the bed. White outlet cover for the plug in the bathroom to lighten it up. Overall it is nice! I think you just need time, like a few months

[starburst604]

I think the contrast of the bed and the bold wall color might be what's turning you off. I feel like lighter bedding or pillows would balance it out. I do like that wall color. The bathroom....yeah I'm having a tough time with that too. Our bathroom was a similar color when we moved in and I made it a priority to change the wall color.

[mrsukyankee]

I think you could get used to the bedroom, but I agree with you on the bathroom, as it's just way to bright, even for me, a colour lover.

[cmeon]

I find even good quality paint inexpensive enough that I strongly disapprove of living with colors you hate. But- always, always, always do a good test (paint a whole posterboard and move it around) when you're going with big changes.

[shamrockshake]

I really like the bedroom, maybe try a nice white bedspread rather than a bright one and see if you can tone it down that way. I hate the bathroom, sorry I can see it glowing from your bedroom pic, it's way too much for me

[Deleted]

I'd redo the bathroom.

[Deleted]

I like the bedroom color.  Maybe the comforter needs to be solid if it seems too much for you?

The bathroom...I don't care for.  My mother has a really similar wall color in her laundry room.  I actually painted it for her and as it was drying it looked much brighter/darker than she anticipated.  She left it because it's just the laundry room.  I would have changed it.  I feel like it's too much for a bathroom.  

[dr.girlfriend]

I agree with the others...I think the bedroom would be great with different bedding, unless it's a lot more eye-searing in person than it is in the pic. You could still keep the pink tones, but in much greater moderation.

www.anthropologie.com/shop/fortuna-duvet?category=bedding-duvets&color=046

www.overstock.com/Bedding-Bath/Dena-Home-Santana-Comforter-4-Piece-Set/13344472/product.html?recset=2cef982f-5544-43fb-b56e-8c0c5b6158dd&refccid=BCZNII44LWNYUCCDXB2S5BRITA&recalg=881,880,821,833&recidx=1

I would repaint the bathroom.

My bathroom is a similar color to the bedroom (Benjamin Moore Thunderbird) and my shower curtain is very much like that second duvet, if you want to see the combo!

[OscarQ]

I think the bedroom is fine and you'll get used to it. I would reprint the bathroom.

[lilac05]

I love color on walls. I like the bedroom a lot. I'd give that one more time & see what you think.

I don't hate the bathroom. I would probably switch out the mirror for something with a thick frame and put as much on the walls as possible before deciding to repaint. However, if you think "oh no" every time you walk in, I would just repaint now, before even putting the outlet cover on.

Going big with color certainly isn't for everyone. You have tried it, and if you don't like it, that's OK! If you kind of like it, but just didn't get it quite right this time, don't give up. Maybe ask someone who is really good with color to help you out with choosing a color. Having a really honest person who can visualize color is really helpful when picking out paint colors.

[krystee]

I would hang stuff on the bathroom wall...maybe a white-framed mirror and a white hand towel and stuff, so it's not big swaths of solid pink, with nothing breaking it up. If that doesn't do the trick, repaint.

[dottyblue]

I love color. My living room is a dark teal, my dining room is deep blue-grey.

But that peach in the bathroom is way too much for me. I would repaint it. I tend to prefer neutrals in small spaces, unless if there is a lot of trim to break up the color.

I would NOT do wall paper in the bathroom. I just took down nasty mildewy wallpaper from our main bathroom. Beadboard (actual wood, sealed by paint or stain from the moisture) will hold up better than wallpaper.

Wall hangings (shelves, pictures, whatever) are going to help mute and break up the color too. I would give the bedroom more time. I think it'll grow on you once you get more on the walls.

[TBM]

I love color, but I have made my share of mistakes over the years. Sometimes I have found that it isn't so much color mistake as it is judging it before all of the art and other stuff in in the space, but other times, the color has just not been the right color for me (I went with DH's choice), or it was just the wrong tone (I do better with very saturated, deeper tones), and I had no issue painting over it. I have also just done accent walls in some colors, because they were just too much for an entire room.

The bathroom color would throw me....it would be too hard to get your make-up right for the rest of the world. I like the bedroom color in the picture, but I think from looking at the swatch I might not be as thrilled in person. We had a bright aqua color that leaned a little more blue at our old house, and it made me happy to see it in the guest room. I was very comfortable working in that happy color, but I felt like it leaned a little juvenile and didn't use it in this house....maybe because it was a little too bright or something.

[mrs.jacinthe]

I like the bedroom. Bathroom ... not so much. I'd like it more in a powder room than a master bath, I think because pink colors in a bathroom make the lighting so weird it's hard to judge makeup and/or hair/outfit.

If you really want coral in the bathroom, I think maybe I'd stick to accessories only and do white walls.

[neonpink]

I love the bedroom, the bathroom is a lot for me. If you keep having a gut reaction that's bad I would paint it.

[sweetcheeks]

Thank you all for your responses. I do appreciate them. A few things:

The bathroom mirror is new. It was just installed and while I agree that a white framed mirror would look better, I'm not willing to replace it just to make the bathroom color more tolerable.

My original plan for the bathroom was to do beadboard, until I got the price. He was talking thousands (!), and that was before prepping it for moisture. I then looked into the wallpaper, and even went as far as ordering it, until the thought of hanging it and then having to eventually remove it, brought me to my senses, and I returned it. The idea is back on the table, though.

The comforter is very bright and colorful. I love it and used it as my inspiration for choosing my paint colors. The green on the walls is an exact match to the green in the comforter. I originally had picked a very light version of the green and when I painted swatches on the wall, it looked like I had smeared toothpaste on them.

I do like the colors of both rooms, but I think my mistake was going with ALL bold colors. I looked at the manufacturer's picture of the comforter and the stylist chose very soft colors for the walls, so as to not compete with the comforter. Rookie mistake on my part.

My daughter is a visual merchandiser, so this is her thing. She's coming over this weekend to give me her 'professional' opinion.

The good news is that I love how the other rooms look. I went with a deep plum/eggplant in the second bathroom. Lots and lots of almond/cream accents in there, so while it's a very rich, deep color, it doesn't over-power the room.

I went very safe in the second bedroom and did Revere Pewter. Using black, white and yellow accents there.

I also went out of the box with my sunroom. It's mostly windows, so I went with China White on the walls and Thunderbird on the ceiling. Once I get done styling it with plants and colorful pillows, I suspect this will be my favorite room.

I am definitely re-painting the bathroom - just not sure of the color, and I'm leaning towards re-painting the bedroom. Life is too short to live with regrets.

[memenee]

If you love the colors but are just having trouble getting used to the dramatic change then please give it some time. I think the bedroom is pretty! The bathroom color is not my style, but if you like it, then work on some accessories that will tone down and break up the color a bit. A framed mirror is a good start. Pictures on the walls, a towel bar with big fluffy white towels, etc. You could also put up a "chair rail" and paint the lower half of the walls white. Give it some time! If you are still not feeling it then please re-paint! No one should have to live with their bad paint choices!

ETA: Oops. I see now you are re-painting the bathroom! Definitely do paint samples! Good luck!