Home Project for March: Week Two

I've had some issues with paint this week, BUT I'm getting there. Went shopping on Thursday and bought my supplies...

The last time I painted this room, I used ordinary latex interior paint, which clearly did not resist mildew from condensation above the shower and window. Ick. This time around I'm doing it right, and hopefully the mildew battle will be over. First I scrubbed the whole area, then spackled all cracks and holes and finished with two coats of stain-blocking, mildew-resistant primer. Before and after:

So far, so good. We were ready to paint (using mildew-resistant paint, made specifically for bathrooms and kitchens). These were the two colors I debated on at the hardware store, with fabric samples in hand. Don't they look soft and soothing?

Well, I decided on "Aqua Fiesta," the darker of the two (my usual tendency). My mistake was not taking the paint sample home to see how it would look in the room. My daughter and I started painting. I did the trimming, she did the rolling. (It was wonderful to have help!)

As we went along we thought it was looking a lot brighter than the sample. Yet when we held the sample up to the wall, it was a perfect match. And you never really know how it will look until it's all done and dry, right? Besides, it was so dark before, we probably just needed to adjust to the brighter room... right? It was definitely looking better, so we pressed on.

Instead of "Aqua Fiesta," it looks like "Easter Egg Blue."

The lighting changed the color completely. SO... I'm re-thinking things. Sponge painting, perhaps. The lighter color, which I probably should have chosen in the first place, sponged over the Easter Egg Blue? Maybe. Or a light green? Yikes. Whatever I decide on, if that doesn't work out, we'll just have to paint it again. AHHH!!! I'm determined to somehow get that softer look I was trying for. Stay tuned... it's a cliff hanger.

Oh, and there was one more little issue. After all the paint had dried, there were a few pink spots on the wall that kept bleeding through the paint... red hair dye. Ugh. No problem, I have stain-blocking primer...

You can see how well that worked. Grrr... The solution, for future reference -- clear nail polish. Two coats, let dry, lightly sand, and paint. It worked! If only I could solve my color problem so easily!