Family Room Paint Colors, and A Non-Update

I have a confession. Well, actually two confessions.
First, this post is waaay overdue. Almost a month ago, when I shared my Toy Bin Labels, I told you I would share the paint colors soon. Oops!
Second, I'm not very good at this whole blogging thing! I forgot to take "before" pictures and by the time I realized, it was too late. So any before pictures you'll see are the ones I could find. You have been warned. ;-)

The Original Plan

If you remember, way back in July I had my heart set on Sherwin Williams Sea Salt, but we wanted to make sure the color was right. So for the first time in my life, we purchased a paint sample. We (and by we I mean Hubby) painted swatches in several spots around the room to see how it did in various locations: next to the brick, above the couch, in the dark corner by the garage door, etc. We lived with it for a few days to see what we thought. In my mind I thought it was blue-gray with a hint of green, but on our walls it showed up as most decidedly green. Hubby described it as being "too minty." Whatever it was, it just didn't work for this room.

Sherwin-Williams Sea Salt

Back to the Drawing Board

Hubby suggested we go with two different colors for the sunroom and the family room. And as much as I preferred to make the rooms cohesive with one color, it made sense. I wanted to stick with something bright in the family room since it has so little natural light, and he thought we needed something a bit darker in the sunroom to balance the white wainscoting. He also suggested we choose a neutral for the family room.
That's when I brought up a word I only learned through the wonders of Pinterest - greige. As the name suggests, its a cross between gray (grey?) and beige. It's a neutral without being too warm (or cool). Greige was perfect!
After looking at some examples on Pinterest, we found a greige we liked.  Back to Home Depot we went for more samples. We picked up the greige for the family room and a slate blue color (Smokey Blue) for the sun room at Hubby's suggestion. He's a smart man. :)

The Sea Salt is on the left and the greige on the right. Of course, I
took this at night so you can't really see the difference in colors...

The Final Colors

The Family Room: Behr Mineral
It's amazing how much this color has brightened up the room. Changing from a warm-toned beige to a cooler greige really made the difference. We may not even white wash the brick wall as originally planned.

Note: I found this color on Pinterest, and while Home Depot no longer carries sample cards of Mineral, they will mix the color upon request.

The Play Room:  Shale Gray (A shade lighter than the Behr Smokey Blue we originally picked.)
Wow. Just wow. It liked the red, but I love this blue! And since Hubby accidentally ordered an extra can (2 blues and one greige instead of 2 greiges and one blue), it will be making an appearance in at least one other room in the house.

The Trim and Bead Board: Behr Ultra Pure White Trim Paint
This also made SUCH a huge difference. We're pretty sure that the previous owners never painted the pre-primed beadboard. (Especially considering their track record.) It wasn't until we started painting that we realized how dingy and yellow it looked. Combined with the blue, the play room is such a crisp, bright, and cheerful space. I love it!

The Non-Update

Now, that wasn't so hard, was it? Why have I been putting off this post for so long?
Oh, that's right... We really haven't done anything since then. I really wanted to have at least one remotely exciting update, but it hasn't happened yet.
I've been holding off on throw pillows or decor items until I pick a rug. And OH, the amount of time I have spent looking at rugs! I loved the selection online, but Hubby wouldn't commit to spending hundreds of dollars on a rug he couldn't see and touch in person before we purchased it. (Which is probably a good idea.) Plus, he's not on board with all the fun patterned rugs I've found. We're hoping to do some in-person rug shopping this weekend, so maybe next week I'll have some news. Please, oh please, let us make a decision already!
So, that's where we stand. I think the next step is to create a mood board using olioboard. Hubby and I often have different ideas when it comes to decor, and since it's a family space, it's important for us to be on the same page. Once I make a mood board, I'll be sure to share it here. At the rate I'm going, you should expect it some time in April. Just kidding. I hope.
Do you drag your feet when decorating a space like me? I'd love to hear about your decorating style in the comments below!