For some reason I have decided June is the month for home projects. As if we don’t have enough going on with Gunnar graduating, weaning Greta from the bottle, summer starting, swim lessons, camp, among several other projects.
A few weeks ago I just had it with our hall coat closet. It was not functional for us. We don’t wear coats in Southern California, it has one shelf that is not accessible and I began using the floor as a shelf for all things without a home.
Let’s just say our marriage was on the brink of disaster from this project. Of course when I explained my idea to Aaron he didn’t understand what I was talking about. So I showed him photos and he was now understanding me, but not agreeing with me. Then I told him I wanted to paint it a bright color. His response, “WHY would you paint the walls of a closet?” Ummmm, so it looks nice, and fun, and clean, and pretty.
Then the argument of all arguments came.
You see, my husband was raised with the mentality that if you can do it yourself, then you do it. He slowly has seen through the years that sometimes doing it yourself takes longer and ends up costing you more because during those hours you could’ve made more money actually working and pay someone else to do it. Then you have lost money doing it yourself just because you can. He fortunately also realized that no matter what he did, it would be more of a fight because I clearly envisioned something and he doesn’t have the tools or time to do it in a timely manner. So someone else made the shelves.
Then the dilemma of paint color came into play. I had gone to the paint store and picked up some cards with the color I wanted. He then offered to go back to the paint store to get the paint. Well, since we have had previous experience choosing paint colors, I knew I couldn’t trust a paint card. I need samples, on the wall, in order to get the right color. Remember, now, my husband sometimes has a problem going to the store and getting exactly what I need? So I was very specific. Here is the card, I need sample containers which cost $4 a piece with similar colors.
He called me from the paint store because he forgot the card at home. He said he got some cards for me to look over. No sweetie. I’ve seen the cards, I need actual samples. Remember, no lime, no hunter, just grass green, bright grass green, NO neon. I got it. I got it. Okay.
He comes home with TWO Q U A R T S of the most hideous neon green I have ever seen. He insisted they don’t have samples. I called and sure enough they have samples but Aaron wasn’t very clear with the guy at the paint store. Several hours later we had two very close colors of what I needed. Seriously, planning a wedding is not the most stressful event a couple goes through. Nor having a child. Nope. Home projects are the downfall.
He may have been raised in construction, but the boy is not a painter. And I have never painted a thing in my life. So we had quite the learning curve. Early on he decided that I needed to own this project and maybe it had to do with he just wanted to go to bed or maybe it was because he was unsuccessful at convincing me that everyone paints in just their underwear. You be the judge. I had already sanded and began to prime, then I figured well, once I started, I might as well finish. It took about 3 hours to prime the shelves and do the first coat for the walls, then I slept for 7 hours and then it took about another 3 1/2 hours to do the second coat on the walls and paint the shelves. I think for my first painting project I did quite well. Oh, and by the way, remember all the drama about needing to paint walls inside a closet? Well, Aaron now wants me to paint the inside of our linen closet. I love it when he concedes!
BEFORE
And here is the closet painted.
And the new repurposed hall closet, which is now our art depot. And no, I do not homeschool my children, but we do have a lot of activity books and supplies. I know.
And someone already sampling the new craft area. . .
