The Story of the Door: in progress

night train; a benjamin moore paint color. Also known as Smoky Mountain AC-18. A velvety gray blue made enticing with its smoky undertones and complex, cultivated colour. A beautifully deep hue that is refined and cosmopolitan.

One day I took a good hard look at my front door and decided that it was time to change the color. This door, like the house itself, is a good solid door. It is made of heavy wood with copper seals and brass fittings, and the exterior facing side had been the color of a cheap merlot when I arrived on the scene and purchased the house in 2013, no doubt the victim of the late century Tuscan design trend. this color was definitely a holdover from circa 1995. In addition, the kitchen featured a confederate red (BM's name, not mine) walls, a glass drop-and bead bedazzled brass chandelier, and an over-the-top, hand-painted mediterranean vista mural.

The door ? She was ready. I was ready. It was decided.

But first the shutters......sometimes you have to go back a step or two to make progress.

DIY Home decor can be tricky that way. Overall design strategies, technical knowledge, available free time, not to mention finances and inspiration, all must join forces to move the needle in the right direction. I had been making slow but steady, if not a bit circuitous, progress on home decor and repairs since moving in, adding new paint colors, plantation shutters, appliances, fencing, vanities, and on and on. Generally my plans were guided by a loose sense of intuition meets imagination meets practicality, meaning I attended to address items which first lent themselves to an enhanced property values and curb appeal. Honestly, I don't know what took me so long to get around I only know that it was time.

Maybe i do know why it took me 9 years.

After 20 swatches of green and blue green, I fell in absolute love with that color night train. The perfect blend of blue green and grey and just quirky enough to pinch my imagination. The color was set....until I had the idea to research the feng shui of my front door. South facing homes do NOT get grey blue or green or combinations thereof. Instead, they get warm loving colors, purple, red or pink, even orange. yuck! I fussed and fussed over how important the feng shui was even. but if it was important enough to check then i should try to follow the suggestions. back to color square one! back to sherwin williams. so many swatches. im sure i drove M a bit crazy with my constant swatching.

stay tuned for the rest of the story.