Mark W 2
New Member
Hey, KDAC, thanks so much! The color took a _long_ time to figure out, and I took a whole lot of time, too, with the actual painting. I used Benjamin Moore, and the color is Blue Lagoon. I had considered using their Old Pickup Truck Blue, which is equally "warm," but lighter, and in the end it just seemed not masculine enough, if that makes sense—it looked kind of like a Regency color. My wife agreed, and she wanted the living room to be a space that I'd enjoy as much as she did. So I took the Old Pickup Truck Blue and went one darker on the Benjamin Moore color wheel. The guy who sold me the paint thought I was nuts, but when he saw pictures of the end result he was so excited that he gave me a bunch of sweatshirts and hats with his store logo that he usually gives out to professionals. That felt awesome. Everyone remarks on the color's inner glow, and it really does seem luminous, with light shining from the inside. And it has different aspects to it depending on the time of day. The hardwood floors took some work for sure, especially after I stripped the walls and, despite every precaution, the stripper got under the two layers of protective plastic sheeting I had laid down. Doh! When I saw the bubbling of all that polyurethane, the steam coming out of my ears could have powered a medium-sized city. 
That was a good lesson in keeping cool. In the end, it just took some extra work ... and in the grand scheme of things, it was small stuff. The closet was really fun to put together, and I was excited by the open feel it has (and I'm glad that the components are next to the games: whenever I put on an LP, I'm reminded of what other fun I could have while relaxing at the end of the day). And the room generally, yes, totally, totally comfy and cozy, with a super comfortable, big couch—and those rugs, yep, precisely right, repurposed to absorb the reflections. The only thing I'd add about the whole experience is that it really didn't cost much at all. My wife and I live modestly on one salary, and we have to watch our budget carefully. But with a little bit of effort, and patience, and lots of good advice from discussion blogs like this one, and with some of the art you see on the walls found at garage sales or given to us by friends, it all came together—and I had some of the most fun I've had in years doing it all. Stringing the speaker cable through the crawl space was a special thrill. And now: there's more ahead!
That was a good lesson in keeping cool. In the end, it just took some extra work ... and in the grand scheme of things, it was small stuff. The closet was really fun to put together, and I was excited by the open feel it has (and I'm glad that the components are next to the games: whenever I put on an LP, I'm reminded of what other fun I could have while relaxing at the end of the day). And the room generally, yes, totally, totally comfy and cozy, with a super comfortable, big couch—and those rugs, yep, precisely right, repurposed to absorb the reflections. The only thing I'd add about the whole experience is that it really didn't cost much at all. My wife and I live modestly on one salary, and we have to watch our budget carefully. But with a little bit of effort, and patience, and lots of good advice from discussion blogs like this one, and with some of the art you see on the walls found at garage sales or given to us by friends, it all came together—and I had some of the most fun I've had in years doing it all. Stringing the speaker cable through the crawl space was a special thrill. And now: there's more ahead! 
