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My neighbor asked why I always paint my trim white
I was finishing up a fence repair at my place in Tacoma last weekend. My neighbor Bob came over and just asked, 'Why is everything always white with you?' He pointed at my house trim, the shed, even the planters. I told him it looks clean and matches. He shrugged and said, 'Looks like you're scared to pick a color.' That stuck with me all week. I think I just default to safe choices without even thinking. How do you get better at choosing colors that actually have some life to them?
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the_diana5mo ago
Know exactly what you mean about defaulting to safe choices. I used to paint everything gray for the same reason. What helped me was starting small with something I could redo easily, like a flower pot or a mailbox. I'd pick a color that just felt good, not because it matched anything. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it looked bad, but I learned what I liked. Now my front door is bright yellow and it makes me happy every time I see it.
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green.mason5mo ago
Man, Bob's comment would have stuck with me too, that's rough. I totally get the safe choice thing though, my whole apartment was beige for years. What finally got me was looking at stuff I already owned, like my favorite flannel shirt or a mug I really like. I tried pulling a color from those for an accent wall. It felt less scary because I already knew I liked it. Started with one wall in the bedroom, and now I'm eyeing the kitchen cabinets.
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coleman.derek4mo ago
The 80/20 rule applies to colors too, most people stick with neutrals 80% of the time and @the_diana is right that starting small is the way to break that pattern. Once you prove to yourself you can handle a bright yellow front door or a teal mailbox without the world ending, it gets easier to trust your gut on bigger stuff.
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