To think that people should sometimes be a bit more supportive and positive?

[PavlovtheForgetfulCat]

an example:

We have had a hell of a building nightmare. We have, to cheer ourselves up, decorated our front room, almost done, we spent a long time prepping walls, repairing damage to ceiling, changing light fittings, cutting in carefully.

Because we have not chosen 'beige', neutral or a variety of, which appears to be the trend at the moment with our friends, not one person appears able to say 'your room is looking lovely'.

the comments are:

oh, I thought you were doing all the wall that colour?

You are doing all the wall that colour? oh.

Yes, its nicer than I thought it would be

Well it makes the room look bigger at least.

Blue? interesting choice?

Yeeees, lovely.

We have had so much headache and lived in such chaos that just something positive to recognise how hard we are working to rectify our tip of a home would be appreciated.

I know its not about anyone else, its about us and if we like it. I just would sometimes like my friends to not be so honest, and just say 'looking lovely' without any opinions, or tones.

Excuse me for being sensitive but its starting to get me down. This is not the only thing. I just one person, to come in and say ONE nice thing umprompted about my home.

Pav sounds really elegant to me. Why are people obsessed with all the walls being one colour. I like the idea of the recesses being done and the chimney breast in white. You can come and do mine next

I hate blue in any way, shape or form because to me it looks cold.

Lilac and baby pink have the same effect and I hate them too.

But these are popular paint colours so I accept that lots of people really like them. It's just personal taste isn't it.

nickle I have a friend with a room like this even now...you are not her are you?

morris you know, a year ago I would have agreed with you. Now though, I love the blue thing. Its the only blue we will have in the room, ie feature wise, not intending on getting blue everything. It just feels so bright and crisp and fresh and clean and happy and not bloody beige, it is also surprisingly neutral if that makes sense. A lot of colours in the accessories will go with it. Only flaw is it makes the rest of my house look a mess! (which to be fair it is).

I hate lilac.

I also have an irrational hatred of terracotta.

You love it, it's your sanctuary from the rest of the house, and I imagine that all of your friends are holding back on the praise because they're dead jealous! Enjoy it, be proud of yourself for getting it done and well done for not living in a magnolia box. What you've done all sounds fab - can't wait to see the pictures.

expat I couldn't agree more.Have never seen anything as hideous and have been decorating houses for years.Pavlov don't worry about their bad taste just enjoy your home.I posted my colour scheme on here and someone said Why would you want such a drab room'

(feels like she's hi-jacked the thread)

I didn't sell it like that: i rented it out to someone who wanted to usse the room as a lounge, so they painted it terracotta (and promised me they'd photograph it before they re-painted )

no, pavlov, not still like that, but I would love to see your friend's house

(and i hate the beige/magnolia plan too : lookes like a granny-flat/no imagination)

I hate bric a brac, too.

Today I arrived early to a bus stop, so I pushed DS's buggy into a neighbourhood that has a lot of old people.

And I had to leave because my right hand started itching to pick up a rock and hurl it through a bric a brac laden window and my foot started telling my brain, 'Must kick garden gnomes. Must smash garden gnomes to bits!'

Lilac is hideous and PEACH

I hate lilac and any other pastel colours. And terracota. And anything yellow/mustard related (my whole place was mustard when we bought it and we are only just getting rid of it). And although I like red, its a bit popular for those wanting to be bold.

We tried a lovely dark olive colour - looked like some-one had spread shite over our walls!

Yes, that's the downside of decorating - suddenly the rest of your house looks pish!

Fwiw I've got a large living room with cappuccino (ie light brown) walls apart from chimney wall in darkest chocolate brown.

I think it is absolutely stunning, but I would wouldn't I! We had wall to wall magnolia before and I did like it but we fancied a change and now we'd never go back.

'i rented it out to someone who wanted to usse the room as a pot den lounge.'

gorgeous

expat: if they'd wanted to use it as a pot den, they would have kept it surely?

currently just painted a single wall in a "cheltenham gold" then stuck bookcases in front of it: Morris: that's how to stop the rest looking crap, paint one wall at a time!!

I want to get a nice mantle mirror in white, a huge oval/half oval one to go over the wooden mantle.

We will be breaking up some of the blue with white shelves, to compliment the white walls, and to take some of the bricabrac clutter/photos/ornaments that will inevtiably end up on them!

Perhaps my friends cannot see the finished look as they have No Vision.

And, funnily enough, the reason for this post was prompted by a friend's comment, who had just finished painting his gorgeous high ceiling'ed large front room - magnolia

nickle how annoying - hope you took it out of his deposit!

i have a very pale coffee coloured living room. how about a very pale dove grey chimney breast?

Pavlov I've been reading your nightmare building thread slack-jawed in horror, and to be honest, by this stage, if I were one of your friends I'd just be pleased you weren't painting the room blood-red using the builder as a macabre roller.

FWIW I love that blue colour.

how does one develop a colour scheme? that sounds lovely!

the shelves idea sounds good.

my parents bought a house when i was 17 and painted the whole thing magnolia (it had had to have a lot of work done to it so they painted it to make it look like they'd done something to it). my mum then spent the next 5 years painting each room separately all different (5 years because once she'd finished the house, she'd start again)
they'be got a brand new house now and the walls were magnolia and she's not touched it in 3 years. it looks really really drab.

To be honest, I think this colour scheme developed out of my new found obsession with white. I want every thing white and clean. I am taking some of this as 'nesting' and some due to the constant mess, dust and grime of building works. And the blue came from DH saying that there was no way on earth he would have a white room. So, I then developed an obsession with blue. I used to be so disorganised (still am) but I am developing this sort of image obsession in my head, it has to be Just So at the moment, or else I cry

wildfig - exactly, you do not know how tempting that was. Its a good job he was not doing the cellar

That paint colour is beautiful! We have something similar in our bedroom and I love it. The whole room sounds gorgeous. I can't stand magnolia - our house was magnolia all over when we moved in and looked terrible.

I'm oddly fond of this colour.

It looks a bit darker in the actual catalogue, though.

That did not work expat! Need to re-do it

We are in a new build magnolia house, I loathe it.
Have just painted the lounge and dining room a "soft" white, it looks so much fresher and brighter.
If we had any architectural features (darn bloody newbuilds) I'd love an accent wall. That blue is gorgeous and the whole room sounds fresh and modern without being stark.

Enjoy your haven and sod em