Oh, my goodness. I did not realize painting our house would cause as much drama as it has.
We chose a colour. Blue Bayou. As seen above. (Not our house, stock photo)
Yes, it's a little brighter than it is on the 2 inch paint chip. We put the primer on and it's bright. BUT, it was growing on me, in fact I sell cardstock this color, it's called cloud. It's a happy color.
Then I get a visit from the Homeowner's Association (HOA). Keep in mind I submitted this color and SIX others I wouldn't mind and got this color approved by homeowners that were at the meeting as well as the board. A neighbor who wanted to be anonomous called and complained.
This bothers me for several reasons: 1) I'm a reasonable, nice person (ok, so when I'm not pregnant, anyways) 2) I have no clue what this person is looking for instead. 3) It was approved, signs were up for a week about the meeting, if they cared enough about paint color, they could have come to the meeting.
Anyways, so the HOA suggests going darker and offers to pay for the 1st coat that we already bought (about $600 of paint) if we change it to something more subdued which they offered because 1) they already approved it 2) they could have asked me to paint a large section of it on the house to see it better and they didn't. So, I'm upset, but the next day after a night of sleep I realize it is win-win. Either I still get to paint the color I wanted because it was approved OR I get to change my mind and their homeowner's dues pay for the change. I even joked with the HOA president that I dont' participate much because I don't really care about house colors and if someone cares, they should volunteer (no one wants to) or at least attend the meetings.
Over the next 4 days I got to the paint store each day and get another 2-4 samples (about 13-15 samples) and paint them on the front. I talked to my neighbor, who has more muted taste. We have to have a decision made and board approval by Tuesday when the painter thinks he will be ready to do the color (we're doing primer, caulk, 2 coats of paint) so, by Sunday night we have put two more colors up in large swatches. I'm not in love with either of them. Apparently finding a good blue exterior color is harder than it looks. Kudos to my parents who always paint their house blue! However, neither makes me want to throw up, either and if they will pay, I'll conceed and change color. Here are the other two options. One is bluer one is greyer. The bluer one looks a little more purple on my monitor than it is in person. The greyer one is greyer and darker in person. I like the bluer one better as does Paul, but we think the greyer one has more appeal.
I left a message Saturday and then I talked to the president's wife, who used to be a member this morning and asked her to let the board know we had two more options on the front, that we needed them to look today since Tuesday afternoon we'd begin painting and we weren't changing once we started. She looked in her caller id to find the mystery caller to see if they would come talk to me in person to see if she liked either color.
In the meantime, I've realized I'm probably the youngest person in the entire neighborhood and that I must start realizing I live in a more geriatric neighborhood. I looked up the president to find his phone number and realized he graduated high school the year I was born. I'm understanding why my taste is not as appreciated. But I digress.
So who should knock on my door but the woman across the street. The one who is starting to show signs of dimentia who thought last year that her husband was poisening her. Her husband is very bright and sharp and was talking to the painter 20 minutes or so before the first day of painting. Seriously? She's the one? So I start talking to her telling her she should have come to me first. She keeps talking about HER color of house and I point out we want blue and we want to match the neighborhood, but also want to say "we are in the blue house" and have people know without a doubt which is ours (our house numbers are so similar we all get each others' mail). She keeps not looking at them. I finally get her to look at them and SHE wants greyer than the gray one. Oh, and cream trim like hers, not white. Oh, and she wants us to go to the paint store like SHE did and have them add a little more blue, a little more grey and custom mix it. Basically she wants me to do it her color or the one next door to hers that looks exactly the same as hers so that we all look EXACTLY THE SAME.
Finally I've had it. I firmly but politely tell her, "I have looked at 50 colors, I'm not going to look at any more or custom design one, I've put 15 paint swatches on the house, I don't have the time or energy to find something else. I'm painting one of the two colors on here and I'm definitely not going any greyer and the trim WILL be white." Then she finally heard the kids and excused herself.
I got a hold of the HOA president and he's glad that we are TRYING to be accomodating and is trying to get a fast vote of the board so that we can paint tomorrow afternoon. He's even e-mailing me tonight (since we have small kids) to let me know if they have an answer or have to get it tomorrow morning. Oh, and by the way, I'm no longer the HOA's biggest problem. The other foreclosed property in the neighborhood (besides the one right next door to us) was ripping down the siding this morning with no approval and informed them they plan to put up cedar shake, which is specifically not allowed (all the houses have to have the long board siding).
The funny part? I told Paul about the cedar shake and he goes, "oh, I hate that stuff." I laughed, "well, if it really bothers you, guess you better go to the next meeting"
On a side note, months ago, they tried to pass a rule that you couldn't newly rent out your house after people were having problems selling their houses and were starting to try renting them. I went to that meeting. Apparently I wasn't the only one that thought it was inappropriate given the current economic situation and it was quickly moved that it would not happen. At the same meeting they were also electing a new board. I joked to Paul that I was going to run and then move that we abolish the HOA. He told me the only way he'd watch the kids so I could go was if I promised not to run for the HOA.
Paul in front of a wine press. 
