lowercasesandcapitals's Profile

I'll echo the chorus of blue. Going with a greyer blue should off-set too much contrast, which might look a little 'fun house' in such a small space. If you're looking for green, think the same thing - look for something in the blue-green family, and turn down the saturation with a more greyed off tone. I'd stay away from greens that were too bright or limey.

If you have a meat loving partner, I suggest getting some practice in preparing meat for them. I find that with meat (especially beef), it's honestly just a matter of practice and getting a 'feel' for when things are done to perfection, etc. Otherwise, it is just following a recipe like any other ingredient. If you are nervous about doneness, investing in an instant read thermometer is good for things like poultry or roasts.

I've utilized a number of the topics linked above in The Kitchn tutorials and have found them really helpful, but the only thing that makes me less hesitant about cooking something is just practicing cooking it until I get it right.

If you want to go all white, you need to add personality with texture! Get textiles that have some hefty! Maybe a chunky knit throw, or some toss cushions that are soft and 'warm' to touch. Maybe get some art over the headboard and put a sheepskin - faux or not - on the floor so there's something nice and white under foot. I have the same bedding on my bed, and while I love it, I think it needs a little help in the personality department.

@baby_smalls: I have lots of experience painting with Aura (full disclosure: I work for a paint retailer that sells Aura (amongst other brands/products), and the application technique is different - but not harder - than working with a conventional latex paint. The trick to Aura is to make sure your conditions are right. If your house is very warm and very dry, that stuff will dry on the brush. It's a quick drying acrylic product, and it's designed as such that you are supposed to put it on fairly generously. Applying it too thinly (or thinning it) ruins the coverage. The best way to apply it is to fully cut in your space (that is to say, trim around all of your ceilings/trim/doors/etc), let that dry for a full hour, and then roll the product out. Don't roll heavily back into product that you've just put on, and don't worry too much if the first coat isn't perfect - the second will completely even it out. As long as it isn't dripping off of the wall, you haven't put it on too heavily.

I'm not a pro painter (not by a long shot), but I've used Aura in a couple of rooms in my house (their Bath and Spa product is amazing, by the way) and when I followed those instructions, I had no problems with it. All the new Ben Moore stuff dries quickly, so if you're not doing a huge colour change or want a flat/matte finish, you might like to try their less expensive Ben paint - it has a much bigger 'open' time.

We did our bathroom (a small, windowless space!) in Benjamin Moore's Hale Navy, which is a dark, inky sort of blue. The space actually feels larger, and it makes all of our white fixtures (and trim) really pop. I don't know why more people don't just embrace dark spaces. So many people paint their basements in light, wimpy pastels and beiges, and they just look so drab in the artificial light.

An alarm system is always a good choice. We had a break-in a couple of months ago and opted to have some non-ugly bars put on our back windows (which is how the burglars got into our place).

I think the most important thing is just to make your house unappealing to burglars. Keep it locked up tight when you're not home - windows and all - and pull your curtains so potential thieves cannot scope the place out. If it is going to take serious effort to get in, they'll probably go looking for an easier mark.

BM's Cloud White is pretty universally flattering, if you like 'warm' white. I'm more of a grey-white sort of gal, so I love Swiss Coffee and White Dove, also Ben Moore. In terms of brand, I'm obsessed with Para Paint's Ultra Suede finish, but I don't think it's available outside of Canada. My second choice will always be Benjamin Moore's Aura in the Matte finish (I have a hate on for shiny paint). It's pricy, but it's so nice to work with, it covers like a dream, and it has the added benefit of being low VOC and quick to dry. Plus, it wears well, which I think is pretty important in a white, since it does show everything.

I miss Re-nest already. I do like the new look, though.

I'd go with the Grey Owl, but if you do end up going back to the paint store for one more try, give Moonshine a shot. It's a little greener than Grey Owl, so it won't look as 'cool' or blue in some lights. I love Abalone, but in my house, it always goes pink-y/brown.

It looks great, but the bit about oil based primer and latex finish is definitely not true! Oil is actually the preferred primer on raw wood (it seals it better than waterbased products), and it's 100% safe to put latex paint over oil primer. You just don't want to put latex paint over an oil paint. Primer is a whole different animal.