Why can't I pick a stupid paint color!

[Teresa in MO]

I am frustrated with myself.  My dh and I married when we were 18 yo.  We celebrated our 38th anniversary a couple months before he passed away.  I absolutely hate making decisions by myself.  Most are major decisions, but now I can't even pick a paint color for my upstairs bathroom.  I am doing some projects around the house that have been put off for too long.  I am updating the upstairs bathroom.  Over the past week, I have gotten 11 paint samples and can't decide on the color!  We were going to paint today, but I can't decide on the color I want.  Frustrating!!!!!

[Selkie]

Hugs, Teresa. I have a tough time picking out colors, too. Just take your time and go with one that you really love. I'll bet your bathroom is going to look great. :)

[klmama]

I'm sorry this is so hard.  ((Hugs))  Sometimes the smaller decisions are the hardest ones.

Do you already have a shower curtain and matching towels that you plan to use?  If not, I suggest you start with that and then pick the paint to complement them.  Compare two paint chips with the curtain and towels; DO IT IN THE BATHROOM SO THE LIGHTING IS CORRECT.  Which paint chip goes better with the curtain and towels?   Discard the one that isn't as good, and put the better one in the "save" pile.  Do it again with two more.  When you have gone through them all, start over with the "better" colors and keep narrowing down your options until you are finished.  Remember, this isn't about choosing a wall color; you are choosing the color that looks best with the shower curtain and towels.  If you can't narrow it all the way down to one color, ask a dc or a friend to give an opinion (be sure they know you might not go with their choice).  Then decide if you think they are right or not.  Sometimes it's easier to decide what you think when presented with someone else's opinion.  

[Arctic Bunny]

((Hugs)) Does it help to think it’s just paint? What’s the worst that can happen if you pick the “wrong” colour? You repaint? Is there someone else who has an eye for these things that can narrow it down for you? Can you take the towel or shower curtain into the store and have them colour match it? Can you get a sampler of the one you like the most and try it out? I’ll admit, my ensuite had a few stripes while I “lived” with the colour for a while.

[kbutton]

klmama has some great advice. I think it's much easier to choose the accessories first.

Our family likes to put several identical paint chips together and tape them to the wall in the applicable room with painter's tape on the back. Then we check the little islands of color every two hours, move them around to different walls, etc. Being able to see the colors in various lights all day is really helpful. There is usually one time of day that every color looks its best or worst, and some colors we've liked look the way we expected for only for an hour or two, which helped us eliminate them more easily. So far, this has been our best method, but some colors are still hard to choose--whites are super hard for us to choose. 

 

[wintermom]

I'm exactly the same. I found two different colours I really like, and I use them interchangeably all over the house. There's Classic Taupe and a slightly darker taupe. I'm lame, but I like them. ;) 

My dc are pretty good at choosing actual colours. My ds's Hills of Ireland green, which I thought would be horrid, is actually nice - a little bright, but he loves it. What do I know.