Kentucky Painting Surprise

As a surprise for my sister, Caroline, while she was on vacation for the first time in about 6 years, my dad and I painted her family room and kitchen.  For about 6 months, maybe longer?, she and Darren have had samples up on the nasty, faded yellow paneled walls as they try to decide exactly which shade of  of the 50 greys to use. (hahah terrible joke in there). 

I called her with a fake emergency: the cats of vomited on the rugs, what do I use to clean it? (Seriously, her cats had vomited and not just on the rug, but having owned a cat, I know how to clean it up). Oh, and while I have you on the phone, which color are you all considering cuz you told me a Christmas and I am staring at the various samples and I am confused.  I think I was able to pull it off, if only because she was distracted by the sights and sounds of the City on the Bay.  

Dad and I went over one night and finished the trim work that Caroline had started months ago.  Can I tell you what a pain it is to remove that blue painters' tape that has been on for months? The next day we went to Home Depot, armed with a paint chip that I was sure was the correct color.  How could it not be when Caroline said the color herself, "I think it is called Porpoise Fin or Dolphin Fin.  Something like that." 

Did you know that Home Depot sells a color that is called Porpoise? And another one called Dolphin Fin?   See--no way could we mess this up.  Ahem. 

We bought a gallon of Dolphin Fin.  We cut in around the trim and the windows.  Because the family room has wood paneling, we painted each of the paneling seams. 

 

Dad cutting in.  See all the samples on the paneling?  How could we not pick the right color with the choice so obvious?

going....

going....

In the kitchen, we painted the ply-wood soffit that had been wallpapered with a hideous pattern.  Yes, painted over it because you can't remove wallpaper from plywood.  We rejoiced when the last of it disappeared.

gone.

We rolled out the paneling in the family; we rolled out the kitchen walls.  We painted the door frame and window frame (we have to go back for the actual door and windows as it was just too cold to open them up to paint).  We trimmed out the pantry.  We cleaned and painted the air vent grilles.  All in all, about 12 hours of work spread out over 3 days and an obstacle course of furniture and toys, we transformed the family room and kitchen. 

Hopefully she (and the rest of her family) will be thrilled and the tears that will come as part of the reaction are tears of joy because the painting is done; not tears of frustration because we got the color wrong.