my color

I painted my office. Finally, I have a red room.

When I was in 2nd grade, we all filled in a worksheet that was about our "favorites." At 7 years old, this information is critical to determining who you can be friends with (and, conversely, who is so definitely weird you could never be friends). Cool favorites = cool person. Come to think of it, this is similar to how many adults act in an election year. But I digress...

I thought red was an obvious choice as a favorite. The other girls in my class liked pink or purple. Frankly, I never could understand the obsession with pink, but you know, it's not that bad - just a light, faded version of red. Purple, remember, is just a mixture of red plus blue. So that means pretty much everyone likes red, right? Evidently not everyone. I was the only 2nd grader who chose red.

Feeling a bit confused as to why I was the only one recognizing red as a wonderful color, I sought out the coolest person I knew: my mother. My mom is absolutely beautiful. She has amazing taste in everything, and knows nearly everything worth knowing. She just personifies cool. This is not just my opinion - it is fact! So when I asked her, I didn't want to taint the survey (even then I was keenly aware of marketing). I tried to avoid revealing my bias, simply asking "Mom, what's your favorite color?"

"Blue." That's for real - my mom said her favorite color was blue. I distinctly remember the next day, in late September. As I walked to school, the sun was out and the sky was beautiful. I decided mom was right. I wanted to change my answer. Blue really was my favorite color from then on. So I changed my answer, and for many years, my favorite color has been blue. I do love blue - especially the color of the sky just before sundown. I love the water, too, and usually (except where we live and it's heavily polluted) water has a wonderful hue of blue. Deep, rich, saturated blue is beautiful. When my son wanted his room to be blue, I was thrilled. Blue it is - and more for our bedroom, too!

Blue can also be viewed as quasi-neutral when you're painting your house. If you sell, people probably won't viscerally react to blue. Red, though, well that seems to draw a reaction. It has to be just the right red and only in just the right place and just the right amount. Thus, we (like everyone else) painted most of our old house "sell-yer-house-beige" before listing it last spring. The former owners of our new house chose "hang-yerself-gray" throughout (my own opinion & color description. Everyone else loves the color of a rainy day and compliments us on the colors we "chose" in the house).

Red still draws me, though, and now if I was asked, I'd probably say there's a tie for my favorite. I have always wanted a red room. There is a small room just off our dining room that we use as a home office. From the moment we moved in, I determined that it would become my red room.

I know what you're thinking. I heard it all from nearly every person who heard my plans:

"It will make the room seem smaller."

"Red is too energetic - it's the color they paint restaurants so you'll get out sooner."

"Yikes! Red on all four walls?!"

"Are you sure you want that red?"

"Choose a more neutral color and use red as your accent."

Red is my accent everywhere; I wanted a real color on the walls. So I persisted. And last night, I finished the final coat of Miller Paint Co.'s Roasted Red Pepper on all four walls of my office. It is gorgeous - like the deepest, sweetest, ripest tomato in an August garden. I feel like I have stepped into an HGTV special - where people take risks with color and the results are breathtaking. The change has motivated me to organize and personalize my office, getting through clutter that has dogged me since we moved.

Now, when I sit in my office, I'm really happy to be surrounded by such a cool color.