We found the blues much harder to find the right shade than the greys. We easily had seven samples painted in various parts of the new kitchen. We eventually told the painter to match the dining room which he did an awful job and had to repaint because it looked purplish. If I’m going to be totally honest, I only love the color at certain parts of the day/light but H thinks it’s perfect. IMO we should have gone with grey, not blue.
@1214mom – It is a darn good thing the paint store was less than two miles from my house b/c I must have purchased more than 40 pints in my attempt to choose colors. I had every room in the house painted at the same time, and spent far too long choosing colors. I painted on large sheets of poster board (and some old science fair projects!) so that I could move the board around to different walls/different lights.
I also cut colors with BM base white if I wanted a slightly lighter shade than available.
Good luck!
Speaking of paint colors - I have a sunroom that is the perfect shade of blue walls. It has a light tan sofa and windows on three walls. The room open to it is the kitchen with cream walls and the next room towards the front of the house is the living room. Do you think it’s OK to repeat the blue that I like in the living room? It has dark brown leather sofas and a fireplace so it’s a much different feel than the bright sunroom but I think it would work. Thoughts? Otherwise I’ll be using the cream from the kitchen. It’s currently greige and I’m tired of greys.
I think it’s fine to repeat the color but be aware that it will look different outside a sunroom that has a ton of light. You may need to lighten up a shade or two if you want it to “match”.
IMO, blue wall paint (especially light blues) and brown furniture go well together.
I think the blue will be fine also.
Looks like I won’t be going to the paint store this weekend. We are supposed to get sleet and snow tomorrow, and I think they are closed Sunday. Maybe they are open Monday. I actually sent a note to our likely contractor bc I didn’t read good reviews of the paint he said he was going to use. I’m thinking an upgrade is necessary.
@1214mom I don’t think you’ll regret upgrading paint. In my experience, contractors tend to use either something cheaper because they think clients want to spend the least possible, or they use Sherwin Williams ProMar-type grade because they get a substantial discount.
I so wish a BM store was close to us. My painter uses SW. I want something with more depth in the color, and from numerous threads and sites, I think BM might provide that.
Higher grade paints are much more pleasant to work with. We went with some pricy top grade of SW for our house painting job, and I absolutely loved how smoothly it went on (we did the painting ourselves. 
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I hope it’s ok to share this:
https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/cool-gray-paint-colours-the-3-undertones-you-have-to-consider/?utm_source=Kylie+M+Interiors&utm_campaign=22321f3fb3-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f654d9a82e-22321f3fb3-436763277
Specifically reviewing grays including some mentioned just above.
@somemom, I’ve seen that, and I am thinking about using 2 of those colors. Repose Grey for the main level, and then maybe Big Chill (That’s not as decided yet) for our room and bathrooms. I haven’t decided if I should just paint all of them the same color, or go with a couple of different colors. All of our kids are adults, so they have no opinion.
(I still remember having to coax one kid into picking a slightly less bright blue when we let them pick their colors. It was still pretty bright.When I let everyone pick their own color, everyone picked a different shade of blue).
You can order a painted sample from samplize. 12x12. Then you can look at a large size area and move it around to check in different lighting. I did not remove the backing. $6 or $7. And you’re not left with a paint can.
Any major company’s paint can be converted to BM.
We are getting ready to paint several rooms in our house (bedrooms, hallway, powder room, dining room). After selecting paint colors, I’d love to hear your pro tips on the best finish and suggested tools for the job.
What is your preference for paint application: roller material and nap thickness? Do you use edging aids such a tape, edging gadgets, or just a brush and a steady hand?
What is the preferred paint sheen for walls and woodwork? flat, eggshell, semi-gloss Does sheen choice vary depending upon the room / traffic volume?
Do you paint the ceiling the same color as the walls?
I am a traditionalist and have only ever painted ceilings in a flat white.
Walls get eggshell, trim gets semi gloss.
I don’t ever clean rollers, if I will need that color again soon I wrap it in a plastic bag to keep from drying out. I have found that the nap isn’t the same after washing it, it takes an incredible amount of water and time to clean well, and I don’t like putting paint down the drain. So I just use them and toss them.
Same is true for paint brushes, except for one high quality trim brush for cutout work.
I never use edging gadgets, I will sometimes use tape but honestly with the time it takes to do a good job taping, for me it’s quicker to just take my time doing a good cutout.
The other thing with tape is I’ve found you have to remove it while the paint is wet or it will pull up the new paint. So if you need two coats you are taping twice.
YMMV.
“Do you use edging aids such a tape, edging gadgets, or just a brush and a steady hand?”
Frogtape and a set of really good paintbrushes. 
Edging gadgets are a waste of $$. I also recommend getting a very good, sturdy extension stick so you don’t have to climb any ladders. I used this to paint our 16 ft ceilings (had to use a bench to stand on to paint the top portions because the stick is only 16 ft long):
Many years ago, I sponge painted S2’s ceiling with semigloss to create a rainforest canopy. We have finally cleared stuff out of his room so I can paint and take down the wild animal border and the animals he and I painted on his closet doors. (snif snif). I had offered to paint when he was 15 if he’d clean out his room so I could get to the walls, but it has taken 12 years to get to that point.
Should I use Kilz over the semi before applying ceiling paint?
@BunsenBurner, did you still have to climb up to paint the edges of the ceiling?
I have always done the painting in this house, but am thinking about hiring someone to deal with the ceiling (and pulling the carpet while we’re at it) because ladders and me are not a good combo. My cheap side says to get the extension pole!
I also wrap my rollers in plastic wrap and toss them at the end of the job. Notrichenough, I agree with you completely on the reasons why.
I am mulling grays for that room, though the main color in the rest of the house is a creamy tan. Grays would be a better match to what’s actually in the house, though that wasn’t really an option when I painted in 1998. Thanks for the link, somemom!
I did! I did the edge part and then got off the ladder pronto and used the roller to paint the walls. Our MB ceiling is sloped so the two longer walls are only 9 feet high - for those I was fine with a painters’ bench. I did have to get on the blasted platform (ugh!) to paint the millwork around the skylights… that was a thankless job. Not looking forward to more of that. But have to say that the $600 we paid for this sucker was money well spent!
We also used it to paint the new siding on the house. Just Mr. and yours truly painting a two story house.
Agree with @notrichenough about not reconditioning paint rollers. Rollers are cheap ($3-10), and a washed and dried one just does not do a good job. I also wrap them in plastic and use the next day. Works just fine. Frogtape works great on glass for painting window trim. To remove it without ripping up paint, I let the paint dry well. it either has to be wet or super dry for the tape to come off cleanly. Paint that’s dry but not yet cured could peel with the tape.
I just want to say thanks to @somemom . I really feel like I learn a lot from that article.
Is there a type of shower glass door that repels spots? I seem to recall CB installing such a product.