We chose a paint color! If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you might want to refer to this post from two weeks ago in which I detailed the three main garden projects of the summer and asked for people to vote on a paint color for this ugly cement wall that is the side of our garage. The choice was between Crystal Rapids (the lighter, slightly bluer one on top) and Tropical Trail (the darker, slightly greener one on the bottom). Both are Behr paint from Home Depot. I also posted the paint choices to social media and people overwhelmingly went for Crystal Rapids. Well, I can now reveal to you what we went with…

And the answer is neither. Well, actually, it’s both. As I mentioned in the previous post about this, Daniel and I both immediately agreed on a paint color but we wanted to see what other people thought. He and I thought immediately and continued to agree throughout our week of testing out the colors that we both liked Tropical Trail better. It had a deeper color to it than Crystal Rapids and was more what I had been envisioning for that wall. I did say at the time that I liked how bright Crystal Rapids is, like the sun was shining on it, but neither one of us really liked the color. In fact, I wished Tropical Trail could be as bright as Crystal Rapids is.

And then something weird happened: almost everyone who voted on the paint color went for Crystal Rapids. We just couldn’t see what they were seeing. Perhaps the lighter, brighter color comes off better in a photo? We don’t know! But two people, including my mother, suggested we use both colors in different ways (perhaps ombre or some kind of painted mosaic, maybe?). Which got me thinking, maybe instead of using both colors on the wall, I should mix the samples 50/50 and see what happens. I figured there was no way we weren’t going to like it as both colors are on the same paint swatch so they must go well enough together that they could mix well together.

I added the 50/50 sample to the wall and, when we had friends over for a July 4th holiday weekend BBQ, I took an on-site poll. Funnily, and without prodding from either one of us, they almost all went for Tropical Trail or the new mixed sample and almost no one went for Crystal Rapids. And so it was decided. The next day, I went to Home Depot and picked up a gallon of each paint color in a flat finish for masonry (it’s cheaper that way and both gallons only cost me a total of $40, woo hoo!) and a bucket. I had to mix the paint myself, which was pretty easy.

And then I got to work. It took me hours because it’s quite a large wall and because concrete is so porous and because THERE WAS A SURPRISE DOWNPOUR when I was only halfway done with my first coat of paint. AAAAHHHH! But the paint job survived, luckily. The entire wall took two coats and I have plenty of paint left for touch ups, if need be.

Here’s a good view of the wall while our pup plays in the pool.

I mean, look how pretty this is!

But this is not where this project ends. I’m planning on adding lattice that will cover up a good portion of it and then pots to hang from the lattice and then fill those pots with plants. I’ve already gotten the lattice and stained them.

I hope to have this project completed by the end of the month. For now, tell me what you think of the color?!