A Red Wall?!

posted in: Art, Tips 29
There wasn’t a picture of a red wall, but this red door is roughly the right shade. Photo: Wikipedia.

 

I said the other day how I need a “new view” and as usual, many of you responded with interesting things to say.

Some of you told me (in the kindest way) to simmer down for the moment and focus on what’s in front of me; others told of their own “gypsy” nature and encouraged me to never stop wanting to view the new.

As usual, you must all know I see every comment, I do read them, and I definitely love them — even when they’re not in agreement with something I’ve written in a post. PaperGirl readers are a truly classy and intelligent bunch and you’re so generous, good grief. So it pains me to mostly not ever comment back but there’s no way. There’s just no way. It’s a big enough job that I could employ a social media person to help me, but that’s been true for years and there’s never been any social media person around here. Not replying to comments is impossible and lame; having someone else replying to you all feels costly and lamer. So here we are.

Wait! This post is supposed to be about a red wall!

My red wall.

I’m going to have a wall painted and the wall is going to be red. Can you stand it?? One red wall. Red is my signature color, of course; my “Heart Plus” logo features my favorite shade, viz. a bright crimson. I actually heard someone say when trying to describe a shade of red, “it’s like, you know, Mary Fons Red” and this pleased me a great deal.

I have painted walls bold colors in my day, but it’s been awhile. I’ve gone for airy and light these past few years and I will always need light and air or wall colors that communicate such things. But it’s time to warm up the joint a little. It’s time to see a new view! And since can’t pick up and move next week/month, it’s time to do something drastic. My west-facing wall (which is quite long) will be Mary Fons Red within the next week or two. And guess what?

I’m not painting that wall. 

Oh, it’s tempting. It’s allllways tempting to paint a given wall or room myself. Because painters are expensive. Because I can actually do it, after all, and what’s a little paint can/foam roller elbow grease? The trouble is that my elbows are killing me. I have no grease to spare. No, I’m going to find a reputable painting outfit and hire out the work. My red has been chosen. My decision is made. Bring on the guys with the ladders and the cute overalls.

Any advice on hiring painters or prepping for their visit? And how much is this gonna cost, anyway? I promise to take pictures and post them either on Instagram or on the FB page.

Red!

29 Responses

  1. Cindy Moore
    | Reply

    I’m from Nebraska, home of the Huskers!! Our cheer is…….
    “GO BIG RED” !!!!!❣️❣️❣️❣️

    So Mary……..GO BIG RED❣️❣️❣️

  2. Smg
    | Reply

    I fear it will be difficult to hire a painter at a reasonable price to paint a single wall. Even a big one. You may need to go the handyman route.

  3. Jeanann
    | Reply

    I <3 "Mary Fons red."

  4. Mary Lu
    | Reply

    3 of my 4 sewing room walls are red. Love them but maybe not the best color for a sewing room. Still I keep them and enjoy them! Yay for your red wall!!!!

  5. Colleen
    | Reply

    Buy a new dishwasher instead

  6. Brenda King
    | Reply

    Mary- I too love saturated colors, and red shades are my favorite also! Make sure your painters are licensed and bonded. That way, if there are problems, they have insurance to cover whatever the problem is. (We learned this the hard way!) Don’t bother checking Better Business Bureau. They will give out good reports according to how much the company pays them! Take care, and good luck with your glorious new RED wall! Brenda King Bend, Oregon

  7. Judy Forkner
    | Reply

    Can’t wait to see it!

  8. Kerry
    | Reply

    Having had the worst decorator ever – and she was recommended – I had to sand down the enormous drip marks. Horizontal lines of marks. She slapped the paint on and it cracked as it dried. Worst still we had new plaster and that was super and she spoilt it! So I also had to repaint the damaged areas.
    After that nightmare I went onto a search engine that the tradesmen join and hope to generate more business by being rated by their customers – the higher the points the better the quality workmanship. Since getting in people via that method we’ve been really happy with the results – and less stress. We had 3 people to come and quote for us and chose the person who we felt was more in tune to what we wanted. After all, I wanted someone to do a job faster and better than I could.
    Good luck with your decorator.
    A little anecdote for you. My grandfather was a painter and decorator doing a lot of work at the film studios in and around London. My father answered a knock at their house door, opened it and came face to face with Charles Laughton! He wanted my grandfather to paint his house having seen his work at the studios! Actually he’d probably be turning in his grave with my decorating ways – although much better compared with the lady we had!

  9. Jennifer Reinke
    | Reply

    I love it! Be bold Mary–go for it!

  10. Emilio
    | Reply

    Come and visit my red wall anytime! Also, please don’t miss this book: How to Use Your Eyes Paperback
    by James Elkins

  11. Bethany
    | Reply

    I have a red wall, I love it. It does need a redo, it’s a bit faded. But, you are wise to hire this out. Red can be a difficult color to get on the wall without it looking streaky or thin. You really need to use a good dark tint primer. You’re going to love it.

  12. Paula Nadelstern
    | Reply

    In our first apartment in Washington Heights, NYC, we had a red wall with red Venetian blinds. 1970-73.

  13. Rachel
    | Reply

    I have no idea what it will cost, but hubby and i painted an entire room red in one of our apartments. It was grand! 12 ft ceilings snd red! It was red for years after we moved out. You could see the glow from the street when we drove by.
    Go red!

  14. Dayna Williamson
    | Reply

    We have a red wall in the “Scottie Room” guest room. It is where I at one time tried to gather all the scottish terrier collectibles but somehow they have oozed out under the door and throughout the house again just like the slime from movies of old.

  15. Barbara
    | Reply

    My daughter painted her den red, and they call it the ‘red room.’

  16. Mary Spriet
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    If you can’t find a painter or have to alter your decision, why not go with big RED accents. Maybe paint an old dresser, or other piece of furniture a nice bright RED, or the trim around a window, etc…. My kitchen is mainly blue & white, but I love my red accents. When I was finally able to purchase a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, I got RED. For me personally, a little red goes a long way. But, have fun with it, even if you don’t get a whole wall done!

  17. AJ
    | Reply

    No advice on painters as we have always done that ourselves. As for that red wall, go for it! I made a move I hated a handful of years ago due to my spouse’s job and struggled in my new environment. To say that I felt unhappy, restless, and unsettled would be an understatement. I tried at least a dozen different paint shades for my living room before the heavens parted and the perfect color for the space just jumped out at me from all of those little cards at the paint store. I am still living with that smoky, sexy amethyst room and have never regretted it. As for where I live? I don’t like it any better five years later (actually, I like it even less) but I have a killer living room that I feels like a space I belong in no matter where it happens to be in the world.

    P.S. Incidentally, purple is not my signature color but it fits the space I am in. I realize that is probably a pretty telling commentary about the position I find myself in and my relationship to where I live. Not quite sure how to describe it. Adapt or die seems overly dramatic. Bloom where you are planted is not accurate at all and sounds extremely Pollyanna, sugary, and trite. Suffice it to say that sometimes a paint color is much more than just a paint color.

  18. Caralie G.
    | Reply

    I’m first and foremost a pink-loving person but I really, really love my red bathroom. It’s the main bathroom downstairs, not a small secondary one. Gotta go bold once in awhile! Go for it, girl!

  19. Georgia O'Neal
    | Reply

    I LOVE color – that’s one reason I love quilting – Nothing bad can come from having a red wall !! Go for it !!!

  20. Janet
    | Reply

    Red? Love it!

    Christopher Lowell has said that if you can dress yourself you can design a room. I agree, but I know a lot of people who are terrified of even trying. They really don’t know what they are missing. I’m still (?) getting used to the idea of neutrals being not just whites and greys but navy. All that aside, i Love Color. I tend toward deeper hues, but pastels are okay too. Anything – and I mean ANYTHING other than plain white walls that came with the house.

    As for getting the job done – don’t you have a few relatives who can give you a couple of hours during the weekend in return for a meal? 🙂

    Good luck – Great Job! And I really would love to know what Mary Fons Red looks like.

  21. Jain Barrett
    | Reply

    Mary, that sounds great!
    A few thoughts about hiring someone to paint. (I work as a designer and construction coordinator in residential remodeling and custom home building) Mary Fons Red is both Dark and Bold… and when painted over a lighter wall, if not done properly, can “ghost”. That is, you may see stripes of the lighter shade coming through. So, don’t despair, just make sure that your handyman/painter is willing to
    1) use a properly tinted primer, and
    2) two good coats of the final paint.
    =) That’s three coats in total.
    Some will tell you that the paint they will be using is an upgrade and is designed for one-coat application. Hmm. Maybe not when painting dark red over white?

    When interviewing your contractor, make sure you know in advance if they are willing to move any furniture or items that you cannot move yourself. And will they move them back in place afterward? Basically, have them tell you what they expect from YOU so there are no surprises.

    And if it matters to you, find out if they will use a sprayer or a roller and brush. (I vote for a roller and brush in this situation.)

  22. Glenda
    | Reply

    I love chalk painting and anyone can do it. Got some furniture that needs updated. Red is the hardest to get on well, blue is the hardest to cover up. I told you my sister has people in your area. Let me know.

  23. Cara
    | Reply

    By far, the best painters I’ve used are a handyman service that has a lady who just does the painting (and they had no problem just doing a little project for me) and a local guy who wanders around town with his ladder and tarps to paint as asked. Unless you’re doing a whole house, I’d skip the painting companies.

  24. Nadine Donovan
    | Reply

    Ha! I have been saying for awhile now that I want to paint one of my bedroom walls. Red! Love it!

  25. Mary D
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    I love red also. When I bought my first home, I had to have a red front door. Life would not have been right without one.

  26. Cindy M
    | Reply

    I have an Alabama Crimson Tide-themed media room. My plan was to paint the walls and ceiling dark gray. My son-in-law talked me into painting the ceiling red (based on a Pinterest picture). I doubted it, but bought the paint. It looks awesome! Something I never thought I’d do, but I love it. Go for the red wall, you’re going to love it!

  27. Judy Mischke
    | Reply

    Can’t wait to see it, Mary! My while house was painted in neutral colors. I decided, a few years ago, to go totally wild in my kitchen! I painted the walls red and the curtains bright yellow. I found a perfect red and yellow fabric and made valances and small appliance covers. I get a lot of compliments on my bright kitchen! (It also has a picture window and four regular windows and it’s not a large kitchen!!!)

  28. Mary Dusenberry
    | Reply

    I wallpapered our dining room with Red silk ! Still love it. Paint can be changed! Ask friends in your neighborhood for referrals!

  29. Erika Mulvenna
    | Reply

    You go Mary! No ideas on reputable painters, best of luck on that search. So happy to read your updates, and one day in the near Chicago future I’d love to catch up with you in real life!

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