Color Samples

Five years is a long time right?  I mean think about all that can happen in that time.  For our family, the last 5 years have had so many life changing events that sometimes I am amazed how much has happened and where we have landed.  And so the idea of repainting and sprucing up the decor throughout the house surfaced in my mind.   I’ve had trouble with the repainting part since the paint in our house really isn’t that old.  Then again, how often should one repaint the inside of a home?  I hit the internet hoping to find a magical number, but came up empty handed.  Some people were on a 10 year schedule while others just waited until the walls began to look dingy.  Then of course, there were people that repainted and changed up the décor in their home every 2 years.   So I sat myself down and tried to come up with my own justification list.  Once complete, I would run it past my hubby for feedback as I do value his opinion.  The list went something like this:

1. 5 years is an eternity in the decorating world!
2. Flat paint was used throughout our house (need I say more).  I LOVE the look of flat paint, but let’s face it, it just isn’t practical with kids.
3. Paint is 60% of the décor.
4. I am a project person.  I enjoy the buzz and action of a great project – especially my own.
5. I am helping a small local business – namely our painter who is fantastic.
6. Its winter.  How does this point support repainting the house?  It really doesn’t but I threw it in anyway. The house will inevitably become a disaster with furniture being moved around so that the painter can access walls and such.   Dust will be kicked up and fumes from the paint will be evident.  We tend to be more at home in the winter (hence I can clean up easier) and the thought of opening the windows during winter to cleanse the air seems so much more appealing than mixing it with hot humid summer air.  Did I mention its winter?
7. The paint on our walls has aged and I can no longer repaint high traffic areas without painting the entire wall.  I noticed this after about the 3^rd year.

I looked at my husband and waited for a response.  Well?  “Do it”.  Wait a minute.  Did he just agree?  Woot woot!!  So it’s settled.  We hope to start this project in the next 2 weeks and anticipate that it will take about 6 months to a year to get it where we want it to be.  I don’t expect that the painting will take that long but rather the redecorating.  I also don’t plan to get rid of all the furniture – in fact I plan on keeping most of it.  Reorganizing and adding a few new pieces is what I hope to do in changing up the look in most rooms.  My heart flutters with excitement!

How often do you repaint the inside of your home?

Images:  House of Many Hues